Electric Vehicle Chargers, EV Charging Stations

Electric Vehicle Chargers, EV Charging Stations

Charging stations – American classification
In the United States, charging stations are divided into three types, here are the types of EV chargers in charging stations in the US.

Level 1 EV Charger
Level 2 EV Charger
Level 3 EV Charger
The time required for a full charge depends on the level used.

AC charging stations
Let’s start by looking at the AC charging system. This charge is provided by an AC source, so this system needs an AC to DC converter, which we considered in the Current Transducers post. According to the charging power levels, AC charging can be classified as follows.

Level 1 chargers: Level 1 is the slowest charging with alternating current 12A or 16A, depending on the circuit ratings. The maximum voltage is 120V for the United States, and the maximum peak power will be 1.92 kW. With the help of level 1 charges, you can charge an electric car in an hour to travel up to 20-40 km.
Most electric cars charge at such a station for 8-12 hours depending on battery capacity. At such a speed, any car can be changed without special infrastructure, simply by plugging the adapter into a wall outlet. These features make this system convenient for overnight charging.
Level 2 chargers: Level 2 charging systems use a direct network connection via Electric Vehicle Service Equipment for electric vehicles. The maximum power of the system is 240 V, 60 A, and 14.4 kW. Charging time will vary depending on the capacity of the traction battery and the power of the charging module and is 4-6 hours. Such a system can be found most often.
Level 3 chargers: The charging of the level 3 charger is the most powerful. The voltage is from 300-600 V, the current is 100 amperes or more, and the rated power is more than 14.4 kW. These level 3 chargers can charge the car battery from 0 to 80% in under 30-40 minutes.
DC charging stations
DC systems require special wiring and installation. they can be installed in garages or at the charging stations. DC charging is more powerful than AC systems and can charge electric cars faster. Their classification is also made depending on the power levels that they supply to the battery and it is shown on the slide.

Charging stations – Europian classification
Let us remind you that we have now considered the American classification. In Europe, we can see a similar situation, only another standard is used, which divides charging stations into 4 varieties – not by levels, but by modes.

Mode 1.
Mode 2.
Mode 3.
Mode 4.
This standard defines the following charging capacities:

Mode 1 chargers: 240 volts 16 A, the same as Level 1 with the difference that in Europe there are 220 V, so the power is twice as high. the charging time of the electric car with its help is 10-12 hours.
Mode 2 chargers: 220 V 32 A, that is, similar to Level 2. The charging time of a standard electric car is up to 8 hours
Mode 3 chargers: 690 V, 3-phase alternating current, 63 A, that is, the rated power is 43 kW more often 22 kW charges are installed. Compatible with Type 1 connectors. J1772 for single-phase circuits. Type 2 for three-phase circuits. (But about connectors we will talk about a little bit later) There is no such type in the USA, it is fast charging with alternating current. The charging time can be from several minutes to 3-4 hours.
Mode 4 chargers: This mode allows fast charging with direct current, allows 600 V and up to 400 A, that is, the maximum rated power is 240 kW. The recovery time of the battery capacity up to 80% for an average electric car is thirty minutes.
Wireless charging systems
Also, the innovative wireless charging system must be noted, as it is of interest due to the provided amenities. This system does not require the plugs and cables that are required in wired charging systems.

Also, the advantage of wireless charging is the low risk of malfunction in a dirty or humid environment. There are various technologies that are used to provide wireless charging. They differ in the operating frequency, efficiency, associated electromagnetic interference, and other factors.

Incidentally, it is very inconvenient when each company has its own, patented system that does not work with devices from another manufacturer. An inductive charging system can be considered as the most developed This technology is based on the principle of magnetic resonance or inductive energy transfer Although this type of charging is non-contact, it is not wireless, nevertheless, it is still referred to as wireless. Such charges are already in production.

For example, BMW launched the GroundPad induction charging station. The system has a power of 3.2 kW and allows you to fully charge the battery of the BMW 530e iPerformance in three and a half hours. In the United States, the researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory introduced a wireless charging system with a capacity of as much as 20 kW for electric vehicles. And more and more such news appears every day.

Types of EV charging connectors