Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System TechnologyModular, cost-efficient and multifunctional charging and drive unit for electric vehicles
The project CombiPower focuses on the development of a modular, cost-efficient and multifunctional charging and drive unit for electric vehicles. The combination of different inverters in one device is a promising approach to minimize the size of the charging and drive unit while increasing efficiency.
The objectives of the project are defined as follows:
- Development of a demonstrator of the CombiPower concept and testing in the operational environment
- Implementation of grid-forming properties for Vehicle-2-Grid applications (V2G+)
- Reduction of the number of components and volume reduction through combined charging and drive unit
- Development of an active filter for electric vehicles
In its role as coordinator of the project, Vitesco Technologies GmbH is responsible for project management. Fraunhofer IEE and Vitesco Technologies are working closely together to develop the multifunctional charging and drive unit. The company SUMIDA and Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) will work closely together on the research and development of the active filter, with SUMIDA, as an expert in inductive components, optimizing them and H-BRS devoting itself to the circuit technology of the active filter. ROHM Semiconductor contributes a high level of expertise in the field of power semiconductors, drivers and cooling concepts and is available to the project partners in an advisory capacity, particularly for hardware development.
The use of active filters and modern SiC-based semiconductors is intended to reduce the volume and weight of filter components. The bidirectional grid connection of the developed system also enables the provision of grid-supporting functions. In the power supply of the future, there will continue to be systems that are dependent on a stable grid, such as PV or wind power plants. The reduction in the generation capacity of large power plants requires an active contribution to grid stability through renewable energies and storage. The bidirectional design of the modular charging and drive unit not only enables electrical energy to be fed back into the grid from the vehicle battery, but also offers additional inherent grid stabilization thanks to its grid-forming control design. This technology therefore extends the Vehicle-to-X functionality with grid-forming properties, which means that not only can the power grid be stabilized or rebuilt (Vehicle-to-Grid+), but households can also be operated as island mode (without an active power grid connection) in an emergency (Vehicle-to-Home+). This is automatically accompanied by vehicle-to-device functionality.
