DC-DC Converter for Fast Charging with Mobile BESS in a Weak Grid : Enabling remote charging and increased efficiency with less resource intensity

Sammanfattning: With the increase of electric vehicles (EVs) on the roads the availability of charging infrastructure becomes more important. Today it is relatively straightforward to install fast chargers in areas with strong power grid connections, such as in urban areas. However, in areas with less available electrical power, the grid is considered to be a weak grid, typically in remote areas, which limits charging speeds. Local peak shaving can be implemented with battery energy storage systems (BESS) to support faster charging at these locations by increasing available power when needed. As the majority of the power is supplied by the BESS there are noticeable conversion losses when converting from the BESS DC voltage to AC in the grid and then back to DC through the fast charger. This thesis investigates DC/DC converters to charge EVs directly from a BESS DC bus by regulating the voltage to the level of the EV, while also supporting safe simultaneous charging capability. It was done through understanding relevant standards’ requirements, converter review, as well as design and simulation of the interesting topologies. The converters selected to simulate were the Buck-Boost and the Dual-Active Bridge (DAB). After analysing the efficiency result in combination with industry requirements, it was concluded that one DAB per output is the preferred option in most use cases. This would potentially also reduce the material usage and carbon footprint of this type of infrastructure compared to the current solution. Furthermore, some suggestions were made for improving the design of DAB converter before making a prototype for real testing.