Supervisors

- Position
- Lecturer
- Division / Faculty
- Science and Engineering Faculty

- Position
- Professor in Cyberphysical Systems
- Division / Faculty
- Science and Engineering Faculty

- Position
- Associate Professor
- Division / Faculty
- Science and Engineering Faculty

- Position
- Acting Head of School
- Division / Faculty
- Science and Engineering Faculty
Overview
It's expected that solar photovoltaics will play an important role in the transformation towards electric mobility, including solar powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, as well as (partially or fully) solar powered vehicles.
Solar panels on the surface of an EV can serve as auxiliary power supply. Lightweight vehicles (e.g. commuter solar cars, cargo bikes, etc.), have the potential to considerably add to the EV's driving range and reduce overall charging needs. However, the integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems into EVs poses significant challenges.
This project seeks to develop lightweight, efficient and flexible PV systems to be integrated on electric vehicles.
Research activities
You will study and develop methods for the integration of the PV resource into the electrical system of EVs.
Research topics, depending on your study level and focus, can include:
- power electronic converter topologies for interfacing the PV panels and the EVs electrical system
- converter control and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) considering rapid solar irradiance variations due to the moving vehicle.
Research activities include:
- literature study
- circuit and system simulations
- control design
- laboratory validation, depending on your preferences and capabilities.
Outcomes
Possible outcomes of this project include:
- a literature survey on the challenges, requirements, and state-of-the-art solutions for electrical integration of PV into electric vehicles
- this can include power electronic converter topologies and their control
- converter topologies that improve upon the current service-oriented architecture (SoA)
- control and MPPT methods for EV-integrated PV systems.
Skills and experience
To be considered for this project, you should have a background in power electronics and/or control systems. Experience with photovoltaic systems and/or electric vehicles is a plus.
Scholarships
You may be able to apply for a research scholarship in our annual scholarship round.
Keywords
- Photovoltaic systems
- Electric vehicle
- Power electronic converter
- Control in power electronics
- Maximum Power Point Tracking
- Power engineering
- MPPT
Contact
Contact the supervisor for more information.