www.vicorpower.com POWER MODULES 23 www.power-mag.com Issue 2 2025 Power Electronics Europe converts DC input into a sinusoid, an ideal transformer stage scales the voltage by the ratio of the turns between the primary and secondary side, and secondary-side switching converts the sinusoid into a DC output. The BCM family converts from 800V to 48V inputs with various K factors to suit a wide range of applications and markets. Based on a proprietary Sine Amplitude Converter (SAC™) topology, high-voltage BCMs can reach peak efficiencies up to 98% and achieve power densities up to 2,400W/in?. These flexible modules can be easily paralleled into high-power arrays and outputs can be put in series to achieve a higher output voltage. Additionally, BCMs are inherently bidirectional, enabling even more opportunity to innovate subsystems throughout the vehicle. BCMs also enable designers to reduce the amount of bulk capacitance needed at the load by effectively ‘reflecting’ the capacitance across the module based on the specified K factor. Additionally, zero-current switching (ZCS) and zero-voltage switching (ZVS) topologies minimize losses. The ability to perform either a step-down conversion from high voltage to low, or step-up from low to high enables the BCM to symmetrically convert power with the same efficiency and quantity in either direction. This makes the approach well suited for applications in automotive where there is rapid charging and discharging from a vehicle power load, such as active suspension. ZCS/ZVS switching also enables BCM converters to operate at higher frequencies than conventional converters, providing a fast response to changes in load currents and a low impedance path from input to output. Transient response times of eight million amps per second can be achieved compared with the 250A per second times when using conventional techniques. This fast response, combined with fixedratio conversion, bidirectional operation and a low impedance path, enables a BCM to serve as a virtual battery, while offering reduced cable weight using lighter 10 AWG wiring. This is important because power still needs to be distributed across a vehicle’s subsystem to a mix of 48V and 12V loads. The BCM is an essential element to optimizing zonal architecture that extends 48V distribution around the vehicle before converting to 12V loads BCM6135 enables 50% size reduction of active suspension power system The BCM6135 has been instrumental in optimizing a historically problematic PDN. Active suspension has been a notoriously heavy, power-intensive system that is costly to design. It has plagued power designers for decades. However, with the combination of larger primary batteries, a 48V bus and miniature DC-DC power modules, active suspension systems can be optimized like never before. Today Hongfa, an automotive tier-one supplier, is working with Vicor to develop 800V-48V DC-DC converters to build the ultimate active suspension system. The PDN capitalizes on 48V coupled with Vicor power modules to reduce overall size and weight. Further, it takes advantage of the BCM6135 power density to achieve a system box volume under 1.8l, and it leverages the BCM’s bidirectional power capacity to support regenerative power loads. This power design is the smallest active suspension system today — nearly half the size of the nearest competitor. One of the greatest benefits of linking active suspension directly to the battery is energy recuperation. Similar to how a spring can absorb and expend energy, active suspension can absorb energy that be stored in the battery. While this can technically be done via a DC-DC converter, few manufacturers are able to design a Figure 2 The BCM6135 is a fixed-ratio converter supporting 800V to 48V conversion. The family of BCMs are inherently bidirectional, enabling even more opportunity to innovate a variety of subsystems throughout the vehicle. With the BCM designers can reduce the amount of bulk capacitance needed at the load by effectively ‘reflecting’ the capacitance across the module based on the specified K factor. BCMs are high density, high performance automotive grade converters used in today’s most innovative active suspension systems. Figure 3 The BCM is a fixed-ratio converter supporting 800V to 48V conversion with various K factors to suit a wide range of applications and markets. Based on a proprietary Sine Amplitude Converter (SAC™) topology, high-voltage BCMs can reach peak efficiencies up to 98% and achieve power densities up to 2,400W/in?. These flexible modules can be easily paralleled into high-power arrays and outputs can be put in series to achieve a higher output voltage.
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