News: Microelectronics
20 October 2020
Infineon’s CoolSiC MOSFETs used by EA
While it is great news for the goal of reducing CO2 emissions, the global acceleration in sales of hybrid and fully electric vehicle is challenging for the testing capacities of electronic components (namely the motor, control, and battery). Testing, however, is a critical part of bringing any electric drivetrain into production. Traditional test setups require a dedicated DC source and electronic load in parallel to deal with bidirectional energy flow.
The PSB 10000 power supply of EA Elektro-Automatik GmbH in Viersen, Germany (which makes laboratory power supplies and electronic loads) offers a bidirectional solution for this application. It simplifies the test setup and reduces test time. Additionally, it offers the potential for savings in both acquisition and maintenance costs. Due to discrete 1200V CoolSiC silicon carbide metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) from Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany, the system operates with efficiencies of over 96%. Used as an electronic load, the energy is fed back into the power grid, and only a small amount of energy is dissipated in the form of heat. The power density is claimed to be industry leading, with 30kW in a single 4U 19” housing.
The PSB 10000 device series features an output stage with an extended scope of operation. Typical programmable DC sources offer full output power only at maximum voltage and current. In contrast, EA’s devices offer full power from as little as one-third of the output voltage or output current. Charging or discharging a vehicle battery can serve as a good example. Even if the battery voltage rises or falls, the current automatically adjusts and thus provides full power. The flexibility of the devices can save a lot of equipment when testing different electronic components.
The PSB 10000 4U bidirectional laboratory power supplies can be configured from 30kW to 1920kW to form a complete system. Voltages from 60V to 2000V and currents up to several thousand amperes are available. To facilitate the integration into a test stand, the units are equipped with analog and digital interfaces. All power supplies are equipped with Ethernet and USB; CAN, CANopen, Profibus, ProfiNet, Ethercat, ModBus, and RS232 are optionally available.
