The usage of an Auxiliary Resonant Commutated Pole (ARCP) circuit with an 11-level Cascaded H-Bridge (CHB) converter as an option for feeding high-power Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) track-pads in traction applications is proposed in this research. By utilizing a mathematical model to obtain the switching pulses of the ARCP circuit, a reduction in the conduction losses of the involved inductance can be achieved. Moreover, an optimization routine is developed to reduce the MOSFETs' root mean square current by finding each module's phase shift angles. The study uses the SAE J2954 standard to restrict the Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) in the frequency band between$400\ kHz$and$30\ MHz$. The success of the suggested technique is displayed by simulation results showing that it is possible to operate the CHB with Zero Voltage Switching in all modules of the power converter. Inductive Power Transfer applications applied in railways can benefit from this contribution due to the use of multilevel converters.

With the rapid growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market, the number of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that reach their end of life (EOL) is increasing rapidly. Given the stringent capacity fading threshold of EV batteries, tools are required for better understanding and evaluating the health condition of large volume EV batteries that have reached EOL. In this paper, four modules from the same battery pack of a hybrid electric vehicle have been evaluated in terms of their current capacity and performance of the cells within each module. The results have been analyzed to find an affordable method for performance assessment of the retired batteries for echelon utilization. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as an accurate and powerful technique has been used as a benchmark for the measurement to show the reliability of the tests. Experimental results are obtained from different test approaches on both modules and cell levels and show a different ageing degradation pattern for the cells inside the modules. The result shows that even for the modules with the same range of state of health, any non-uniformity of the cells inside the modules will affect the reliability of the modules for a second life. We also show there is a meaningful dependency between the voltage monitoring of the cells and other test approaches to determine the uniformity of a module.

Battery technology besides its importance and exceptional characteristics is not still a mature technology and there is a real need for research and innovation in their lifetime, charging rate, second use, etc. The dependency of our daily lives on batteries is irrefutable and they are becoming growingly ubiquitous in our daily lives. Battey performance is degrades with battery aging and therefore a battery diagnostics and prognostics tool to enhance the effective use of the battery system is necessary. This paper deals with some challenges that remain unsolved in battery diagnostic and prognostic techniques. A review of recent battery diagnostic approaches for battery state estimation is performed and their relative advantages and disadvantages are emphasized while comparing the available methods to predict the battery end of life (EOL) or remaining useful life (RUL) as a key tool in battery prognostics.

Design of a contactless power transfer system with supercapacitor based primary energy storage for electric vehicle application is described in this paper. The contactless power transfer system which uses inductively coupled coils to transfer power over a large air gap has been developed. Compensation topologies and the operational frequency of power transfer system have been studied in order to obtain maximum efficiency and high power transfer capability. An experimental setup is built using the design considerations so derived and design parameters for such a system is laid out. Finally, a microcontroller charge control mechanism is implemented to operate the system in a safe region and avoid over charging of supercapacitors.