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Quiet word on e-motor

A consortium in the UK is to develop a new quiet motor for urban electric aircraft (writes Nick Flaherty). The two-year InCEPTion – Integrated Flight Control, Energy Storage and Propulsion Technologies for Electric Aviation – project will develop a modular electric propulsion unit for VTOL and conventional take-off and landing aircraft...

Grid

In-vehicle SiC/GaN inverter tester

Yokogawa has developed the fourth generation of its ScopeCorder test system, with a focus on the development of e-mobility systems (writes Nick Flaherty). The DL950 is aimed at applications such as testing EVs with SiC and GaN inverters, as well as ECUs, sensors and in-vehicle comms networks...

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Car data comms chip is a safe bet

Maxim Integrated has launched a 14-channel data management and comms chip for BMSs that can be used in the highest level of safety design, ASIL-D (writes Nick Flaherty). The MAX17852 is aimed at EVs, HEVs and other transportation systems for smart junction box and 48 V automotive...

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Pilot run for solid-oxide fuel cell

Doosan Fuel Cell is to develop a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) for ships (writes Nick Flaherty). It will use the cell to drive large marine motors of 9-10 kW, the power depending on the propeller’s design and speed of rotation. Solid-oxide fuel is easier to transport for shipping, and produces...

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Redox flow battery has ships in sight

A European project is using a vanadium flow battery for an electric power system for ships (writes Nick Flaherty). Conoship in The Netherlands and Vega Reederei in Germany are using technology from Vanadium Corp in Canada to develop a next-generation redox fl ow battery stack. It will use a high energy-density...

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Monitor tests insulation remotely

Danisense has launched a residual current monitor (RCM) with a 70 mm primary cable/busbar aperture for testing insulation (writes Nick Flaherty). The aperture allows monitoring of the residual currents in electrical power systems without the need for fast system shutdown. The monitor, called the RCMH070IB+, measures DC and AC...

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Inverter doubles as a charger

Bel has developed a three-phase wide range bidirectional inverter that can be used as an onboard charger as well as a power source for external equipment (writes Nick Flaherty). The key innovation for the BCL25-700-8 is a wide DC output range from 250 to 800 V, with a constant current of 60 A across the voltage range and both single and three-phase...

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Texas unveils ASIL-D wireless BMS

Texas Instruments (TI) has combined its proprietary comms protocol with its sensor chips to create a wireless BMS (writes Nick Flaherty). The use of a wireless BMS is key to the economics of EVs, as it reduces the weight and complexity of wiring and allows the battery packs to have...

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Bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery for 2021 Toyota Aqua

Toyota’s new Acqua compact HEV comes with a bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery, a world first for a road vehicle according to the Japanese automotive giant (writes Peter Donaldson). Conventional non-bipolar nickel-hydrogen batteries have a much lower energy density than lithium-ion versions but much longer service lives. Compared with the nickel-hydrogen battery in the previous-generation Aqua, says […]

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Solid-state batteries will be big in EVs – eventually

The promise of much safer electrolytes makes solid-state batteries attractive for EVs, particularly passenger cars, and EVs are expected to be their biggest single market (writes Peter Donaldson). However, the technology is far from mature and several challenges remain, according to Dr Xiaoxi He, principal technology analyst at IdTechEx, which has published an in-depth report […]