Energy-efficient scalable canonical PFC converter with model predictive control for universal-grid EV battery charging

Abstract

This article presents a scalable and energy-efficient bridgeless canonical switching cell (CSC) based power factor correction (PFC) converter integrated with finite control set model predictive control (FCS–MPC) for low-voltage electric vehicle battery charging under universal grid conditions. Conventional boost-derived PFC converters suffer from increased conduction losses due to front-end diode bridge rectifiers and exhibit limited dynamic performance during grid disturbances; to address these limitations, the proposed topology eliminates the diode bridge and exploits the intrinsic energy transfer characteristics of the CSC to enhance power density, reduce semiconductor stress, and improve current shaping capability. A discrete-time predictive model is developed to simultaneously regulate the DC-link voltage and shape the grid current, and a multiobjective cost function is formulated to minimize current and voltage tracking errors while reducing control effort. The FCS–MPC directly generates optimal switching states without conventional pulse width modulation modulation, ensuring fast transient response and lower computational complexity compared to proportional-integral-based and artificial intelligence-assisted control strategies reported in recent literature. Designed for a 7.4 kW, 51 V lithium-ion electric vehicle battery system suitable for light electric vehicles such as e-rickshaws, the converter demonstrates stable operation across a wide input voltage range of 85–265 V AC, achieving a near-unity power factor (0.9999) and total harmonic distortion (THD) as low as 1.09% under voltage sag and swell conditions, consistently maintaining THD below 2% across global grid standards. Furthermore, the architecture is scalable up to 7.4 kW without modification of the control framework, enabling compatibility with both low-voltage and higher-power EV charging applications. The results confirm that the proposed CSC–MPC framework provides an effective balance between harmonic mitigation, computational efficiency, scalability, and grid compliance, offering a robust and sustainable solution for next-generation EV charging infrastructure.