Energy storage systems (ESSs) are enabling technologies for well-established and new applications such as power peak shaving, electric vehicles, integration of renewable energies, etc. This paper presents a review of ESSs for transport and grid applications, covering several aspects as the storage technology, the main applications, and the power converters used to operate some of the energy storage technologies. Special attention is given to the different applications, providing a deep description of the system and addressing the most suitable storage technology. The main objective of this paper is to introduce the subject and to give an updated reference to nonspecialist, academic, and engineers in the field of power electronics.

The fuel efficiency and performance of novel vehicles with electric propulsion capability are largely limited by the performance of the energy storage system (ESS). This paper reviews state-of-the-art ESSs in automotive applications. Battery technology options are considered in detail, with emphasis on methods of battery monitoring, managing, protecting, and balancing. Furthermore, other ESS candidates such as ultracapacitors, flywheels and fuel cells are also discussed. Finally, hybrid power sources are considered as a method of combining two or more energy storage devices to create a superior power source.

With the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the rise, there is a need for an adequate charging infrastructure to serve these vehicles. The emerging extreme fast charging (XFC) technology has the potential to provide a refueling experience similar to that of gasoline vehicles. In this paper, we review the state-of-the-art EV charging infrastructure, and focus on the XFC technology which will be necessary to support current and future EV refueling needs. We present the design considerations of the XFC stations, and review the typical power electronics converter topologies suitable to deliver XFC. We consider the benefits of using the solid-state transformers (SSTs) in XFC stations to replace the conventional line-frequency transformers and further provide a comprehensive review of medium voltage SST designs for the XFC application.

This paper discusses the operational characteristics of the topologies for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), fuel cell vehicles (FCV), and more electric vehicles (MEV). A brief description of series hybrid, parallel hybrid, and fuel cell-based propulsion systems are presented. The paper also presents fuel cell propulsion applications, more specific to light-duty passenger cars as well as heavy-duty buses. Finally, some of the major fundamental issues that currently face these advanced vehicular technologies including the challenges for market penetration are highlighted.

In this article, we have reviewed the state of the art of IPT systems and have explored the suitability of the technology to wirelessly charge battery powered vehicles. the review shows that the IPT technology has merits for stationary charging (when the vehicle is parked), opportunity charging (when the vehicle is stopped for a short period of time, for example, at a bus stop), and dynamic charging (when the vehicle is moving along a dedicated lane equipped with an IPT system). Dynamic wireless charging holds promise to partially or completely eliminate the overnight charging through a compact network of dynamic chargers installed on the roads that would keep the vehicle batteries charged at all times, consequently reducing the range anxiety and increasing the reliability of EVs. Dynamic charging can help lower the price of EVs by reducing the size of the battery pack. Indeed, if the recharging energy is readily available, the batteries do not have to support the whole driving range but only supply power when the IPT system is not available. Depending on the power capability, the use of dynamic charging may increase driving range and reduce the size of the battery pack.

Inductive power transfer (IPT) is commonly used to transmit power from an extended loop (track) to a number of galvanically isolated movable pick-ups. To maximize the power transfer and minimize converter requirements, various compensation circuits have been proposed for both the track (primary) and the pick-up (secondary). This paper investigates the suitability of the LCC series-parallel compensation for IPT primary design. A new compensation-circuit design procedure is proposed that considers high-order current harmonics and results in inverter zero-current switching. The proposed compensation is compared with the classical compensation designed for zero phase angle between the inverter voltage and current fundamental components. Expressions for the bifurcation boundary, voltampere rating of reactive-compensation elements, and the current at the moment of switching are derived and analyzed. Analytical results are verified both via PSpice simulations and experimentally using a 1-hp MOSFET-based prototype.