Beat Harsh Environments of the Outback with PowiGaN
The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is a 3,000 km drive through the Australian Outback. The race to create the most efficient solar cars is also a real-world test on the reliability and ruggedness of these vehicles. One of the teams making that journey is αCentauri Solar Race Team from ETH Zurich, who employs a PowiGaN-based InnoSwitch offline switcher IC from Power Integrations to power the control circuits of the No. 85 race car.
PowiGaN is Power Integrations’ internally developed gallium nitride (GaN) technology. In addition to dramatically improving the efficiency of the solar car, PowiGaN technology also offers size reduction, reliability and ruggedness benefits to help the αCentauri team deal with the harsh environment of the wilderness:
Efficiency: The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge allows solar cars to drive from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the eight-day challenge. Efficiency while the system drives light loads (20% load or less), which is most of the time, is critical to the success of the car. PowiGaN devices are much more efficient at light load than conventional silicon devices.
Space Constraint: Space is always scarce in a car. Highly integrated PowiGaN devices reduce component count with excellent thermal performances. Elimination of the heatsink also improves stability against vibration and reduces the weight of the car.
Reliability: Completing the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge requires a durable car. Power Integrations designs and manufactures its PowiGaN-based products to meet the highest standards, and then puts them through a series of rigorous tests to ensure the initial quality, robustness and long-term reliability. To learn more, watch this video: PowiGaN - Quality, Robustness and Reliability.
The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge offers an early testing and proving ground for technologies that can eventually be used to make mobility green. For electric vehicles production designs today, Power Integrations offers AEC-Q100 qualified InnoSwitch3-AQ offline switcher ICs, including the new 900 V-rated PowiGaN-based ICs that deliver 100 W output with a 30-500 VDC input range. Download the new application note (AN-106Q) for a comprehensive guide to designing a safe, stable, and reliable power supply using InnoSwitch3-AQ ICs.
This Mr. Green blog is part of a special series of blogs, vlogs, livestreams and social posts from the #PowiGaNVan as we follow Team αCentauri through the Australian Outback for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Follow #PowiGaNVan on Power Integrations’ official YouTube Channel and LinkedIn Page.
