Jaguar I-Pace accelerates with sintered IGBT chips
In contrast to combustion engines, electric drives develop their maximum torque right from the start. The fascinating acceleration associated with this is one thing, another one is the question of how to control such powers and the associated extreme load changes. Continental has developed a system solution for Jaguar Land Rover that is specially tailored for sporty high-performance drives. It is designed for the entire JLR electric fleet and will be used in all future electric models of the British manufacturer. This power electronics module is also used in Jaguar Land Rover’s Plug-in Hybrid Rover Sport.
In hybrid and electric vehicles, power electronics are a key component of the electric drive. It supplies the electric motor with power and also controls energy recovery (recuperation). Functionally, it therefore stands between the high-voltage battery and the electric motor. Since the battery delivers direct current but the motor requires three-phase alternating current, the power electronics converts the current accordingly by means of an inverter and passes it on to the motor, which is controlled via these parameters, in the required strength and frequency.
During recuperation, the electronics convert the alternating current generated by the electric motor into direct current and thus charge the battery. It depends on the power electronics whether the potential of the electric drive can be fully exploited. It contributes to the driving pleasure resulting from the high starting torque and the fast response of electric motors. Power electronics thus plays a decisive role in the “user experience”, a key feature that distinguishes premium brands from the competition.
The power electronics must provide the full current in fractions of a second. The particular challenge for the developers was to cope with the very large load change during acceleration from a standstill while at the same time ensuring the high cycle stability and service life required for automotive systems. A further development goal was a high power density in order to keep the installation space as small as possible. This combination of performance, service life and compactness was achieved above all by an innovative power module, the heart of the inverter. Double-sided sintered chips (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor, IGBT) are used here.
Compared to conventional soldered wire connections (bonds), sintering technology can be used to produce connections that meet significantly higher requirements in terms of service life, reliability and thermal resilience and are therefore particularly suitable for the premium segment. Continental claims to be the first company to use this complex process in automotive electronics.
In addition to the double-sided sintering technology, special ‘Direct Copper Bonded’ (DCB) substrates and power semiconductors specially manufactured for Continental are also used, explains Continental project manager Alexander Reich. Another important special feature of this power electronics is that one and the same system can be used in very different vehicles. The power electronics of the Range Rover Sport Plug-In Hybrid and the Jaguar I-PACE are identical in hardware and only differ in software.
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