The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded nearly $1 million to Dr. Xiaoqing Song, assistant professor of electrical engineering and director of the Power Switch Lab at the University of Arkansas, to advance research that may lead to more compact and reliable fast-charging stations for electric vehicles.

Dr. Song’s work focuses on power modules that control electricity flow through rapid on-off switching of current. This project aims to develop a high-voltage power module prototype using silicon carbide, a wide bandgap semiconductor capable of handling higher voltages and temperatures than conventional 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.

“After we develop this power module, we can send it to their lab so they can validate it in some real applications,” Song said.

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, professor of chemical engineering, are co-investigators on the grant.