Continuously increasing power to density ratio and efficiency requirements are driving the new designs of today's power supply systems for electronic equipment. Meeting these requirements requires significant technology advancements in system architecture, improvements in devices and materials, increased topology optimization for thermal management and packaging design enhancements for miniaturization.
Proper operational reliability is dependent on having clean and reliable power rails to adequately run the necessary internal systems. End use applications may vary widely from medical imaging to welding equipment but the proper conversion of the source supply power to the required voltages and currents are essentially the same in all types of equipment.
The successful adoption and utilization of the next generation of battery equipped products relies on many new technologies to continue evolving. A smart battery management system (BMS) is one of the essential components; it not only measures the state of batteries accurately, but also ensures safe operation and prolongs the battery life during charging and discharging. The accurate estimation of the state of charge of an energy source using batteries is a very challenging task because each battery technology has its unique time variant, non-linear charging and discharging profile.
Each battery management system is designed and used to manage all control and command operations of the battery pack and energy transfer from the battery pack to the powertrain or load. It also equalizes the energy drawn from and added to individual cells, while diagnosing, evaluating and reporting faults and malfunctions. Energy storage system technology is still the main challenge for many industries such as the electric vehicle(EV) industry and a well designed BMS helps provide safe operating conditions that are essential in all applications.
Power conditioners act as a buffer between the generation of raw power and the desired system voltage and current input necessary for proper operation. Power conditioning systems have several features such as surge and spike protection, radio frequency and electro-magnetic interference filtering, voltage and current leveling and load balancing. Power conditioning systems are used on both AC and DC components and the positive effects increase reliability of the overall operation. The resulting increase in efficiency and reduction in power consumption reduces the operating cost of power production and delivery.
Power conditioning is an integral part of electric vehicles (EV) and their charging systems, solar and wind turbine generation systems as well as industrial control systems. The need for power conditioning will continue to grow as alternative energy sources expand and battery technology evolves.
The conversion of AC voltage to DC voltage is an essential component of many electronic systems in all industries. AC-DC power supplies come in many sizes and variations with a multitude of configuration options from the very small, board mounted devices to large rack mounted units. The application determines the wattage, voltage and current output as well as the number of DC outputs required. Some AC-DC supplies work on a single phase while others are 3 phase capable for driving larger loads.
An inverter or power inverter changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). Circuits that perform the opposite function, converting AC to DC, are called rectifiers. Power inverters are primarily used in electrical power applications where high currents and voltages are present.
Both input and output voltage can vary depending on the specific application. Input voltages typically ranges from 12V (vehicle battery system), up to 400V for photovoltaic solar panels, or even higher for high-voltage direct current power transmission systems.
Applications for inverters include providing a source of household power for electrical equipment in RVs, cars, work trucks and boats. Inverter/Chargers are used to provide backup AC power in an emergency, such as a power outage or for remote work sites. Medical-Grade Inverter/Chargers are used in healthcare environments and ambulances. Grid-tied inverters are designed to feed into the electric power distribution system.
A Gate Driver or simply a driver is an electrical circuit or other electronic components used to control another circuit or component. Driver circuits amplify signals from controllers or microprocessors in order to control power devices such as fans, motors or LEDs. The IC/microprocessor is the brains, the driver is the power. The driver serves as the interface between control signals (digital or analog controllers) and power switches (IGBTs, MOSFETs, SiC MOSFETs, etc). Driver circuitry may be made up of discrete components or integrated circuits. Integrated solutions can reduce development time, part count, and optimize board real estate.