Modeling Harmonic Impacts of Electric Vehicle Chargers on Distribution Networks

As the proliferation of electric vehicles continues to grow, it is becoming important to understand the impacts that electric vehicle charging will have on distribution assets. EV chargers are non-linear, multi-state loads. This manuscript presents a design method for the modeling of EV charging units using a VHDL-AMS simulation environment, per IEEE Standard 1076.1. Voltage and current data collected from in-service EV charging stations were used to create harmonic profiles of the EV charging units. From these profiles, generalized models for both Level 2 and Level 3 EV chargers were created. These models were validated within a larger system context using the IEEE 13 node test feeder. A VHDL-AMS tool has been created so distribution engineers may assess the impacts that EV chargers have on distribution assets. The tool may also be used to assist with the selection of transformers, conductors, and protection equipment.