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Charging forward with polyphase

A polyphase wireless power transfer system has achieved a record 270 kW charging rate, writes Nick Flaherty. Researchers in the Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Lab at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the US successfully demonstrated the first 270 kW wireless power transfer to a Porsche Taycan at the end of a three year project with Volkswagen.

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Reference design trio

Microchip Technology has developed three Reference Designs for different EV charger requirements, writes Nick Flaherty. These reference designs cover a Single-Phase AC Residential, a Three-Phase AC Commercial with Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) and System-on-Chip

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Stack high

Epsilor Electric Fuel has developed lithium-ion batteries that stack to provide 1000 V in military systems, writes Nick Flaherty. The COMBATT Military High Voltage Battery System is based on Epsilor’s NATO standard 6T battery modules, it provides a capacity up to 175 Ah and 4400 Wh.

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Machine learning to reduce EV cost

Machine learning is being used to improve the quality of laser welding systems and powder metal 3D additive manufacturing, writes Nick Flaherty. Laser welding machine maker TRUMPF is working with software developer SiMa.ai to develop lasers with artificial intelligence (AI).

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A cool idea for a DC-DC

Vitesco Technologies has boosted the performance of its fifth generation automotive DC-DC converter, incorporating a move from liquid to air cooling, writes Nick Flaherty. This Vitesco Gen5+ DC-DC converter uses 650 V CoolGan transistors from Infineon Technologies to achieve an efficiency of over 96% by increasing the switching frequency from 100 kHz to 250 kHz with an energy density of 4.2 kW/l.

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NTO’s bus pass

Toshiba has developed a new generation of its fast charging SCiB battery technology, which combines a lithium-ion cathode with a niobium titanate oxide (NTO) anode, writes Nick Flaherty. SCiB Nb has an energy density of 350 Wh/L at 2.3 V while the chemistry minimises the risk of fires and explosions, and it is being used for the first time in an electric bus in Brazil. The cells

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Testing distributed electric propulsion

Tyto Robotics has developed a test system for the next generation of electric aircraft that are using distributed electric propulsion (DEP), writes Nick Flaherty. DEP describes a propulsion system whereby the thrust generation is distributed across three or more electrically-powered propulsors.

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Robot makes light work of wiring harnesses

The first version of Q5D’s robot for automating the assembly of wiring harnesses for electric vehicles (EVs) is being shipped, writes Nick Flaherty. Q5D is using its CY1000 system to assemble the wiring harness in the roof lining of a prototype SUV being tested in the UK.

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Korean aluminium alloy boosts thermal stability

Researchers in Korea have developed an aluminium alloy for EVs that dramatically improves thermal stability, writes Nick Flaherty. The team at the Korea Institute of Material Science (KIMS) identified a new mechanism by which the nanostructures inside aluminium alloys work, and the alloys they have developed improve thermal stability by up to 140%, compared with existing aluminium ones.

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Global production for custom magnetics using AI algorithms

Frenetic Electronics has launched a global production service for its custom magnetics designs, writes Nick Flaherty. Frenetic Factory produces inductors, transformers and EMI filters, based on a free web design and analysis tool called Core Optimizer. This uses AI-based algorithms trained by the engineers at Frenetic.