Case study: Central DC-DC converter
Significantly reducing the size and weight of DC-DC conversion
Customer’s challenge
A traditional silver box power supply is large. It’s difficult to fit in tight spaces and its heavy weight inhibits engineers’ goals to increase driving range between charges. The supply and other silver boxes – on board charger and inverter – all require liquid cooling that adds more weight and complexity. A discrete solution likely won’t work on a different platform, and reengineering to scale power up and down requires significant cost and time frames. The key challenges were:
- Volume of space required to power all loads in an EV
- Hundreds of potential fail points in soldering and connections
- Reduce weight from the boxes
The Vicor solution
Vicor power modules are industry leading in high density power conversion. Their packaging protects inside components from harsh environmental conditions, eliminating creepage and clearance issues that make discrete solutions so large and heavy. Power modules provide conversion that’s already tested, with simple passive thermal management, and are easy to adapt for use in different vehicle platforms. Their much smaller volume also makes it feasible to combine DC-DC conversion, on board charging and inverter into one box.
Key benefits
Key benefits
Up to 20kW of power in a very compact, lightweight solution
Isolation incorporated within the module eliminates extra components
Reduced weight
Power delivery network
The BCM6135 power module converts the high voltage battery power down to a 48V SELV at 98% efficiency. The PRM3735 is used to provide a regulated 48V rail, while the DCM3735 converts 48V to a 12V regulated rail. Modules can be easily paralleled to provide as much power as is needed downstream. With the miniature dimensions of power modules, the resulting overall volume of the power supply is small enough to be located within tight spaces in the vehicle engine compartment where a bulky, heavy discrete power supply simply would not fit.
800/48V BCM6135
Isolated
Input: 520 – 920V
Output: 32.5 – 57.5V
Current: Up to 80A
Power: 2.5kW
Efficiency: Up to 97.3%
61.3 x 35.4 x 7.4mm
48/48V PRM3735
Non-isolated regulated
Input: 31 – 58V
Output: 36 – 54V
Power: 2.5kW
Efficiency: Up to 99.2%
36.6 x 35.4 x 7.4mm
48/12V DCM3735
Non-isolated regulated
Input: 35 – 58V
Output: 8 – 16V
Power: 2kW
Efficiency: Up to 96.5%
36.6 x 35.4 x 5.2mm
Resources for the design engineer
EV sales for both pure battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are accelerating rapidly
On-Demand Webinar
YK Choi, Sr. Field Application Engineer at Vicor and YoungJae Kang, Chief Engineer at INFAC discuss how integrating 48V conversion into the battery pack will reduce heat, cost, and...
BEVs are getting heavier and adopting a 48V zonal architecture curbs the weight. High-density power modules maximize weight reduction and efficiency
Power modules address complex electrification challenges and offer creative latitude to solve today’s toughest power challenges