Greentech Lead Asia: Mitsubishi Electric has developed a
prototype electric vehicle (EV) motor system with a built-in silicon carbide
inverter.
The new motor system is expected to enable manufacturers
to develop EVs offering more passenger space and greater energy efficiency.
Mitsubishi Electric plans to commercialize the motor
system after finalizing other technologies for motor/inverter cooling,
downsizing and efficiency.
The company claims that the EV motor system is the
smallest of its kind, measuring half the dimensions of Mitsubishi Electric’s
existing motor system that uses an external inverter, and loss is below half
that of silicon-based systems.
The demand for EVs and hybrid EVs has been growing,
reflecting strict regulation of fuel efficiency and growing public interest in
saving energy resources and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. As EVs and HEVs
require large spaces to accommodate their battery systems, there is a need to
reduce the size and weight of motor systems and other equipment to ensure
sufficient room in passenger compartments.
Mitsubishi Electric’s existing system consists of
separate motors and inverters driving the motors, which requires more space for
these components and their wiring.
The new cylinder-shaped inverter matches the diameter of
the motor, enabling them to be connected coaxially within a chassis, resulting
in a substantial downsizing of the motor system.
According to a press release from Mitsubishi, silicon
chips have been used in power devices for inverter switching. Silicon carbide,
however, is recognized as a more suitable material for chips owing to its
electrical characteristics, including a breakdown electric field that is 10
times greater compared to silicon chips. This greater breakdown electric field
enables thinner chips, which reduces electrical resistance and lowers loss.
All power chips in the inverter are silicon
carbide-based, resulting in over 50 percent reduction of loss compared to the
company’s silicon-based inverter system.
The motor is a permanent magnet motor that uses a
neodymium magnet. Mitsubishi Electric’s proprietary dense-winding structure
enabled the company to utilize its poki-poki motor production technologies to
reduce the size of the motor.
Mitsubishi
75-Inch LaserVue TV wins Most Efficient ENERGY STAR award for 2012
Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America announced
that its 75-inch LaserVue TV was awarded the Most Efficient ENERGY STAR
designation for 2012.
The company boasts this is the only laser TV in the
world, Mitsubishi‘s
LaserVue model L75-A94 is the largest TV to be recognized in the Most Efficient
ENERGY STAR rankings.