SWITCHRACK EXPLAINED
ADVANCE DRIVE PERFORMANCE & INCREASED DAMAND
Increased voltages improve efficiency, reduce loss
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Use of wide bandgap semiconductors leads to higher energy density and reduced size and weight
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Changes in battery chemistry supports faster charging
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Transition to GaN and SiC supports increased voltages, faster switching speeds and higher power in IPM’s (Intelligent Power Modules)
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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
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CONSUMER BENEFITS:
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Lighter weight vehicles
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Increased cruising range
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Increased eV demand/acceptance
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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)
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E .Rear DC Power Supply Input
(Not shown)
Traditional Inverter testing uses dedicated resources per DUT (high CapEx)
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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
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High throughput is intrinsic in the shared resource design (6 position multiplexed testing)