Megawatt Charging System

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MCS
Type Electric vehicle charging
Production history
Designer HPCCV working group, CharIN
Designed 2020
Produced 2021‒
General specifications
Width ~72 mm (2.8 in)
Height ~72 mm (2.8 in)
Pins ~5 (under consideration)
Connector MCS
Electrical
Signal DC
Earth Dedicated pin
Max. voltage 1,500 V
Max. current 3,000 A
Data
Data signal ISO 15118

The Megawatt Charging System (MCS) is a charging connector under development for large battery electric vehicles. The connector will be rated for charging at up to 4.5 megawatts (3,000 amps at 1,500 volts) direct current (DC).

The MCS connector is expected to be the worldwide standard charging connector for large and medium commercial vehicles. In August 2021, prototype connectors were tested at up to 3.75 megawatts.[1]

History[]

A Charging Interface Initiative e.V. () task force was formed in March 2018, with the purpose to "define a new commercial vehicle high power charging standard to maximize customer flexibility."[2] CharIN had previously developed the Combined Charging System (CCS) specification. From early 2018 until late 2019, the abbreviation HPCCV (High Power Charging for Commercial Vehicles) was used, following the name of the CharIN consortium taskforce. The purpose statement was later revised to "work out requirements for a new commercial vehicle high power charging solution to maximize customer flexibility when using fully electric commercial vehicles. The scope of the technical recommendation is to be limited to the connector, and any related requirements for the EVSE, the vehicle, communication, and related hardware."[3]

The HPCCV held a meeting in September 2018 to gain consensus on proposed requirements, and the CharIN Board of Management approved the consensus requirements on November 28, 2018.[2] Five companies submitted candidate designs to meet the requirements: Tesla, Electrify America, ABB, , and Stäubli.[4] HPCCV selected a charging plug and socket design in May 2019, which was endorsed by CharIN leadership in September 2019.[2] A test of seven vehicle inlets and eleven connectors was held at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on September 23–24, 2020. The prototype hardware represented designs from seven different manufacturers, and six additional manufacturers participated virtually. Criteria evaluated included fit/compatibility, ergonomics, and thermal performance.[5][6] Evaluations at maximum current (3000 A) were conducted with cooling of both the inlet and the connector; for connector cooling only, current was limited to 1000 A, and without cooling, current was limited to 350 A.[7]

The task force anticipate a requirements and specification document will be published by the end of 2021.[3]

Design requirements[]

Key requirements include:[3]

  • Single conductive plug
  • Maximum of 1250 V DC and 3000 A
  • PLC + ISO/IEC 15118
  • Touch Safe (UL2251)
  • On-handle software-interpreted override switch
  • Adherence to OSHA / ADA (or local equivalent) standards
  • FCC Class A EMI (or local equivalent)
  • Located on driver's side of the vehicle, hip height
  • Capable of being automated
  • UL / NRTL certified
  • Cyber-Secure
  • V2X (bi-directional)

MCS is intended for Class 6, 7, and 8 commercial vehicles, primarily focusing on large trucks, but is suitable for similarly-sized battery-electric vehicles, including buses and aircraft.[3] The vehicle inlet should be placed on the driver's side of the vehicle (left side in North America), between the front and rear axles.[8]: 17 

Protocols will follow the Combined Charging System (CCS) standards, and bi-directional energy flow for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is also under consideration for the MCS standard. The primary communication protocol is expected to be ISO 15118, including Plug & Charge.[8]: 1 

A CCS Combo 1/Combo 2/SAE J3068 or ChaoJi inlet may also be fitted to the vehicle for compatibility and AC charging. Black & Veatch have designed prototype layout requirements for vehicle charging lanes.[9]

See also[]

  • Tesla Megacharger

References[]

  1. ^ Industry Experts, Researchers Put Charging Systems for Electric Trucks to the Test. News (Report). National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  2. ^ a b c "CharIN HPCCV Task Force: High Power Plug Update". CharIN. April 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Megawatt Charging System (MCS)". CharIN e.V. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  4. ^ Kocher, Rustam (2019-06-11). "Standardization Task Force update" (PDF). CharIN High Power Commercial Vehicle Charging. Retrieved 2021-01-10. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ "The CharIN path to Megawatt Charging (MCS): Successful connector test event at NREL" (Press release). 2020-10-13. Retrieved 2021-01-10. On September 23-24, 2020 … Fit and ergonomics evaluation of the MCS connector and inlet … At the facilities of National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
  6. ^ "NREL-Hosted Event Supports Industry Development of Megawatt Charging System Connectors" (Press release). NREL. 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2021-01-10. Megawatt Charging System (MCS), a new charging standard for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles … enabled seven vehicle inlets and 11 charger connectors to test their designs together. … high-current nature of this system presents unique challenges to minimize cable length to improve efficiency and reduce thermal cooling … test matrix covering all connector and inlet combinations. … CharIN group has identified a list of priority requirements for a new high-power bidirectional charging system, including compatibility with up to 1,500 volts and 3,000 amps.
  7. ^ Meintz, Andrew (June 24, 2021). "Charging INfrastructure Technologies: Development of a Multiport, >1 MW Charging System for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicles" (PDF). National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  8. ^ a b Truemner, Russell (2019-02-18). "Task Force Aggregated Requirements" (PDF). CharIN High Power Commercial Vehicle Charging. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 10, 2019. Retrieved 2021-01-10. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ Pollom, Russell E. (May 5, 2021). "Black & Veatch Layouts for MCS Working Group" (PDF). Charging Interface Inititative (CharIN) Megawatt Charging System Task Force. Retrieved 26 August 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""