North Carolina State University (NCSU) researchers have developed a medium-voltage fast charger (MVFC) that they say offers 60% less power loss than conventional systems, is only a tenth the size, and delivers similar charging times. Armed with this technology, the team is working towards a multi-vehicle charger capable of even faster charging. Current 50 kW… Read more »
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DC-link power capacitors technological advances for power electronics design
Sponsored by EPCOS, a TDK Group Company By Matt Reynolds, Director of Marketing, Piezo and Protection Devices The technology behind capacitors has been around since late 1745 when a physicist in Germany found that an electrical charge could be stored by connecting a high-voltage electrostatic generator by a wire to a volume of water in a hand-held… Read more »
A closer look at DC-DC converters
As far as we know, all EVs in production by major automakers use a conventional lead-acid battery for the 12 V system (surprising, but true – more on why in a bit) and this battery needs charging, just as it does in an ICE vehicle. While you could hang an alternator off the traction motor… Read more »
Infineon introduces new CoolSic Schottky diodes for on-board charger applications
Infineon Technologies’ new CoolSiC diodes are designed for ruggedness and efficiency, to meet the high standards required of hybrid and electric vehicles. Infineon says these diodes are the most durable on the market, due to their high corrosion and humidity resistance. The company will release CoolSiC Diodes in the 650 V class in September. An… Read more »
Siemens and Northvolt join forces to boost battery production
Northvolt plans to build a new Li-ion battery factory with an annual capacity of 32 GWh, aided by a €10-million investment from Siemens. This partnership will make Northvolt the main Li-ion battery supplier for Siemens and promote the use of new technologies and production methods. The new plant is meant to be an analog to… Read more »
A closer look at film capacitors
Plastic film capacitors relentlessly continue to take over many of the duties in EV power electronics that were once performed by the venerable aluminum electrolytic type, mainly because film capacitors exhibit much lower losses and have a much longer operational lifespan, especially at ambient temperatures in the 75-85° C range. The tradeoff is that film… Read more »
A closer look at contactors
Contactors may not be the sexiest component in an EV, but they are critical both for safety and general functioning. Basically a heavier-duty version of the relay, a contactor is used to switch power to any of the loads supplied by the traction battery in an EV. The motor drive, the heating and cooling systems,… Read more »
Ionic Materials emerges as a leader in solid-state batteries by focusing on polymer science
Mike Zimmerman, CEO and founder of Ionic Materials, has this to say about his company: “Ionic will play a major role in the solution to the world’s energy problems.” That’s a pretty bold statement. But then again, Mike Zimmerman is a pretty bold man. An experienced polymer scientist, Zimmerman has worked on a number of… Read more »
DC-DC converter design and testing – emerging solutions for hybrids and EVs
Sponsored by Keysight Technologies The DC-DC converter is a key component in hybrid and EV architectures, converting the higher voltage bus (MH – 48 V or EV/HEV – 100s of V) to the traditional 12 V power bus, from where most electrical loads are powered. There is extreme downward cost pressure on design and test, across… Read more »
A closer look at power factor correction
Power Factor Correction (PFC) used to be something that electronics manufacturers only grudgingly added to a product – usually because of complaints about breakers tripping prematurely, or to meet regulatory requirements in the EU – but these days PFC is showing up in more and more products. While one should never underestimate the ability of… Read more »