Vicor launches modular DC-DC converters for automotive
Vicor has developed three automotive-grade power modules for 48V EV systems.
The modules cover a bus converter from 800V to 48V, an unregulated 48V to 12V converter and a 48V regulated supply.
While the modules cannot be automotive certified, the BCM6135, DCM3735 and PRM3735 use AEC-Q100 certified Vicor-designed ICs and have completed the PPAP process with automotive customers.
The modules allow 800V from the EV battery pack to 48V for zonal power architectures. This 48V bus can then be converted to a regulated 48V with another module or to 12V for legacy systems with the third module. This enables over 300 different combinations.
Using 48V direct from the battery pack reduces the weight of the wiring harness and this architecture avoids the need for a separate legacy 12V power bus. The bidirectional 48V module can also be used with active suspension systems to cope with the high slew rate of a regenerative power load, which requires immediate current flow reversal to pass regenerated power back to the battery.
“We have been working on IATF16949 certification for automotive components since 2018 and we are now moving from development to implementation,” said Greg Green, director of automotive product marketing at Vicor
“16949 is an amped up version of ISO9001 for the quality levels that customers expect. Our product does not fit into any of the AEC categories so we take the controllers qualified to AECQ100 and the devices are AEC qualified so we have done everything we can for that.”
“We are in the process of testing the parts with a handful of OEMs. The modules are derivatives of the existing modules but its more than just a BoM change,” he said. “We have taken our High Performance Computing modules and modified the input and output ranges for automotive.”
The BCM6135 is a 98% efficient 2.5kW BCM bus converter which converts 800V from the traction battery to 48V to provide a safety extra-low voltage (SELV) power supply for the vehicle. The BCM6135 internally provides the isolation between high voltage and low voltage which creates a large reduction the space required for the DC-DC conversion.
The BCM6135’s power density of 158kW/L allows EV system designers to reduce size of the primary DC-DC converter and reduce vehicle weight. The bidirectional rapid current transient response rate of 8 mega amps per second allows the BCM6135 to replace a 25lb 48V battery — by serving as a virtual 48V battery in the xEV vehicle and delivering additional cost and weight savings.
The DCM3735 2.0kW DCM DC-DC converter transforms an unregulated 48V input into a regulated 12V output. The DCM3735 has a wide input range that is compatible with a variety of automotive applications because the output can be trimmed within a range of 8 – 16V. The DCM3735 has a power density of 300kW/L making it an attractive choice for architectures bridging a 48V distribution to 12V subsystems in zonal ECU applications.
The PRM3735 is a 2.5kW PRM regulator for 48V power that is 99.2% efficient. Its small footprint and 260kW/L power density frees up packaging space and reduces the overall DC-DC power supply. It is best suited to support regulated 48V loads that are implemented in new vehicle architectures.