(H)EV traction inverter - hybrid / electric vehicle
Fully automotive-qualified and highly efficient product portfolio supporting a wide range of motors, generators and power classes
Within an electric drivetrain, the inverter controls the electric motor. This is a key component in the car as, similar to the Engine Management System (EMS) of combustion vehicles, it determines driving behavior. Regardless of whether the motor is synchronous, asynchronous or brushless DC, the inverter always functions in a similar way and is controlled by an integrated PCB, which should be designed to minimize switching losses and maximize thermal efficiency. Not only does the inverter drive the electric motor, it also captures energy released through regenerative breaking and feeds this back to the battery. As a result, the range of the vehicle is directly related to the efficiency of the traction inverter.
(H)EV - traction inverter system diagram
System benefits
- Fully automotive-qualified product portfolio supporting wide range of motors, generators and power classes
- Highly efficient 3-phase drive thanks to very low conducting losses even at high switching frequencies
- Isolation-integrated in gate driver
- Wide range of 16 and 32-bit microcontroller solutions dedicated to (H)EV applications with a highly cost-effective resolver interface
- Evaluation kit available to reduce system on development time
SiC-based power electronics for xEV main inverter is accelerating, this is especially true in premium car segmentation where high efficiency is the key. 1200 V CoolSiC™ MOSFETs implemented in the electric drive train enabling a system size reduction by up to 80% thanks to the higher power density, less cooling effort, and lower number of passive components.
Although Silicon-based solutions will remain mainstream in the market for the next few years, SiC gains momentum. A recent WLTP study shows in an 800 V battery system, SiC-based main inverter can achieve 5 – 10% more range vs. its Silicon counterpart. In addition, SiC shows lower conduction losses in light load conditions compared to Si IGBTs. More and more OEMs adopt a SiC/Si co-existing topology where, for example, SiC is applied in the main inverter with rear-wheel drive and Silicon in secondary inverter with front-wheel drive, eventually achieving a good balance between efficiency & cost.
Learn more about our products:
- Silicon Carbide CoolSiC™ MOSFETs
- FS03MR12A6MA1B - HybridPACK™ Drive Automotive CoolSiC™ MOSFET
- EiceDRIVER™ SiC MOSFET Gate Driver ICs
- 32-bit AURIX™ Microcontroller based on TriCore™
- Wide Bandgap Semiconductors (SiC/GaN)
- CoolSiC™ Products
- OPTIREG™ PMIC (Automotive) - integrated, multi-rail power supply solutions
- Datalogging in Inverters:
- Log sensor data
- Log diagnostic and fault codes
- Data collection for fault analysis and predictive maintenance
F-RAM for Automotive markets provides fast writes at full interface speed. F-RAM does not have any write delays and data is instantly nonvolatile. Traditional nonvolatile memories have delays of 5 or more milliseconds before data becomes nonvolatile. If power is disrupted, pending data is lost unless the system has extra capacitance or batteries to keep the system on until data is stored.
F-RAM offers virtually unlimited endurance of 100 trillion read/write cycles. Traditional nonvolatile memories typically have less than 1 million cycle endurance, forcing system designers to use complex wear-leveling routines and up to 4x more density to prolong the lifetime of these memories.
This reference kit provides users the ease of development for 48V inverter control targeted for electric scooters and motorcycle traction motors. This kit is designed to drive a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) and Brushless DC Motor (BLDC). Its excellent thermal performance is supported by topside-cooled 80 V MOSFET coming in the TOLT package with Infineon’s leading OptiMOS™-5 technology. Motor control software using AURIX™ 32-bit microcontroller is currently in development. This new reference kit is the ideal solution for rapid prototyping while minimizing R&D efforts and time to market.
myInfineon: Join now and enjoy the benefits
Download our free whitepaper: Traction inverters are a key application for electrified vehicle designs
In this technical white paper, we will look at the role of traction inverters and how they are evolving within the changing landscape of electric vehicles. We will also consider new semiconductor technologies that are driving advanced development and many of the challenges that need to be considered when designing traction inverters.
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Online Courses
This training covers Infineon’s portfolio of power semiconductors, ranging from D2PAK packages to 62-millimeter modules.
All products are based on the latest micro-pattern trench technology.
Understand why to use WBG switches for bi-directional converters, the topologies used and how they function.
In this video, you will:
- Be familiar with top-side cooling, its uses and benefits
- Learn how you can get the most out of your TOLT package
Do you want to know the various topologies you can find in this power conversion stage and their top-level working principle? Get to know the basic concepts of passive and two-level active rectification methods.
Training topics:
- Get to know how AURIXTM is able to answer the needs of the electric vehicle market
- Recognize and explore how AURIX™ TC3xx addresses key electric vehicle challenges, and understand the main features of the AURIX™ TC3xx microcontroller
In this training you will:
- Be familiar with silicon carbide MOSFET structures and their characteristics
- Get to know Infineon's CoolSiC™ MOSFET, its features, its improvements over a typical trench MOS and how it performs against its competitors
In this training you will:
- Get to know Infineon’s IPOSIM tool, specifically for an automotive electric vehicle inverter
- Discover the steps involved in simulating different parameters and comparing the results of different Infineon products to see which is the best fit for your application
In this training you will:
- Identify the challenges posed by traction inverter applications in terms of system requirements, size, cost and time.
- Describe EasyPACK™ 2B EDT2’s distinctive features and explain how Infineon is able to meet customer needs. Especially in relation to quality and ramp-up capability.
In this training you will:
- Learn about the transition from fule injection combustion engine to full battery electric vehicles and the main 48V powered applications.
- Additionally get an overview about Infineon’s comprehensive MOSFET portfolio for 48 V applications and their support material
