Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Driven by the global climate crisis, there has been a significant focus on the development of electromobility (e-mobility) solutions in an attempt to reduce global carbon emissions by replacing gas-powered vehicles with their electric counterparts. Recent years have seen a surge in the popularity of electric vehicles (EV), however, a number of obstacles still need to be overcome before EVs are capable of replacing gas-powered vehicles altogether. The most critical of these challenges are to increase the driving range of EVs and further develop the charging infrastructure, while lowering the costs associated with the technology that is relevant to EVs. The aforementioned challenges have resulted in substantial research efforts in order to accelerate the widespread adoption of EVs, however, additional development is necessary in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The proposed research program will address the discussed shortcomings primarily through research and development of novel power converter topologies that will improve the efficiency of EV charging. In addition, power electronic energy conversion systems and algorithms will be developed to increase the penetration of renewable energy in the electric utility grid to realize carbon-neutral charging, and power conversion systems based on wireless charging will be developed for both static and dynamic charging applications to accelerate the adoption of EVs. In the end, the proposed research program will contribute to the advancement of knowledge while also providing training to numerous highly qualified personnel (HQP), including at least 18 HQP, consisting of 4 PhD students, 3 MASc students, and 11 undergraduate students, thereby serving as a vital and timely contributor of highly-skilled engineers and future innovators for Canadian academia and the Canadian power engineering industry. Furthermore, the advancement of knowledge through the findings of this research program and the quality publications that it will produce will enhance the profile of Canadian academia at the global stage.