Pre-Switch Corporation announced the launch of its CleanWave 200kW Silicon Carbide (SiC) Automotive Power Converter Evaluation System, allowing power supply design engineers to check the accuracy of the soft-switching architecture and platform based on varying loads, temperatures, tolerances, and degradation. Pre-Switch is a startup based in Campbell, California, USA, which is developing DC / AC and AC / DC power conversion soft switching technology.
Pre-Switch's platform includes the Pre-Drive3 controller board, powered by Pre-Flex Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and RPG (Resonant Power Gate) gate drive boards, which virtually eliminate switching losses. Fast switching at 100 kHz (significantly improves the efficiency of low torque motors). In addition, the high switching frequency also eliminates copper and iron losses on the motor, allowing the endurance of electric vehicles (EV) to increase by 5% to 12%. This soft switching solution is also suitable for industrial motors, solar, wind and traction applications, or any other device with power conversion requirements greater than 100 kilowatts to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
Bruce T. Renouard, CEO of Pre-Switch, said: "The key design challenges that have hindered the popularity of electric vehicles have been addressed. Previously, the limited switching frequency of power converters resulted in sine wave distortion of output power and low motor efficiency. CleanWave power conversion The device evaluation system uses artificial intelligence (AI) to continuously adjust the relative timing of components within the switching system to force resonance to cancel the current and voltage waveforms, thereby minimizing switching losses and increasing the range of electric vehicles. "
Pre-Switch's forced resonant soft-switch topology uses a common intelligent control panel Pre-Drive3 and a specific plug-in RPG module (optimized for the SiC or IGBT package selected by the customer), replacing traditional IGBT (insulation Gate bipolar transistor) driver or silicon carbide driver. The Pre-Switch soft-switch architecture is said to improve electric vehicle efficiency and range, while reducing size and weight.