SWITCHRACK EXPLAINED
ADVANCE DRIVE PERFORMANCE & INCREASED DAMAND
Increased voltages improve efficiency, reduce loss
Use of wide bandgap semiconductors leads to higher energy density and reduced size and weight
Changes in battery chemistry supports faster charging
Transition to GaN and SiC supports increased voltages, faster switching speeds and higher power in IPM’s (Intelligent Power Modules)
TREND: Battery Chemistry Improvements Semi Improvements: SiC and GaN
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Higher voltages
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Improved battery power density
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Higher switching speeds
CONSUMER BENEFITS:
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Lighter weight vehicles
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Increased cruising range
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Increased eV demand/acceptance
SUPPLIER IMPACT:
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Increased component (inverter) demand
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New competitive entrants into eV market
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Increased price competition
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Increased pressure on mfg costs
The RPI-developed AirSwitch™ provides air cylinder-actuated high-current switch capability. It features extremely low contact resistance, and the self-annealing coating technology actually decreases contact resistance over time. Contacts are rated for a minimum 100,000 actuations. High current solutions rated at 600A are in production today, and 900-1400A solutions are available.
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Low contact resistance
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Self-annealing technology
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Contact resistance decreases over time
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High longevity – >100,000 cycles rated lifetime
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High current capacity
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600A solutions in production
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900-1400A solutions available
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High density connectivity
AIR SWITCH
TECHNOLOGY
A
B
C
D
E
A. Physical Rack
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SWR-06-600: 1.1m wide by .9m deep by 2.25m tall
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SWR-06-1400: 1.8m wide by .9m deep by 2.25m tall
B. DC Output to DUT (Switched)
C. AC Outputs To DUT (Switched)
D. Control lines to DUTs
(300 total, Switched)
E .Rear DC Power Supply Input
(Not shown)
Traditional Inverter testing uses dedicated resources per DUT (high CapEx)
High throughput achieved through replication
DC POWER
TEST CONTROLLER
INVERTER
LOAD
DC POWER
TEST CONTROLLER
INVERTER
LOAD
RPI
SWITCHRACK
RPI SwitchRack reduces CapEx by sharing resources across multiple devices
High throughput is intrinsic in the shared resource design (6 position multiplexed testing)