Automotive industries tend to invest in future technologies to improve the user experience. Since most automobile manufacturers are launching electric vehicles, they are keen to improve the battery performance and charging time. There are not as many EV charging stations across the globe and the lengthy charging process are few drawbacks of owning EVs.
Auto brands are making fast charging possible by implementing onboard charging that converts alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). Let’s go through how an onboard charger works and its advantages in electric vehicles.
WHAT IS AN ONBOARD CHARGER?
The charging in electric vehicles depends on the three major components, i.e. charging station, charging cable, and onboard charger. While the charger can be confused with the charging stations and onboard chargers. That said, the major difference between charging stations (AC or DC chargers) and onboard chargers is that the latter comes equipped in the electric car.
There are two types of chargers, AC and DC. Let’s go through their differences to understand the working of onboard chargers.
AC VS DC CHARGING
The wall charger or home charger (also known as an off-board charger) provides alternating current, commonly known as AC power. However, the battery stores energy in the form of direct current. Therefore, when you charge your EV at an AC charging station, the onboard charger in your vehicle helps in converting it into DC. The direct current then passes to the battery via Battery Management System (BMS).
Meanwhile, when using a DC charger to charge your EV, the current bypasses the onboard charger and directly charges the battery. Moreover, a DC charger helps in fast charging.
WORKING
The onboard chargers use the rectifier to convert AC into DC power. Moreover, it provides a power factor control (PFC) helping to control current and voltage. The PFC decides whether to use a single phase or all three phases of alternating current. The output voltage of 700 Volts from PFC is transferred to the LLC resonant converter. Hence, 700 Volts becomes the input, and the output voltage from the LLC converter is the voltage required by the battery while charging.
The chargers offer either constant voltage or constant current. Both have advantages and disadvantages. For instance, constant current provides a high charging speed while the hazard is that the battery will overcharge, resulting in short battery life. Meanwhile, constant voltage allows a high volume of current to flow into the battery, which heats the battery and reduces its lifespan.
This is where an onboard charger ensures the balance. It initially helps charge the battery with a constant current maintaining high-speed charging and efficiency. After a certain amplitude, it shifts to the constant voltage charging. Hence, onboard chargers play an important role in boosting electric car battery lifespan and performance.
TYPES
The classification of an onboard charger in EVs depends upon the number of phases it uses. Onboard chargers are categorised into the following two types:
- Single Phase Onboard Charger
- Three Phase Onboard Charger
Single Phase Onboard Charger
The output of a single phase onboard battery charger ranges between 7.2 to 7.4 kWh. Furthermore, a single-phase charger can bear an input voltage between 110 to 260 Volts. Tesla Model 3 rear-wheel drive is among the EVs equipped with the single phase onboard charger.
Three Phase Onboard Charger
The three-phase onboard charger has an output of up to 22 kWh and allows an input voltage of 360 to 440 volts. EVs equipped with a three-phase onboard charger include Tesla Model S, X, and Y.
The output voltage from different types of onboard chargers ranges from 450 volts to 850 volts. Moreover, the onboard charger’s design considerations include the charging time, power supply to the battery, and controlled voltage and current flow to the battery.
With the growth of electric cars in the automobile industry, onboard chargers have become essential as they boost the performance of electric car batteries. Moreover, these built-in chargers reduce the charging time making it a viable option for EV manufacturers. You can browse through the list of used cars in the UAE to find the following EVs equipped with the onboard chargers:
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