Optimizing EV Charging: An Implementation of The Modified Cuk Converter for High Power Factor and Low Ripple Performance

Advancements in EV battery charging have enhanced overall performance and power quality. Power factor correction (PFC) converters, ‎such as buck, boost, Cuk, Z-source, and Interleaved topologies, minimize ripple and enhance power factor. This study reviews recent ‎charger designs, focusing on PFC converters and their role in reducing ripple and harmonic distortion. It also evaluates constant current (CC) ‎and constant voltage (CV) charging methods through simulations to ensure stable and efficient charging. A 1.4 kW, Level-1 on-board ‎charger was designed to provide 400V DC at 3.5A for a 400V battery pack. Simulations of a modified Cuk converter in CV and CC modes, ‎with a battery, assessed voltage and current stabilization under varying input conditions (180V–280V). PF ranged from 0.87 to 0.97. Additional simulations with a lithium-ion battery analyzed ripple suppression and power factor stability. The results were compared with various ‎past studies on different converter topologies to evaluate performance improvements. Furthermore, the modified converter's results were ‎validated through hardware implementation. The modified Cuk converter maintained a stable 400V, 3.5A output with voltage and current ‎ripple of 4.2% and 4.5%, respectively. The system achieves a PF of 0.983 in CC mode with less than 1% ripple, while CV mode maintains ‎a power factor between 0.940 and 0.946 with a Li-ion battery. The modified Cuk converter outperformed currently available converters, and ‎hardware results aligned closely with PSIM simulation data, confirming reliability and efficient operation. The proposed charger achieves ‎high PF and low ripple, ensuring reliable battery charging‎.