10 48V-CENTRIC POWER MODULES www.vicorpower.com Issue 1 2025 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com Ease of Use and Power Scaling Considerations For power scaling needs and achieving a faster design time, power modules should be capable of operating in current-shared parallel arrays. As the power system demands increase, it is possible to double or quadruple the output power through a relatively easy subsystem redesign. An important characteristic of modern PDNs is reverse (or bidirectional) operation. The classic example is electric vehicle regenerative braking, where energy is returned to the battery pack from the traction motor inverters during braking. Bidirectional operation appears in many electrification use cases, and best-in-class power modules will offer either instantaneous reverse power conversion or reverse power conversion under digital control. Fixed-ratio BCMs and NBMs are inherently bidirectional and enable new depths of innovation. In some specific cases, modules are designed to comply with a variety of standards, including FCC/EU EMI (conducted and radiated), as well as safety and environmental standards administered by CE, ECHA RoHS, CSA, UKCA, TUV and UL/IEC. High voltage isolated power modules should have also undergone high potential (HIPOT) safety testing. This is a significant reduction in engineering operating expense (otherwise frequently outsourced) and the capital expense of related test equipment, as well as a valuable project schedule risk reduction mitigation. Additionally, module-level product safety certifications are vital for gaining power-subsystem-level regulatory approvals. A trusted supplier should provide comprehensive technical support and collateral, including complete data sheets, application notes, electrical, 3D mechanical and thermal simulation models, design guides and evaluation board systems. These are essential tools for design engineering success. Electric Vehicles Save Weight and Capitalize on Transient Response with Power Modules Automotive BEV and recreational light electric vehicle (LEV) OEMs need to show continuous performance improvement aspects beyond those of their gasolinepowered progenitors to continue to win new customers. Vehicle acceleration and battery life (i.e., vehicle range) are critical performance elements that often influence the buying decisions of EV consumers. Small size and weight, high volumetric power density and simple, inexpensive, robust passive cooling solutions are of vital consumer marketing value to OEMs. Additionally, the use of a module-level PDN solutions frees the vehicle system designers to focus on other product development tasks because modules with high power density can solve the size and weight problems of a design. Superior load transient response of topologies such as the Vicor SAC™ (Sine Amplitude Converter) enables numerous innovative applications in electric vehicles, including active suspension, drive-by-wire, steer-by-wire, 12V and 48V battery and supercapacitor elimination. Best-in-class modules offer industry-leading efficiency and power density, delivering outstanding electrical performance even when de-rated for use with passive heat sinks (or in some chassis or body mount applications). The robust mechanical construction of overmolded modules is well suited to the harsh environments of rugged electric recreational vehicles. The use of a 48V zonal architecture results in much thinner cabling throughout the vehicle, which is a substantial weight and cost savings (Figure 5). Furthermore, thinner distribution power bus wires are easier to route, giving vehicle chassis and body designers more freedom from three dimensional design constraints. The reduced cable power dissipation at 48V also yields improved vehicle range. The automotive EV designs are migrating rapidly to 48V distribution hubs with 12V zones for legacy subsystems. The global auto industry supply chain will drive rapid cost reduction of the components of this “zonal architecture” to the benefit of LEV developers. Consider choosing a 48V module supplier that can offer automotive-grade modules with APQP process and AECQ100 qualification attributes. These automotive grade modules are also available to LEV platform developers in the event they require AECQ-100 level reliability. Factory Automation Equipment Benefits from Thinner Wiring and “massimetric power density” Industrial robots are evolving to include autonomous (untethered and batterypowered) capabilities and integrated genAI inferencing processors. Importantly, 48V cabling saves robot weight and cost versus 12V cabling, and is far easier to route mechanically, which is helpful for anthropogenic (humanoid) robots designs that are relatively trim. Figure 4: Prequalified miniaturized power modules offer a number of benefits over discrete designs. Power modules are a single bill of material (BOM) item and eliminate numerous points of failure. The fact that there are dozens of components internal to the module is opaque to the end customer. By contrast, a discretely implemented power supply has many components that must be purchased, kitted, assembled, tested and managed over the lifetime of the equipment. To receive your own copy of Power Electronics Europe subscribe today at: www.power-mag.com
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