A Current-Source Converter with a Hybrid Dc-dc Converter Interfacing an Electric Vehicle and a Renewable Energy Source

The increasing demand for electricity and the impact of the consumption of fossil fuels leads to the need for approaching new alternatives of energy production, namely energy storage systems (ESS) and renewable energy sources (RES). For this purpose, this paper presents a single-phase current-source converter (CSC) with a hybrid dc-dc converter connected to the dc-link, which not only allows the interface of an electric vehicle (EV) and a RES, but also operates as shunt active power filter (SAPF). The operation as SAPF is performed through the CSC connected to the power grid, compensating some power quality problems that can occur in the electrical installation, namely current harmonics and low power factor. Moreover, the CSC can operate as a grid-tied inverter or as an active rectifier. Regarding the hybrid dc-dc converter, the main role of this power converter is to interface the CSC dc-link with the power converters for the EV and RES interfaces. As demonstrated along the paper, the CSC, combined with the hybrid dc-dc converter, allows the operation as SAPF, as well as the operation in bidirectional mode, specifically for the EV operation, and for injecting power from the RES. In this paper, the power electronics structure is described in detail, and the operating principle is introduced, supported by the description of the control algorithms. The validation results show the proper operation of the CSC as SAPF and the operation of the hybrid dc-dc converter as EV battery charger and discharger, as well as RES interface.