Our Journey to 120kW Ultra Rapid DC-DC Bi-Directional Charging for EVs. Part One

As early as 2016, we began to understand the power of bi-directional DC-DC charging and the impact it could have on overcoming the steep de-carbonisation challenge.  Our 40 plus years developing world-leading power systems for the rail and aerospace industries armed us with the technology to enable it. But it went way beyond creating rapid chargers.  It cut straight to the heart of the biggest threat to EV rollout: there’s simply not enough available power to charge them all.

As the UK Government’s Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate becomes law this year, it’s apt to reflect on our path to 120kW ultra rapid capability.  We’ll be sharing our journey with you in a series of articles, unpacking the vison, our early steps, the leap to the DC-DC microgrid concept and the Megawatt challenge of the future.

100 kW to Going Underground.

The first step in our 120kW revolution came in 2017 when we began to explore the benefits of using Silicone Carbide in our power conversion solutions.  In simple terms it allowed us to create high frequency power converter units which were much quieter, more efficient and compact than those of an equivalent scale in the market to date.  Running at up to 100 kW, these units were really pushing at the limits of what could be done at the time and they opened our eyes to the potential of this technology beyond our traditional markets.

We were excited when our work gained recognition with an important category win at the prestigious Elektra Awards which reward and showcase the best technological advances within the European power industry.

It also won us a great opportunity to work with London Underground.  The operator was keen to take advantage of the benefits our powerful yet compact units would bring to its radical new breed of train, reducing space intrusion and providing improvements in weight loss whilst maintaining high reliability by eliminating the need for cooling fans that would otherwise be required to achieve comparative sized units.

Our relationship with London Underground continues as we work together to explore what’s possible and create ever greater efficiencies.

Above all though, this was our Eureka moment.  We realised the power conversion capability we had created would have a revolutionary impact on another crucially important sector: EV charging.  Significantly, not just for rapid charging, but rapid discharging too.

Catch us next time when we talk about our bi- directional breakthrough and early V2X experiences.  Meantime, if you would like to talk to us about how our unique EV charging technology can give you all the power you need while delivering real ROI back to you, please get in touch: Contact Us | Find Out How We Can Help | Turbo Power Systems

Lens on:  The Evolution of Potenza, a singular power unit with our unique DGI (Distribution Grid Inverter) at the heart of our EV charging solution.

Our DGI can trace its roots back to 2013 and a requirement from UK Power Networks (UKPN) for a power solution which would allow them to maximize Grid capacity to ease the increasing pressure on their networks demanded by electrification of transport and the widespread adoption of commercial and domestic heat pumps.
In essence a highly technologically advanced GTI (Grid-Tie Inverter), our DGI enabled extra levels of power capacity well beyond what was current in the sector due to special features including bi-directional flows of power, phase balancing and harmonic cancellation.
These unique characteristics led to the development of a highly sophisticated solution for UKPN; a Soft Open Point (SOP) formed of multiple DGIs enabling energy to be transferred from one part of the Grid to another to ensure adequate supply to meet local demand. The DGI’s unique capabilities started us thinking about wider applications for it within the DNO (Distribution Network Operator) community for devices such as STATCOMs and voltage regulators.
As early adopters of advanced Silicon Carbide technology for high power applications, its use within our devices enabled our DGIs and therefore the SOPs to become the first high power electronic devices commercially available for DNOs in the UK, capable of deployment within public spaces.

Today you need a partner that’s much more than just a charger manufacturer. You need one that understands the entire power ecosystem to provide you with the charging solution today, which has the unique capability to evolve, adapt, and grow as we move into the ever-changing world of tomorrow.
At TPS, we’re offering the power of tomorrow. Today.