News: Microelectronics
2 November 2021
EPC launches 2kW two-phase 48V/12V DC-DC bidirectional converter demo board
Efficient Power Conversion Corp (EPC) of El Segundo, CA, USA – which makes enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power field-effect transistors (FETs) and integrated circuits for power management applications – has announced the availability of the EPC9163, a 2kW, two-phase 48V–12V bidirectional converter that operates with 96.5% efficiency in a very small footprint.
The design of the demonstration board is scalable, i.e. two converters can be paralleled to achieve 4kW or three converters can be paralleled to achieve 6kW. The board features eight EPC2218 100V eGaN FETs and is controlled by a module that includes the Microchip dsPIC33CK256MP503 16-bit digital controller.
The fast switching speed and low losses of the eGaN FETs allow the converter to operate at 500kHz, which significantly reduces the size of the solution. The high-switching-frequency capability allowed the use of the extremely small IHTH-1125KZ-5A Vishay inductor in the design.
Overall, the DC-DC converter is three times faster, more than 35% smaller and lighter, and offers greater than 1.5% higher efficiency, as well as lower overall system costs compared with silicon MOSFET solutions. Additionally, the excellent efficiency and thermal performance of GaN FETs enables air cooling instead of water cooling, and the small size of the GaN FETs strongly reduces the size of the heat-dissipating aluminum housing, allowing additional system cost savings.
“eGaN FETs provide the fast switching, small size and high efficiency needed to further reduce the size and weight of 48V–12V automotive power system converters,” says CEO Alex Lidow. “The EPC9163 is an ideal example of the capabilities of GaN FETs to increase frequency and efficiency to allow smaller inductance for less phases and higher power density,” he adds.
The EPC9163 demonstration board is priced at $536.26/each and is available for immediate delivery from distributor Digi-Key Corp.
