EV battery charging infrastructure in remote areas: Design, and analysis of a two-stage solar PV enabled bidirectional STC-DAB converter

With the expanding contribution of non-conventional and distributed energy sources, the requirement of exceptionally high power, high-frequency DC-DC converters is anticipated to rise, particularly in remote areas. This article proposes a unique dual active bridge (DAB) converter model for synergetic energy transfer between solar photo voltaic (SPV) modules, Plug-in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, and DC load. It possesses unique characteristics of galvanic isolation and is well-suited for higher energy density and switching frequency uses. This work aims to design a robust and compact off-board charging configuration using a Scott transformer connection-based DAB (STC-DAB) converter, which can utilize the full generated power of the solar PV array and deliver it to an EV battery charging point. The proposed topology offers a compact and lightweight interface for fast battery charging between medium and low DC voltages, utilizing fewer components such as inductors, transformers, and IGBT switches, with additional quantitative attributes of the system. This configuration is costeffective and improves the energy density of the converter. It also enables reverse power transfer from the EV battery to the DC loads. It has been tested under dynamic conditions, including variable solar insolations, transitions between constant current (CC) and constant voltage (CV) charging, load changes, and mode transfers. The paper also includes the design, analysis, and mathematical modeling of the proposed STC-DAB converter.