Media Alert
Vicor releases highest density automotive-grade energy modules, enabling 48V energy programs for electrical autos
Andover, Mass., October 16, 2024 – Vicor has launched three automotive-grade energy modules for 48V EV programs which ship industry-leading energy density and assist automotive OEM and tier one manufacturing in 2025. The BCM6135, DCM3735 and PRM3735 use AEC-Q100 licensed Vicor-designed ICs and have accomplished the PPAP course of with automotive prospects.
“Vicor has set a brand new commonplace for energy density within the automotive {industry} with these scalable and versatile miniature energy modules,” stated Patrick Wadden, VP of the Vicor Automotive enterprise unit. “Our high-performance converters allow new potentialities for automotive producers to cut back the scale and weight of energy programs all through the automobile.”
The BCM6135 is a 98% environment friendly 2.5kW BCM® bus converter which converts 800V from the traction battery to 48V to offer a security extra-low voltage (SELV) energy provide for the automobile. The BCM6135 internally supplies the isolation between excessive voltage and low voltage which creates a big discount the area required for the DC-DC conversion. The BCM6135’s energy density of 158kW/L permits EV system designers to cut back measurement of the first DC-DC converter and scale back automobile weight. The bidirectional fast present transient response price of 8 mega amps per second permits the BCM6135 to exchange a 25lb 48V battery — by serving as a digital 48V battery within the xEV automobile and delivering further price and weight financial savings.
The DCM3735 2.0kW DCM™ DC-DC converter transforms an unregulated 48V enter right into a regulated 12V output. The DCM3735 has a large enter vary that’s appropriate with a wide range of automotive purposes as a result of the output could be trimmed inside a spread of 8 – 16V. The DCM3735 has an influence density of 300kW/L making it a horny selection for architectures bridging a 48V distribution to 12V subsystems in zonal ECU purposes.
The PRM3735 is a 2.5kW PRM™ regulator for 48V energy that’s 99.2% environment friendly. Its small footprint and 260kW/L energy density frees up packaging area and reduces the general quantity and weight of the DC-DC energy provide. It’s best suited to assist regulated 48V hundreds which are carried out in new automobile architectures.
The newly launched Vicor modules could be organized in over 300 configurations, providing excessive flexibility and scalability to assist innovation for a wide range of automobile subsystems. Additional, because the market shifts from 12V to 48V Zonal Structure, these merchandise are extremely environment friendly in changing to and from 48V. All three modules could be arrayed simply to extend energy provide ranges, they usually have computerized energy sharing for optimum efficiency in an array. These modules resolve advanced challenges with 800V, 400V, 48V and 12V programs.
“Our energy modules make it straightforward to transform from the first battery (800V or 400V) to 48V and all the way down to load,” stated Wadden. “They’re very versatile, and our prospects are utilizing the modules to enhance effectivity whereas additionally eradicating measurement and weight from their energy programs.”
Vicor energy modules are enhancing energy supply networks all through the automobile in modern methods:
- Energetic suspension comes of age in EVs
Energy wants of energetic suspension system are too excessive to be met with 12V energy. Switching to a 48V bus and changing down with the bidirectional BCM6135 is an environment friendly solution to ship excessive efficiency. This software additionally capitalizes on the BCM6135’s excessive slew price because the energetic suspension is a regenerative energy load, which requires instant present movement reversal to go regenerated energy again to the battery. - Deleting or decreasing the low-voltage battery
The industry-leading slew price of the BCM6135 presents a chance to exchange a 48V battery — with the BCM serving as a digital 48V battery within the xEV automobile, delivering price and weight financial savings. Because the BCM6135 can swap from zero present to full present at 8.0MA/s, it could step down the traction battery’s 800 to 48V and energy a load as quick as drawing the facility from an auxiliary 48V battery. No different DC-DC converter can match this velocity and allows prospects to cut back automobile weight by as much as 25kg whereas decreasing automobile prices by as much as $100.
- 48V zonal structure adoption is on each roadmap
The brand new energy modules could be simply configured to make this transition simpler. The DCM3735 is used along side BCM3735 to create a regulated 12V energy provide off the BCM6135 48V output. When used as part of the 48V zonal structure, the DCM3735 could be mounted remotely to create a neighborhood 12V provide in a automobile zone, for instance on the proper hand aspect. This software methodology permits the PDN designer to successfully assist 12V hundreds whereas reaching as much as 90% of the associated fee and weight financial savings that come from transitioning to a 48V bus. - Precharging prevents present surges and saves weight
Precharging is a essential step of the start-up course of. It prevents present surges at battery engagement that may injury the masses (reminiscent of pumps and compressors). At the moment that is accomplished utilizing excessive voltage contactors and resistors, which add 1kg and over $50 in price. The choice is to make use of BCM6135 and a PRM3735 as the principle DC-DC converters and one of many low-voltage batteries put in within the automobile. The BCM6135 can increase the low-voltage battery energy as much as excessive voltage and obtain the wanted precharge, eliminating the legacy precharge contactor and energy resistor.
The pliability of the facility modules allow a number of automotive purposes to be powered. Extra importantly, they ship on the promise of 48V adoption. Whether or not changing the excessive voltage traction battery to 48V, delivering point-of-load energy from a 48V bus, or enabling legacy 12V sub-systems to reside in new 48V zonal architectures, Vicor’s excessive efficiency, automotive grade energy modules ship the best energy density whereas decreasing energy loss and simplifying designs.
Learn extra concerning the three new automotive-grade Vicor energy modules
About Vicor
Vicor is the chief in high-performance energy modules, enabling buyer innovation with easy-to-deploy modular energy system options for energy supply networks that present the best density and effectivity from supply to point-of-load. We repeatedly advance the density, effectivity and energy supply capabilities of our energy modules by staying on the forefront of distribution architectures, conversion topologies and packaging expertise. Vicor serves prospects in high-performance computing, industrial gear, automotive and aerospace and protection markets. With over 40 years of expertise in designing, creating and manufacturing energy modules for demanding markets, the Vicor patented, high-frequency DC-DC energy conversion expertise is ideally suited to the automotive market.
Vicor is a registered trademark of Vicor Company.
