[en] This thesis presents an exploration into the field of advanced battery charger design and control, addressing critical needs across a spectrum of modern applications. It first outlines the increasing importance of battery chargers in various domains, emphasizing the requirements of efficiency, adaptability, and reliability. A detailed review of existing technologies and control strategies underscores the urgent need for innovation in charger design. The focus of this research is the design and development of a battery charger topology. This topology is based on cascaded multilevel converters that provide bidirectional power flow and galvanic isolation. It addresses the charging requirements of multiple batteries connected in series and incorporates two distinct dc links. The charger develops from a three-level configuration to a four-level configuration, finally leading to a generalized n-level charger. Integral to this work is the formulation of comprehensive linear models, from state-space to s-domain representations, which highlight the charger's complex dynamics. This allows for an in-depth understanding of its operational behavior and control characteristics. The thesis also introduces a well-tuned control system that synchronizes the operation of the two multilevel converters. This ensures optimal operation of the charger. The ac-dc converter regulates the dc link voltage and grid power factor, while the dc-dc converter regulates the shared dc link voltage and battery bank charging currents. The user has the flexibility to determine which converter controls the dc-link voltage regulation. A key innovation is the independent charge control for each battery bank. This feature allows batteries to reach full charge independently, regardless of their initial state of charge or rated capacity. This improves overall efficiency and battery management. In addition, the thesis provides a practical and straightforward design methodology for compensators based on the charger's linear schemes. It employs uncompensated gain loops and uses Bode plots for effective tuning of compensator parameters. Finally, the thesis outlines future research directions. These include experimental validation, exploring vehicle-to-grid integration, exploring nonlinear control systems, assessing off-board charger viability, examining renewable energy integration, enhancing grid-supporting features, evaluating scalability and efficiency, and evaluating real-world applications. Together, these efforts promise to advance and optimize the proposed battery charger, placing it as a central element in the field of efficient and sustainable energy systems.

[es] Esta tesis explora el diseño y control avanzado de cargadores de baterías, abordando necesidades críticas en diversas aplicaciones modernas. Destaca la creciente importancia de los cargadores de baterías en eficiencia, adaptabilidad y fiabilidad. Una revisión detallada de tecnologías y estrategias de control resalta la necesidad de innovación en su diseño. El enfoque de la investigación es la topología de cargadores de baterías basada en convertidores multinivel en cascada con flujo bidireccional y aislamiento galvánico. Aborda los requisitos de carga de múltiples baterías en serie e incorpora dos enlaces de corriente continua. La topología evoluciona de tres a cuatro niveles y culmina en un cargador de n niveles. Se formula modelos lineales completos, desde el espacio de estados hasta el dominio s, para comprender la dinámica del cargador. Se presenta un sistema de control sincronizado para los dos convertidores multinivel, regulando el voltaje del enlace de corriente continua y la corriente de carga del banco de baterías. Una innovación clave es el control independiente de carga para cada banco de baterías, mejorando la eficiencia y gestión. Además, se proporciona una metodología de diseño práctica y directa para compensadores basada en esquemas lineales del cargador. Se esbozan direcciones futuras de investigación, incluyendo validación experimental, integración de vehículo a red, sistemas de control no lineales, viabilidad de cargadores externos, integración de energías renovables y evaluación de aplicaciones del mundo real.