Powering the Future of Automotive
Electrification and Decarbonisation of the Automotive Industry
Power electronics play an increasingly crucial role in the global automotive industry as the sector responds to pressure from governments and consumers to reduce emissions across the value chain. Power conversion and energy management underpin a wide range of automotive functionalities, from electric motor control and battery management to the provision of stable power supplies for onboard systems such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and in-vehicle networks (IVN). Developers must continually innovate with conversion topologies that meet the challenges of power density and efficiency and must have access to the latest technologies and techniques in power electronics.
The essential role of power electronics in the modern vehicle
The world’s automakers are increasingly leveraging electrification to improve the efficiency and reduce the emissions of their vehicle fleets. While battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have been grabbing the headlines recently, vehicles powered by the internal combustion engine (ICE) still account for a significant proportion of global sales and electrification contributes significantly to reducing ICE-based emissions. Power electronics topologies play a crucial role in modern automotive applications, from electric drives and battery management systems to onboard systems such as ADAS, infotainment, and lighting, heating and cooling systems.
Modern cars are becoming increasingly interconnected, with in-vehicle networks (IVNs) connecting and coordinating various vehicle subsystems. In common with all subsystems, IVNs depend upon a reliable and stable power supply but also have an interdependent relationship with on-board power electronics systems, enabling precise control and delivery of power to the main vehicle subsystems.
The Relentless Drive for Efficiency
Although BEV growth has been slow compared to initial expectations, most analysts agree that advances in battery technology, decreasing costs, expanding charging infrastructure and supportive government policies will combine to accelerate sales in the coming years. Vehicle range is a critical factor in BEV adoption and manufacturers are striving to improve this by increasing battery life and reducing vehicle weight. This focus on range is driving significant innovation in power electronics which are responsible for electrical power conversion within the vehicle. Power electronics control the speed, torque, and direction of electric motors, while battery management systems (BMS), which monitor and control the charging and discharging cycles of batteries, depend heavily on power conversion topologies. Efficiency of power conversion has a major impact on battery life – and hence vehicle range – and, therefore, is a high priority in power electronics design.
Minimising electrical losses is a major factor in improving conversion efficiency, and the industry is moving towards higher battery voltages, with 800V architectures beginning to appear on the market. Common power conversion topologies are based on various switching devices, with MOSFETs and IGBTs, with their low conduction and switching losses, the traditional choice of designers. Ever-faster switching speeds minimise losses and enable designers to use smaller components, resulting in higher power densities, addressing the requirement to reduce weight and enabling more components to fit into cramped spaces within the vehicle. As voltages and switching frequencies increase, however, traditional silicon MOSFETs and IGBTs reach their performance limits and designers are increasingly turning to devices based on the wide bandgap technologies, Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN).
The emergence of Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Technologies
SiC and GaN both offer significant improvements in efficiency and power density over silicon, with each material suited to different applications. SiC is a good fit for BEV traction inverters, with its ability to handle voltages up to 1200 V, and has higher current carrying capability and better thermal conductivity. Although operating at lower voltages (up to 600 volts), GaN devices are faster, with switching frequencies up to 100 times higher than silicon devices, and support high power density applications, such as DC/DC converters and inverters. GaN is also cheaper than SiC and its higher switching frequencies reduce the size and weight of the components such as passives and transformers. GaN’s lower conduction and switching losses also significantly reduce heat loss, eliminating the need for costly and space-consuming cooling systems.
The Developer’s Challenge
Electrification presents a significant opportunity for the OEM targeting the rapidly growing dynamic automotive market. With cost and speed to market key to success, it is imperative that the right decisions are made up front to avoid the cost and delay of rework. Different power conversion topologies are available, with solution cost and complexity based on the number and type of switching devices used, and the best one for the application must be chosen. In high power, high price-point systems such as motor control and BMS, the reliability and efficiency of the DC/DC converter is key – and multi-level switching topologies populated with SiC MOSFETs may be the best choice. For other, lower voltage systems, single LLC converter topologies based on silicon devices may suffice. Whatever the system, safety and reliability are over-arching considerations when designing for the hostile automotive environment and all solutions and components must meet rigorous safety standards, such as ISO 11452 and ISO 7637.
With the pressure on development cycles increasing, the developer must quickly choose the right topologies and components for optimal solution design. But since the wrong decisions in the design phase can compromise product success, these choices need to be informed by up-to-date information.
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With the ongoing shift to renewable energy and the electrification of transport and industry, the demand for higher power and greater energy efficiency in electronics is increasing. Wide bandgap technologies including SiC and GaN bring many advantages.
WBG OVERVIEWAutomotive Applications of SiC Power Semiconductors
Millions of electric vehicles (EVs) are already being sold every year, but their technology is still developing rapidly — it’s clear that EV technology can still be improved, resulting in increased performance, reliability, and range, which will serve to attract even more customers.
Achieving these technology goals relies, in large part, on the power electronics within our EVs. Incumbent silicon-based devices have done a solid job, but now silicon carbide (SiC) promises substantial improvements for the automotive industry.
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Automotive Applications of GaN Power Semiconductors
For these low and medium voltage applications, GaN offers higher efficiency compared to silicon. This is due to multiple factors, including GaN devices’ higher switching frequencies, its zero reverse recovery losses, and its lower drain to source on-state resistance (RDS(on)) than silicon, which reduces conduction losses.
In power applications, the most common GaN device is the lateral high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). In this article, we will explore some of the most common automotive applications for GaN HEMTs and field-effect transistors (FETs), and why GaN’s advantages make it a preferred choice – specifically, its excellent efficiency and high power density.
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Accelerate your time to revenue with Avnet Silica
With a global team of expert power engineers and FAEs, backed by a market-leading product portfolio, Avnet Silica is the perfect partner to navigate you through the complex automotive market. By leveraging our world-leading industry supplier network, we bring you unparalleled insight into the latest product roadmaps and technology trends shaping the business. Our comprehensive product portfolio, encompassing components, modules and gateways is complemented by extensive design services, including hardware, firmware and software development and Cloud services. Whether you’re manufacturing BEV drive trains, high-power fast charging systems or leading edge ADAS, we have the capabilities to ensure your solution design is optimised and are there to support you throughout the entire product lifecycle.
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