Mitsubishi Electric announced that it has developed a working model of an ultra-compact silicon carbide (SiC) inverter for hybrid electrical vehicles (HEVs) that is believed to be the world's smallest SiC of its type at just five liters volume. It also is believed to offer the world's highest power density of 86 kVA / L for two-motor HEVs, thanks to incorporation of full-SiC power semiconductor modules that achieve superior heat dissipation.
Mitsubishi Electric’s unprecedented new inverter offers improved placement, fuel and energy efficiency, and frees up vehicle interior space. Commercialization for HEVs, electrical vehicles (EVs), and others is expected sometime around 2021.
With fuel-efficiency regulations growing increasingly stringent, the new ultra-compact SiC inverter is expected to help meet the increasing demand for HEVs by reducing the amount of on-board space that must be allotted to electrical apparatus, such as inverters and motors. To develop this world’s smallest inverter, Mitsubishi Electric created a superior heat dissipation structure that ensures long-term reliability by connecting the power semiconductor modules and heat sink with solder.
Going forward, Mitsubishi Electric will continue developing its super-compact SiC inverter for mass production, aiming for commercialization around 2021.
This development has been partially supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).