Comparison and evaluation of different DC/DC topologies for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle chargers

The battery charging system is a critical part of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The efficiency, charging speed, and cost of such chargers are crucial to the commercialisation of PHEVs. In this paper, the advantages and drawbacks of four potential PHEV charger topologies were compared based on their operations through simulation and experiments. Their electrical stress, efficiency, cost, and the feasibility were discussed in detail. It was concluded that a full-bridge based PHEV charger is the most favourable choice among the four available topologies due to its power capability, soft switching capability, low electric stress, high efficiency, but slightly elevated cost.