EV
Onsemi launches new PIMs solution for ultra-fast EV chargers
Onsemi announced today its new EliteSiC Power Integrated Modules (PIMs) solutions for DC ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) chargers and energy storage systems (ESS). Onsemi is a global semiconductor supplier that designs and manufactures intelligent power and sensing technologies.
The new PIMs use silicon carbide solutions to improve the system cost and provide higher efficiency with an inbuilt cooling mechanism.
It promises to drastically reduce charger size by up to 40% and cut weight by up to 52% compared to traditional silicon-based IGBT solutions.
This new charging solution aims to provide a compact and light design for quick, efficient, and scalable network deployment of DC fast chargers that could refill EV batteries up to 80% as fast as 15 minutes. That’s a real ultra-fast charging capacity.
Impact:
A study by J.D. Power’s 2023 Electric Vehicle Consideration Study reveals that nearly half of U.S. customers not considering buying an electric vehicle due to uneasy access and slow charging rate.
To boost EV sales, the U.S. still needs to quadruple the EV chargers by 2025 and 8 times by the end of the decade to increase the demand.
With increasing EV charging infrastructure, bidirectional charging could be a key solution to implement vehicle-to-grid which allows both regular battery charging and the ability to use an EV as an energy storage system.
Onsemi EliteSiC Power Integrated Modules (PIMs)
Benefits
The Onsemi solution provides designers the flexibility to pick the right PIM for power conversion stages in their DC fast charging or energy storage system applications.
Onsemi says each module uses a die from the same wafer to ensure more consistency and reliability so designers don’t have to use discrete from different suppliers, which can lead to varying performance results.
The module offers the following benefits:
- Uses the Gen3 M3S SiC MOSFET technology which offers the lowest switching losses and highest efficiency in the industry
- Supports key topologies such as multi-level T-type neutral point clamp (TNPC), half-bridge, and full-bridge topologies
- Supports scalable output power from 25 kW to 100 kW, enabling multiple DC fast charging and energy storage systems platforms including bidirectional charging
- Industry-standard F1 and F2 packages with the option of pre-applied Thermal Interface Material (TIM) and press-fit pins
- Enables optimal thermal management, avoiding system failure due to overheating
- Full SiC modules offer energy conservation by minimizing power losses, directly translating to cost and energy savings
- Offers more robustness and dependability, ensuring consistent operations