10 February 2015

Delta involved in $3m DOE EERE grant to develop GaN-based on-board charger for plug-in electric vehicles

Delta Products Corporation (DPC) of Fremont, CA, USA (part of Taiwan-based power and thermal management solutions provider Delta Group) says that it is participating in a US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) $3m award for the development of a high-efficiency, high-density, 6.6kW bi-directional on-board charger for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). The on-board charger will use novel designs based on gallium nitride (GaN) power switches that target energy efficiency better than 95% and reduce volume and mass by 30-50% compared with existing technology.

Under the EERE research program, Delta (as a tier-1 automotive supplier) is partnering with FCA US LLC (a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. family of companies), Transphorm Inc of Goleta, near Santa Barbara, CA, USA (which designs and delivers GaN-based power conversion devices and modules) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute's Virginia Tech's Center for Power Electronics Systems.

"The development of a smaller, lighter, less expensive and more efficient bi-directional on-board charger will be an enabling technology for affordable, fuel‑efficient plug-in electric vehicles and vehicle-to-grid applications," says Delta Products' president M.S. Huang.

Delta has developed an energy-efficient solution for PEV on-board chargers, DC-DC converters, fast charger modules, battery disconnect units, and off-board charging station and site management systems.

Tags: Power electronics GaN Transphorm

Visit: www.deltaww.com

Visit: www.transphormusa.com

Visit: www.ece.vt.edu

Visit: www1.eere.energy.gov/manufacturing/innovation/facilities/wbg.html