Improving the efficiency of electric vehicle motors

SIEMENS is seeking to improve the efficiency of electric motors to increase the range of electric cars. The company is currently engaged in two projects, Plug&Play Range Extender, and PELiKAn.

Plug&Play Range Extender looks at a module consisting of a small, fuel-efficient combustion engine and an alternator, and how it can increase the range of electric cars. PELiKAn aims to use highly efficient power electronics to improve efficiency in aircraft and motor vehicles.

The transition toward electric vehicles means factors like efficiency, installation space, and component weights need to be optimized. Power transformers are key components in electrical automotive systems. The PELiKAn project aims to develop compact and reliable voltage transformers with an efficiency of up to 99 percent. This can be achieved with regenerative drive circuits, which reduce the drive power needed by storing energy in a buffer.

Researchers also expect that new types of semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide, and higher maximum operating temperatures will further reduce the switching losses and forward losses experienced by power transformer switches.

Other partners in the PELiKAn project include Daimler, EADS, Infineon, ZF Electronics, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems.


This story was originally posted in Electronics News.