Analysis of different converter topologies for EV applications

Abstract

Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining global prominence due to their high efficiency, low noise, and minimal carbon emissions. A critical aspect of EV performance lies in the interaction between energy storage systems (ESS) and power converters. Nonetheless, power delivery from storage units tends to be unreliable and needs strong converter units for effective and stable energy transmission. Several forms of direct current-to-direct current conversion systems used in electric vehicles are thoroughly examined in the paper, including both isolated and non-isolated designs such as those with the cuk, flyback, and push-pull architectures. The paper looks at converter categorization, control methods such as proportional-integral and artificial neural networks, as well as the method of modulation using unipolar and bipolar sinusoidal pulse-width modulation (PWM). Additionally, the role of optimization algorithms in improving converter performance is explored. Simulations were conducted using MATLAB/Simulink to evaluate each topology under varying load and input voltage conditions. The results demonstrate that the Push-Pull converter has the best efficiency for high-power applications, while the Cuk and Flyback converters are best for applications requiring continuous current and low-power, compact designs, respectively. This research offers insights for choosing optimal converter structures to improve energy efficiency and reliability of systems in electric vehicles.