Integrated Battery Charger Topologies for Traction Inverters in Electrified Vehicles

Abstract

Electric vehicles today include several power electronics modules which are critical to their operation. The traction inverter converts direct current from the battery pack into alternating current suitable for powering the electric motor, allowing the vehicle to drive. When the vehicle is parked, the onboard charger enables conversion of alternating current from a standard outlet to direct current suitable for charging the battery pack. The traction inverter and onboard charger typically represent the majority of the power electronics cost, weight and volume in an electric vehicle. The temporal exclusivity and functional similarities of the inverter and charger present a basis for investigating how they may be combined into a single system which can achieve both functions. To that end, a novel approach to developing integrated traction inverter and battery charging systems, along with subsequent implementations, is considered.