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2022 predictions for automotive, hyperscale computing, aerospace and defence systems


By Nicolas Richard, Director of EMEA Automotive Business Development, Lev Slutskiy, Regional Manager, and Teo DeLellis, Business Development for Aerospace, Vicor


Automotive Today’s electric vehicles have as many as three separate batteries – one at 400V or 800V (traction battery), and a distribution system that operates from secondary 12V and 48V batteries. Manufacturers are looking to reduce


vehicle weight through reduced system complexity and cabling. One way of achieving this is by using the traction battery to power the 12V battery loads, making the 12V battery redundant and expendable. This can shave off up to 25 pounds of the vehicle’s weight. As we move through 2022, we expect


to see this modular approach to power delivery being adopted by OEMs seeking to electrify and differentiate their fleets, offering extended range and better overall performance. We also expect to see the momentum pick up behind electric vehicle battery re-use, ensuring that they can be re-purposed for power forklifts or to serve as reserve power for homes. In larger high-power commercial vehicles, there is growing interest in using hydrogen fuel cells for power, which will generate a greater demand for high- efficiency DC-DC conversion. Lastly, driving comfort will be


increasingly important, in turn requiring electrically-powered active suspension and high-efficiency power management systems.


High-performance computing The global hyperscale computing market will continue to grow this year, from about $147bn in 2021, at a compound annual growth rate of 27.4% through to 2028. Key growth drivers will include increasing cloud workloads, data-centre optimisation, social media platforms and


04 April 2022 www.electronicsworld.co.uk


the emergence of data-as-a-service. Also, the debate between adopting


AC or DC power will continue between data centre operators. Benefits of DC distribution include elimination of large AC-DC UPS systems, and no concerns about compute load distribution. Modern data centres use the most common approach of bringing three-phase AC to the building and then split them into three single-phase AC lines backed up by their own UPS systems. The increasing share of renewable


“green” energy continues, and high- voltage DC will be provided by primary energy sources in a growing number of cases, especially at the edge. As 5G takes hold, network


infrastructure will become more complicated, with more computing nodes nearer the user, to reduce latency and allow the greater use of IoT applications. This will also fuel the demand for computing power at the edge, in the fog and the central applications. However, this year the supply chain


continues to be disrupted, and we anticipate difficulties at least until the end of next year.


Military and aerospace Innovation and demand for higher system efficiencies will continue to drive electrification to replace mechanical systems and chemical fuels. For example, advanced submersibles are replacing hydraulics with electric power, while electric aircraft are setting new range and speed records. Power management for electrically-


driven drones will continue to be a critical factor, whilst the growing interest in directed energy weapons such as lasers


for both shipboard and vehicle use will require solutions to manage new power sources, such as solid-state batteries. There is also increasing demand


for power electronics to conform to the requirements of standards such as the Sensor Open System Architecture (SOSA). The bounce-back from the pandemic


continues to drive a surge in demand for electronics in military and aerospace markets, causing Vicor and other power system makers to quote extended lead times for some products, expected to last well into 2022. Further fallout from the pandemic is


seen in civil avionics where air travel is still not back to its pre-pandemic levels. We expect it will be 2023 before both civil avionics and the aftermarket bounce back. The growing European space


sector will also see increasing use of electric ion propulsion for spacecraft, primarily for station-keeping for the new constellations of space-borne broadband satellites. As with other engineering sectors,


we continue to see a growing skills shortage. A recent report by consultancy firm Korn Ferry estimates that by 2030 there will be a global skilled labour shortage of up to 85 million jobs, which equates to $8.5 trillion. Recruiting young engineers could be essential in preventing a prolonged shortfall. For the younger generation who are interested in the environment, this could be achieved in our sector by adopting innovative power technologies that address environmental concerns and are based on renewables.


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