AVL and VisIC Install GaN Traction Inverter in Vehicle Demonstrator

Gallium nitride semiconductor developer VisIC Technologies and mobility technology company AVL have integrated VisIC’s D3GaN power modules into the traction inverter of an AVL vehicle demonstrator.

The demonstrator serves as a platform to evaluate electric propulsion technologies and combines the GaN inverter with an e-axle, power electronics, and vehicle control technologies. The project incorporates technology from AVL, NXP Semiconductors, and VisIC.

Earlier WLTC drive-cycle testing on AVL’s e-motor test bench in Germany showed that an inverter using VisIC’s D3GaN technology achieved 99.67 percent efficiency at 10 kHz and more than 99.8 percent at 5 kHz.

The companies reported an improvement over comparable SiC inverters and a reduction in inverter energy losses of more than 60 percent under the tested conditions.

The inverter was developed utilizing an NXP driver, AVL’s PI850e Inverter Development Platform, and AVL control software.

VisIC’s D3GaN technology is engineered to merge low switching and conduction losses with high power density for high-power automotive applications.

Minimizing switching losses during partial-load operation can enhance inverter efficiency and decrease cooling demands.

Previously, AVL and VisIC announced plans to scale VisIC’s GaN-on-silicon platform toward 800 V power modules for higher-voltage battery and drivetrain systems, utilizing established silicon manufacturing infrastructure compatible with 200 mm and 300 mm silicon foundries.

Tamara Baksht, CEO of VisIC Technologies, and Mathias Deiml, Technical Lead GaN Inverter Development at AVL Software and Functions, highlighted the milestone of moving the technology from the test bench to an operational vehicle demonstrator to evaluate its system-level benefits and challenges for future automotive applications.