Xiaoqing Song, assistant professor of electrical engineering.
The Department of Energy awarded nearly $1 million to Xiaoqing Song, a U of A assistant professor of electrical engineering and director of the Power Switch Lab, for research that could lead to smaller and more reliable fast-charging stations for electric vehicles.
Song’s research focuses on developing power modules using silicon carbide, which can handle higher voltages than traditional silicon.
“The current power modules are usually limited to 10 kilovolts,” Song said. “We want to bolster the voltage level to a higher level, like to 15 kilovolts or even higher.”
Today, EV fast chargers use several lower-voltage power modules connected in series to achieve the required voltage level.
“Just one module could replace many low-voltage components, so the circuit would be easier to design and the EV charger would also be smaller,” Song said.
A charger with fewer components would also be more efficient and more reliable. High-voltage power modules could also be used to make electrical grids more efficient.
The research will be conducted in collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which has expertise in power modules.
The grant for $997,588 was issued by the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity. Alan Mantooth, Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering, and Keisha Walters, head of the Ralph E. Martin Chemical Engineering Department, are co-investigators on the grant.