A Comparative Simulation–Hardware Co-Validation Framework for SEPIC and Full-Bridge DC–DC Converters in Electric Vehicle Battery Charging via dSPACE DS1104

The accelerating adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) demands compact and high-efficiencient EV battery charger. The DC–DC converters is the key element of EV charger to ensure reliable battery charging under diverse operating conditions. This paper presents a comparative simulation–hardware co-validation framework of 56V charging voltage and 15A for evaluating a non-isolated Single-Ended Primary Inductor Converter (SEPIC) and an isolated Full-Bridge (FB) DC–DC converter in identical operating conditions. Experimental validation is performed on reduced-scale hardware prototypes using a dSPACE DS1104 real-time control platform. Performance comparison is carried out for duty-cycle, output voltage ripple contents, semiconductor stress and efficiency of the converter. Results from both simulation and hardware testing shows that the FB converter operates 4-6 % more efficiently and produces significantly 30% lower output voltage ripple than the SEPIC converter under rated conditions. The proposed co-validation framework effectively integrates simulation and hardware testing and provides practical design insights for next-generation EV battery chargers.