Modular Multilevel Converter Based High-Power Inductive Power Transfer Charger For Electric Transportation - 2024/2028

This article presents an innovative proposal for wireless charging of high-power electric vehicles, centered on the use of a Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) as the core component of the system. This type of converter enables the generation of high-quality waveforms with low harmonic content, resulting in more efficient and stable energy transfer. The Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) technology eliminates the need for physical contact between charger and vehicle, enhancing safety and reducing equipment wear.

The modular structure of the MMC offers significant advantages: it facilitates scalability in power and voltage, enables natural balancing of submodules, and ensures reliable operation even under demanding conditions. Additionally, the system achieves soft switching (ZVS), which reduces losses and improves overall efficiency.

The design targets large-scale electric transportation applications, such as buses and trains, which require megawatt-level power. Simulation and experimental results show efficiencies exceeding 94%, confirming that this architecture is a robust alternative to conventional topologies.

In summary, the combination of MMC and IPT represents a promising solution for the development of high-power wireless charging infrastructure, contributing efficiency, modularity, and safety to the electric transportation systems of the future.

Program: Fondecyt

Project Duration: 48 months

Principal Investigator: Félix Eduardo Rojas Lobos