Media Alert
Vicor releases highest density automotive-grade energy modules, enabling 48V energy techniques for electrical automobiles
Andover, Mass., October 16, 2024 – Vicor has launched three automotive-grade energy modules for 48V EV techniques which ship industry-leading energy density and help 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 clients.
“Vicor has set a brand new commonplace for energy density within the automotive {industry} with these scalable and versatile miniature energy modules,” mentioned Patrick Wadden, VP of the Vicor Automotive enterprise unit. “Our high-performance converters allow new prospects for automotive producers to scale back the dimensions and weight of energy techniques 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 supply a security extra-low voltage (SELV) energy provide for the automobile. The BCM6135 internally gives the isolation between excessive voltage and low voltage which creates a big discount the house required for the DC-DC conversion. The BCM6135’s energy density of 158kW/L permits EV system designers to scale back dimension of the first DC-DC converter and scale back automobile weight. The bidirectional speedy present transient response fee of 8 mega amps per second permits the BCM6135 to switch 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 suitable with a wide range of automotive functions as a result of the output might be trimmed inside a variety of 8 – 16V. The DCM3735 has an influence density of 300kW/L making it a sexy selection for architectures bridging a 48V distribution to 12V subsystems in zonal ECU functions.
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 house and reduces the general quantity and weight of the DC-DC energy provide. It’s best suited to help regulated 48V masses which might be applied in new automobile architectures.
The newly launched Vicor modules might be organized in over 300 configurations, providing excessive flexibility and scalability to help 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 might be arrayed simply to extend energy provide ranges, they usually have computerized energy sharing for optimum efficiency in an array. These modules resolve complicated challenges with 800V, 400V, 48V and 12V techniques.
“Our energy modules make it straightforward to transform from the first battery (800V or 400V) to 48V and right down to load,” mentioned Wadden. “They’re very versatile, and our clients are utilizing the modules to enhance effectivity whereas additionally eradicating dimension and weight from their energy techniques.”
Vicor energy modules are bettering energy supply networks all through the automobile in revolutionary 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 strategy to ship excessive efficiency. This utility additionally capitalizes on the BCM6135’s excessive slew fee because the energetic suspension is a regenerative energy load, which requires fast present stream reversal to cross regenerated energy again to the battery. - Deleting or lowering the low-voltage battery
The industry-leading slew fee of the BCM6135 presents a chance to switch 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 change from zero present to full present at 8.0MA/s, it may 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 pace and allows clients to scale back automobile weight by as much as 25kg whereas lowering automobile prices by as much as $100.
- 48V zonal structure adoption is on each roadmap
The brand new energy modules might be simply configured to make this transition simpler. The DCM3735 is used at the side of BCM3735 to create a regulated 12V energy provide off the BCM6135 48V output. When used as part of the 48V zonal structure, the DCM3735 might be mounted remotely to create a neighborhood 12V provide in a automobile zone, for instance on the precise hand facet. This utility methodology permits the PDN designer to successfully help 12V masses whereas attaining as much as 90% of the price and weight financial savings that come from transitioning to a 48V bus. - Precharging prevents present surges and saves weight
Precharging is a needed step of the start-up course of. It prevents present surges at battery engagement that may injury the hundreds (equivalent to pumps and compressors). Presently that is achieved 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 primary 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 bunch of automotive functions 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 dwell in new 48V zonal architectures, Vicor’s excessive efficiency, automotive grade energy modules ship the very best energy density whereas lowering 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 very 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 know-how. Vicor serves clients in high-performance computing, industrial tools, automotive and aerospace and protection markets. With over 40 years of expertise in designing, growing and manufacturing energy modules for demanding markets, the Vicor patented, high-frequency DC-DC energy conversion know-how is ideally fitted to the automotive market.
Vicor is a registered trademark of Vicor Company.
For extra info contact:
Stephen Germino,
978 749-8243
