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Ryerson's Centre for Urban Energy (CUE) is helping Toronto prepare for the inevitable arrival of more zero emission electric vehicles (EVs), as North American automobile manufacturers are showing greater interest in hybrids and electric cars.

Two important research projects that focus on the systems to charge up the cars could have a major impact on the city's role in the electric vehicle revolution. CUE's Bin Wu is investigating "Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Charging Stations for Urban Energy Systems (UES)", with funding from Hydro One Networks Inc. Dr. Wu was voted Ryerson's Professor of the Year by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Students' Association in 2010, and is the recipient of various awards, including the Governor General's Gold Medal, the Premier's Research Excellence Award, and the NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation.  

Dr. Wu's research will help develop a novel charging station configuration using common direct current for electric vehicles. Equipped with a battery energy storage system and optional fuel cell power generation, the charging station can integrate renewable energy such as photovoltaic and wind energy into the system, while meeting requirements set by the Society of Automobile Engineers. Research will focus on a central converter/ control system with optimal power management for the charging stations, and high-efficiency, cost-effective bidirectional fast chargers for the vehicles. 

The technologies being developed will have significant commercial potential that could be a major benefit for CUE's industry partners and the Canadian economy. "A Canadian fast charging station must involve affordable infrastructure, ensure reliability in temperatures ranging from humid summers to freezing winters, and achieve optimal performance in terms of speed of service for consumers without generating excessive electrical noise, as well as being able to identify the battery type and adapt to the wide variety of vehicles currently on Canadian roads," explains Dr. Wu.

A second CUE research project impacting the adoption of electric vehicles is being led by Ryerson Adjunct Professor Bob Singh, with CUE Academic Director Bala Venkatesh. The team is researching "Electrical Impact on Transformer Station (TS) Components Due to Electric Vehicles".  Bob Singh is currently manager, Asset Management with Hydro One Networks in Toronto, where his responsibilities include developing transmission and distribution strategies related to the integration of renewable generation into the Hydro One system. The project will assess and quantify the electrical impact based on low, moderate and high penetration levels of EVs under different charging scenarios, as well as for exporting power from vehicles back to the power grid. 

"Imagine your future home: at the end of the work day you use a lot of electricity for cooking, washing and home entertainment, but before bed you plug in your car - once the battery recharges, you can sell power back to the grid," explains Professor Singh. The CUE research will help establish guidelines and analyze and how and when utilities need to develop solutions to address significant changes in electricity usage resulting from increased consumer adoption of electric cars. Professor Singh points out that if more than 30 per cent of urban dwellers were to change to electric or hybrid vehicles, existing utility system models and infrastructures would absolutely have to adapt and evolve. Ryerson's CUE is helping to lead the preparations for this new era of electric vehicles.

EVs are a hot topic these days. According to Electric Vehicle Canada, EVs reduce vehicle energy costs by up to 90 per cent, and are up to 75 per cent energy efficient.  EVs can run as fast but more quietly than internal combustion engine vehicles, do not produce noxious fumes, satisfy needs for short trips and provide up to 500 kilometres of service.  Eventual home recharging will be more convenient than trips to gasoline stations, with recharging costs more predictable than gas prices. EVs can be powered indirectly at home using net metering and they can even power a home during a power outage if specially equipped.