Designing DC Fast Charges (DCFC) for Efficiency, Reliability, and Safety

Introduction

Charging time is a major consideration for consumers and businesses when assessing the feasibility of investing in electric vehicles (EV). To reduce charging time, the industry is turning to DC chargers (DCFC) . DCFC bypass an electric vehicle’s on−board charger to provide higher power directly to batteries and substantially reduce charging time.
To achieve faster charging, accommodate higher EV battery voltages, and improve overall power efficiency, DCFC must operate at higher voltages and power levels. This creates a challenge for OEMs as they must design an architecture that optimizes efficiency without compromising reliability or safety.
DCFC integrate a wide range of components, including those for auxiliary power, sensing, power management, connectivity, and communications. Further complicating design is the need to take a flexible manufacturing approach to be able to meet the evolving charging needs of a wide range of EVs.