POWER ELECTRONICS
build the power conversion ‘muscle’ around that. This approach provides a seamless
experience for drivers – for example, handling payment data and the electronic ‘handshake’ that happens when you plug a vehicle in. But it also lets the owner and operator of the charging point keep an eye on its performance from a remote control centre. It can give insight into the popularity of diff erent sites, as well as the performance of converter modules, for example by raising alerts to send a technician if a converter module needs to be replaced. The true test of any technology in
the fi eld comes over time. In the case of EV charging points, they will need to withstand extremes of summer heat, winter cold, rain and snow, as well as mechanical wear and tear. As the main support series to the
ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy Championship is a test-bed for the cars and their chargers in the most extreme conditions. The high-power chargers used for the series contain identical components to the roadside technology, although they are repackaged in an air-freight enclosure so they can follow the series to 10 races around the world. Once in place at a circuit, the chargers must work perfectly, whether in the heat of Saudi Arabia or at the Jaguar Land Rover Ice Academy in Arjeplog in Sweden.
Charging infrastructure will be increasingly seen at supermarkets and restaurants According to Chris Crump, Southern
Europe Operations team leader for Jaguar Land Rover: “The ABB chargers at the Ice Academy are one of the most northerly of all DC charging infrastructure across Europe, and it is one of the most remote and coldest installations on the planet. The stations have been designed to perform in extreme conditions, from -35°C to 55°C.”
WHERE DOES THE
FUTURE LIE? Car manufacturers are actively developing cars with bigger batteries for longer range, with one example being Porsche’s fi rst fully electric car,
the Taycan, which is due to go into production in 2020. The industry is very much focused on lithium-ion batteries. Although there has been a lot of discussion about other types of battery with higher energy densities, these are the subject of research and development for now. But when they are available, they will inevitably enable vehicle manufacturers to further extend the range of their vehicles – and this will only drive further demand for DC fast charging stations. ■
The author is ABB’s development manager for EV charging
Marine dreams
Governments and regulators are very much focused on controlling emissions of carbon dioxide, particulates and other gases from transport. For example, the International Maritime Organisation introduced its Data Collection system to monitor and report in January 2019. As a result, we’re likely to see uptake of shore-to-ship power converters, which use similar technology to EV charging to enable ships to plug into
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mains power and switch their engines off while in port. The key difference is that the converters take power supplied at 50Hz frequency from the grid and convert it to the NATO- standard 60Hz generally used on board ships. Electric and hybrid
propulsion is becoming more common – for example the operator of Maid of the Mist tourist boats at Niagara Falls has ordered a new fl eet of all-electric
The new Niagera Falls craft
vessels. These will receive a full charge for the 316kWh batteries from shoreside infrastructure in only seven minutes to supply power for propulsion motors with a peak output of 400kW.
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