PVtec-Charger
Reliable and cost-optimized charging stations and new charging solutions for grid-serving and economical charging of electric vehicles with electricity from renewable energies
Charging solutions for electric mobility and corresponding charging stations still express too high costs and insufficient integrability into the dynamically changing energy system. Therefore, the aim of the joint project is the achievement of interoperable and grid-supporting system integration and a significant reduction in costs while simultaneously improving reliability. Additionally, the assurance of all current and future relevant functionalities, future viability, security (especially cyber security), efficiency and resource-saving long service lives are vital. These goals are the cornerstone for improving the economic efficiency, usability, environmental attributes and sustainability of charging solutions in a renewable energy system. This is achievable by a novel solution approach with a series of technological innovations from inverter and digitization technology as well as a holistic approach from power electronics at the component level to optimal integration into the energy system. The specific technological innovation approach of the project is to apply the achievements of photovoltaics and its inverters (economy of scale, costs, quality, reliability, grid integration) to the charging infrastructure and, at the same time, to develop them further with regard to consistent sector coupling and digitalization.
In this project, the Institute for Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS) has multiple tasks, which can be summarized into three main tasks. First, the investigation of technology trends for future high-power charging solutions. Second, the development of a hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) test bench for the development-accompanying testing of charging stations. The HiL test bench allows simultaneous emulation of a low-voltage AC grid and an electric vehicle (EV) battery. This enables a full replication of the operation of a fast charging station in a laboratory environment. To test the increasing requirements due to changing and location-dependent grid conditions, the test bench includes novel control approach to emulate the effect of grid conditions and faults on an EV charging process. The third main task is the development and implementation of precompliance procedures for the measurement of conducted electromagnetic emissions (EME) in the fully emulated HiL test bench. The EME measurement gives further insight into the effects of grid conditions and faults on the fast charging station.
The PVtec-Charger project is a joint research project under the consortium leadership of SMA Solar Technology AG. Further research and project partners are:
- aixACCT Systems GmbH
- Bender GmbH & Co. KG
- elexon GmbH
- University of Kassel
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
Funding code: 03ETE037F
Project duration: 01.09.2021 until 31.08.2024