Transportation Electrification Research Wins $1 Million Federal Grant

Xiaoqing Song, assistant professor of electrical engineering and director of the Power Switch Lab.

The Department of Energy awarded nearly $1 million to Xiaoqing Song, a University of Arkansas 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 power modules, which control the flow of electricity by rapidly switching a current on and off. The goal of the project is to develop a prototype for high-voltage power modules that use silicon carbide, a wide bandgap semiconductor that can handle higher voltages and temperatures than 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.