The Department of Energy has awarded nearly $1 million to Xiaoqing Song, a University of Arkansas assistant professor of electrical engineering and director of the Power Switch Lab, for research that could lead to smaller and more reliable fast-charging stations for electric vehicles.
Song’s research focuses on power modules, which control the flow of electricity by rapidly switching a current on and off. The goal of the project is to develop a prototype for power modules that can handle higher voltages and temperatures than what electric vehicle chargers currently use.
“The current power modules are usually limited to 10 kilovolts,” Song said in a press release. “We want to bolster the voltage to a higher level, like to 15 kilovolts or even higher.”
Today, EV fast chargers use several lower-voltage power modules connected in series to achieve the required voltage level.
Song’s research aims to create just one module that could replace the low-voltage components, which would make the electrical circuit easier to design and the charger more efficient.
The press release said that the high-voltage power modules could also be used to make electrical grids more efficient.
The research will be conducted in collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which has expertise in power modules. The grant for $997,588 was issued by the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity. Alan Mantooth, distinguished professor of electrical engineering, and Keisha Walters, professor of chemical engineering, are co-investigators on the grant.
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