AVL and VisIC reveal GaN-based EV traction inverter
VisIC, a developer of high-power GaN chips, and AVL, a mobility technology company, have worked together on integrating VisIC's D³GaN power module technology into AVL's vehicle demonstrator.
The demonstrator combines a high-speed e-axle, advanced power electronics and vehicle control technologies, with a GaN traction inverter using VisIC power modules. The overall project brings together technology from AVL, NXP Semiconductors and VisIC Technologies.
It builds on a two year collaboration between AVL and VisIC. In earlier Dyno WLTC testing at AVL facilities in Germany, an inverter based on VisIC's GaN-on-Silicon D³GaN technology is claimed to have achieved 99.67 percent efficiency at 10 kHz and more than 99.8 percent at 5 kHz on AVL's e-motor test bench. The companies reported an improvement compared with comparable SiC inverters and a reduction of inverter energy losses of more than 60 percent under the tested conditions.
The inverter development used VisIC's D³GaN technology, NXP driver, AVL's PI850e Inverter Development Platform and AVL control software.
According to the company, integration into the vehicle demonstrator now enables the technology to be evaluated within a complete electric drivetrain environment and illustrates how the efficiency advantages of GaN can translate from semiconductor and inverter performance into vehicle-level benefits.
EV traction inverters operate across a wide range of speed, torque and load conditions. VisIC say its D³GaN technology is designed to combine low switching and conduction losses with high power density for high-power automotive applications.
The benefits can be particularly important during partial-load operation where reducing switching losses can improve inverter efficiency and reduce cooling requirements. Current 400V battery technology is especially attractive for PHEV and Range extended HEV cars. At vehicle level, this creates the potential for a more compact power-electronics system, improved drivetrain efficiency and increased driving range.
"Bringing D³GaN from the test bench into a fully operational vehicle is an important milestone for high-power GaN," said Tamara Baksht, VisIC Technologies' CEO. "The AVL demonstrator shows that GaN is no longer limited to discussing future potential. We can demonstrate the technology in the traction inverter of a real electric vehicle and show automotive manufacturers what higher efficiency, lower losses and higher power density can mean at system level."
"Integrating a GaN traction inverter into a vehicle demonstrator is an important step in understanding the opportunities and challenges of bringing this technology into future automotive applications," said Mathias Deiml, technical lead GaN Inverter Development, AVL Software and Functions. "The project combines semiconductor innovation with system-level development expertise and allows to push forward the state of the art regarding efficiency and advanced functionality."
The collaboration between AVL and VisIC Technologies is also intended to support the development of scalable GaN solutions for future EV architectures. The companies previously announced plans to extend the GaN-on-Silicon platform toward 800V GaN power modules, addressing the growing adoption of higher-voltage battery and drivetrain systems.
