A Power-Factor-Corrected Active Bridge Converter for Electric Vehicle Charger Using Cuk Converter

This paper presents a novel design for a Power-Factor-Corrected (PFC) converter used in electric vehicle (EV) charging, featuring an integrated Cuk converter to enhance power quality. The proposed system is designed in two stages. The first stage utilizes a Cuk converter operating in continuous conduction mode to perform power factor correction, ensuring efficient and clean power input. The second stage incorporates a high-frequency wireless power transfer system with an active bridge inverter for fast EV charging, replacing the traditional LLC resonant converter. The previous system was limited to 580W charging capability, whereas the new design enables charging up to 5kW. The proposed approach also simplifies the resonant condition by using a single capacitor on the secondary side. High-power wireless power transfer (WPT) is a promising solution for rapid EV charging, but it is often constrained by power devices and resonant components. Additionally, the study addresses grid power factor correction, ensuring that the overall system contributes to efficient grid operation. The proposed method achieves 50kW output power with low-power Silicon devices, greatly enhancing system reliability and robustness. MATLAB simulation results confirm the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed system, demonstrating its potential to revolutionize fast EV charging technologies and improve grid power factor.