Automotive
Delivering electromagnetic solutions for electric vehicles
GD Rectifiers’ managing director, Paul Bentley, discusses the remarkable surge in demand for filter solutions and semiconductors used in electric vehicles
W
ith more than 460,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on the road today and 64,000 registered in the UK so far this year
alone, along with 384,000 plug-in hybrids according to the RAC, numbers are rapidly increasing every day and the demand for power electronic components has increased tenfold over the past five years.
A total of 30,412 charging points and 19,150 charging locations were reported across the UK in March 2022 by Zap Map, which doesn’t include residential or workplace locations. Electronic vehicles (EVs) have numerous clear advantages over internal combustion vehicles for the end user, such as zero emissions, instant torque and low noise.
Electromagnetic devices
When charging a contemporary EV, the mains AC needs to be rectified to the DC required by the batteries, a process that creates fluctuations in the mains signal. When this effect is multiplied by thousands of EVs, these small fluctuations will create disruptive noise and harmonics. These disturbances can interfere with frequency sensitive equipment, particularly the power line communication (PLC) interface between electric vehicle supply equipment and the electric vehicle control module managing the vehicle charging functions.
Harmonic interference doesn’t just affect power line communication, it can affect any frequency sensitive application, such as an audio-visual setup which can suffer from unwanted signals. Disruptive harmonics travelling in the kilohertz range over unshielded wires such as power lines can even emit radio waves.
For those crucial filtering applications, GD Rectifiers partners with Enerdoor to offer an extensive range of electromagnetic compatibility filters including EMI, RFI, EMC and harmonic filters used in conjunction with single or multiple variable frequency drives (VFDs) and servo drives. Whether you are looking to remove hiss from a speaker or
12 May 2022
source a new sinusoidal filter to drive your electric motor, GD Rectifiers has a practical and cost-effective solution. The on-going surge in demand for semiconductors has stemmed from innovations in the industry providing longer electric vehicle battery life. This not only improves the logistical appeal of electric vehicles, but it also provides a prime opportunity for semiconductor manufacturers and distributors.
Semiconductors are used in a wide variety of functions suited to electric vehicles, including touch-screen interactivity with the driver or passengers and power electric batteries and components in the power train. The more digitally advanced the EV the more semiconductors it will require. As features like autonomous driving and blind-spot detection become more widespread, the automotive market will need access to more semiconductors, putting more demand on the component market.
The average amount of semiconductor components used in EVs are rapidly growing, putting a strain on the industry and its supply chain. GD Rectifiers works with some of the world’s leading power semiconductor manufacturers including IXYS, Westcode, SEMIKRON, EDI and Dynex. The distributor stocks a wide range of power semiconductors used in the automotive industry, designed and manufactured specifically for electric vehicles, including power MOSFETs, IGBTs, rectifiers, protection devices and voltage regulators.
Power MOSFETs
Converters usually contain inverters with power MOSFETs or IGBTs to drive the electric motor. GD Rectifiers offers a broad range of power MOSFETs suitable for the automotive industry by semiconductor manufacturers IXYS and Semikron.
IGBTs (insulated-gate bipolar transistors)
IGBTs play an integral role in the development of electric vehicles and comprise the largest
Components in Electronics
segment of the semiconductor market for EV power systems. IGBTs are a high-voltage, high-current switch connected directly to the traction motor in an electric or hybrid electric vehicle. They are ideal for EVs because of their high efficiency and fast switching, reducing power loss to wasted heat which results in a better mileage per watt of energy.
Silicon Carbide (SiC) Schottky diodes SiC Schottky diodes offer superior switching performance compared to existing discrete SiC solutions. SiC Schottky diodes allow EV designers to embrace faster switching speeds and greater power density enabling smaller, lighter builds and more efficient motors.
Rectifier diodes & bridges GD Rectifiers offers IXYS’ complete range of rectifier bridges which are used throughout the automotive industry, including rectifier bridges (single and three phase), half and full controlled bridges (single and three phase), 3-phase bridges with IGBT and diode brake unit, 3-phase bridges with standard or semifast diodes and integrated softstart thyristors.
Semikron’s rectifier bridges available from GD Rectifiers are used in key automotive applications such as battery chargers,
motor drive input rectifiers, power supplies, DC motor control, rectifiers with PFC, AC controllers and static switches for natural convection or forced cooling.
Protection devices
GD Rectifiers offers a wide range of Mersen products and solutions covering all aspects of in-board and off-board safety and power management for electric vehicles, including DC fuses and surge arresters designed for charging stations. GD Rectifiers also provides single phase and three phase voltage regulators designed to match the output voltage or generator to the electrical load and charging requirements of the battery for motor vehicles. GD Rectifiers provide a comprehensive range of electromagnetic components, power semiconductors and protection devices designed for the automotive industry and in particular, electric vehicles and charging stations. The distributor works closely with its industry-leading brands to offer customers the latest power electronic components at competitive prices and on a fast lead time, providing expert technical support from the initial design stage right the way through to delivery and installation.
www.gdrectifiers.co.uk www.cieonline.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62
