FREEDMĀ Supercharger
A next gen supercharger installed in half the time, half the space, half the cost, with half the losses of today's technology.
To make an impact join the conversation or vote for this project!
The minimum raise amount for this project to go forward is $50,000.
Current Chargers Are Unreliable
Current charging technology is the weak link in the path to electrification.Ā Based on current technology, roughly only 1 in 4 chargers even works and considerable ongoing maintenance is required.
Improving Current Fast Chargers
Dr. Wensong Yu developed a patented method for paralleling thyristors with SiC switches to realize 82% cost saving compared to SiC semiconductors alone. The concept can be used in a wide variety of applications. This project would advance the invention to practice specifically for electric vehicle charging at 300 kW.
A Provisional Patent application has been submitted to NC titled "Paralleling power semiconductors with different switching frequencies." To date, this invention has been licensed to a startup for solar inverter applications.
The Team
Dr. Wensong Yu is a leading researcher in his field with over 130 peer reviewed academic papers and 12 patents for his work with inverters, converters, and solid state transformers for applications to grid management and electric vehicle charging. He is also the originator of the most commonly used transformerless PV inverter topology: the H6 solar inverter. Dr. Yu is a Research Professor at the FREEDM Systems Center at NC State and a key contributor to the development of a 1 MW Extreme Fast Charger based on SST concepts.
Key Milestones
Regular
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Platinum
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Standard
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Behind The Bench
Here are some commonly asked questions. Join the community and add some of your own!
Why should anyone care about the subject of your research?
If the US is to reduce our climate impact, then we must address carbon emission from transportation of all forms: passenger cars, buses, trains, aircraft, ships. And electrifying those vehicles is the fastest way to have an impact. But we need charging infrastructure as we make this transition. Our hybrid power module will enable faster adoption of electric vehicles of all types by reducing the charger costs and increasing charger efficiency.
How does this project bring your research into the world?
Although our hybrid power module has multiple fields of use, we believe that EV fast charging is a huge opportunity. But our design needs to be tested for the specific profiles for chargers, adapted to industry standards, and evaluated in real world demonstration projects. This project will help us start that process.
What drove you into research?
Dr. Yu grew up in a village in rural China and remembers not having any shoes to wear as a child. He knew that if he studied hard, he could help his family and solve some of the big problems he saw in the world. His aptitude for understanding problems from a fundamental level led to a career in research and academia.
Whatās your favorite a-ha! Moment in your research career?
There are many moments of discovery, but two recent inventions have great potential. One is the discovery that enables this project. Nobody else has considered parallel control of devices that switch at different frequencies. The logic for this is very complex. I knew it would work but it required a lot of effort. The second is a filter design for silicon carbide switches that dramatically improves the performance of a particular topology and makes new use cases affordable today rather than ten years from now. Both of these inventions required thinking differently about the problem. I also think my best work is yet to come.Ā