Powertrain 2020 - The Future Drives Electric (PDF ... - Roland Berger
Powertrain 2020 - The Future Drives Electric (PDF ... - Roland Berger
Powertrain 2020 - The Future Drives Electric (PDF ... - Roland Berger
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"<strong>Powertrain</strong> <strong>2020</strong> – <strong>The</strong> <strong>Future</strong> <strong>Drives</strong> <strong>Electric</strong>"<br />
Traction inverter<br />
<strong>The</strong> electric motors used in vehicle applications will be mainly AC motors.<br />
A traction inverter therefore needs to convert the high-voltage DC coming<br />
from the battery into AC for the motor. An electronic motor controller –<br />
normally part of the inverter and similar to an ICE engine management<br />
system – translates the required power level from the driver (at the gas<br />
pedal) into the necessary levels of current amplitude and frequency for<br />
each of the three AC phases going to the motor.<br />
<strong>The</strong> actual control of current sent to the stator windings is performed by<br />
three electronic circuits, one for each AC phase, in which semiconductor<br />
switches (IGBTs or MOSFETs) and high-power capacitors are key components.<br />
<strong>The</strong> traction inverter is also responsible for transforming electrical energy<br />
recuperated by the electric motor during braking into DC. This is then used<br />
to recharge the battery.<br />
Most research at present focuses on developing more compact and costefficient<br />
designs. In the long run, this is likely to lead to traction inverters<br />
made specifically for the automotive industry that weigh well under 10 kg<br />
and cost far less than EUR 500 each.
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