Bobbin-type lithium thionyl chloride (LiSOCl2) batteries from Tadiran Batteries are being specially modified for use in the cold chain demanded by Covid vaccine made by Pfizer. Pfizer says it has specially designed temperature-controlled thermal shippers utilizing dry ice to maintain recommended storage temperature conditions of -70±10°C for up to 10 days unopened. The firm will […]
Power Electronic Tips
80 V buck-boost battery charging controller integrates MPPT and I2C
Analog Devices, Inc. introduced the LT8491 buck-boost battery charging controller that features Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), temperature compensation, and an I2C interface for telemetry and control. The device operates from input voltages above, below, or equal to the regulated battery float voltage. The LT8491 offers three selectable Constant Current Constant Voltage (CC-CV) charging profiles, […]
Understanding stop/start automobile-engine design, Part 1: The idea
Today’s motor vehicles are vastly different compared to those of just a decade ago. This article will look at a relatively new “feature” (some say an unneeded and unwanted one) called “stop/start” which is increasingly standard on many internal combustion and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Q: What is stop/start? A: It’s a simple idea, at […]
The basics of AC motor drives and controllers
AC drives are used to bring about the process and quality improvements in industrial and commercial applications’ acceleration, flow, monitoring, pressure, speed, temperature, tension, and torque. Most basic AC drives include a rectifier section, a DC link, an inverter, and a control section, usually based on a microcontroller or microprocessor. There are several drive topologies […]
Kit speeds speeds design of high-current toroidal choke circuits
Signal Transformer announces their High Current Toroidal Choke (HCTC) and High Current Toroidal (HCTI) Design Kit Combination. Featuring 16 of their most popular HCTC and HCTI Series components in a convenient compartmented case, the wide assortment supports power conversion engineers with a high degree of flexibility during their design and selection process. The HCTC and […]
Chokes deliver common and differential mode in one SMD for DC power line apps
Bourns, Inc. announced two new low-profile, high current series of compact surface mount common mode chokes. The new SRF1206A and SRF9045A series provide not only common mode but also differential mode filtering in a single choke configuration. These highly robust products offer high current capacity to answer the need for components that meet board space constraints in an increasing number of […]
The basics of AC motors and their applications
The two main types of AC motors are induction motors and synchronous motors. The induction motor (or asynchronous motor) always relies on a small difference in speed between the stator rotating magnetic field. The rotor shaft speed is called slip to induce rotor current in the rotor AC winding. As a result, the induction motor […]
Tiny regulators put out 1.5 A
The the current rating of the RPMH range of non-isolated switching regulators has risen from 0.5 A to 1.5 A, with no increase in size, thanks to expertise in 3D power packaging. In a tiny 12.19×12.19×3.75-mm package, the high-efficiency parts are available with trimmable outputs at nominal 3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V, 15 V, […]
Chip ferrite beads for automotive applications handle up to 175°C
Murata has announced the release of the BLM18KN_EH series of chip ferrite beads for noise suppression in power lines at temperatures up to 175°C. Target applications are automotive equipment such as engine and transmission electronic control units (ECUs) and turbo motor controllers, with the components meeting AEC-Q200 qualification requirements. As electrification advances, the demand for […]
Driving brushed and brushless DC motors
DC motors are available in various electrical configurations and, except for brushless DC (BLDC) motors, are relatively simple devices. As a result, driving brushed DC motors is a relatively simple process. As shown below, BLDC motors require a more sophisticated approach. A “motor drive” is not even necessary with brushed dc (BDC) motors in some […]