REDSEL

• Deve­lop­ment of a novel high-voltage–to–low-voltage onboard power network archi­tec­ture with a focus on redun­dant system supply.
• This redun­dancy requires a safe shut­down func­tion, based on a new system concept in which semi­con­ductor swit­ches are used instead of mecha­nical relays.
• The use of multi-input power elec­tronic conver­ters is planned, rather than incre­a­sing the number of indi­vi­dual DC/​DC modules, thereby redu­cing the overall size and weight of the system.

The incre­a­sing demand and conti­nuously evol­ving regu­la­tory requi­re­ments for comp­li­ance with CO₂ emis­sions have prompted various auto­mo­tive original equip­ment manu­fac­tu­rers (OEMs) to rethink key aspects of energy distri­bu­tion within electric vehi­cles. However, a unified approach to energy supply—covering not only electric motors but all vehicle subsys­tems—has yet to emerge. This situa­tion is further exacer­bated by the signi­fi­cant increase in power demand and system relia­bi­lity requi­re­ments of future vehi­cles.

While vehi­cles with internal combus­tion engines have tradi­tio­nally required power levels between 600 W and 3 kW, future vehi­cles are expected to demand signi­fi­cantly more than 3 kW due to addi­tional func­tio­na­li­ties (e.g., auto­no­mous driving). It is evident that incre­a­sing vehicle func­tio­na­lity places a substan­tial burden on the low-voltage onboard power network. These addi­tional requi­re­ments prima­rily have a nega­tive impact on the relia­bi­lity of electric vehi­cles, which is a critical safety-related factor—parti­cu­larly for auto­no­mous vehi­cles—and neces­si­tates new, more reliable archi­tec­tures.

Within this project, diffe­rent concepts are evaluated for specific opera­ting condi­tions and assessed accor­ding to criteria such as relia­bi­lity and effi­ci­ency, while also conside­ring the trade-off between relia­bi­lity and addi­tional size and weight.

Further­more, a compa­ra­tive analysis of the concepts aims to deter­mine whether a system has the poten­tial to comple­tely replace the low-voltage battery, thereby further redu­cing weight and impro­ving the overall effi­ci­ency of electric vehi­cles.

Related links

• New onboard electrical system architectures make electric vehicles more reliable and safer 
• Infineon and Silicon Austria Labs with MOSFETs for the Future of Electromobility
• Austro Consortium Develops Revolutionary On-Board Electrical System for E-Cars
• Austrian Project REDSEL Aims to Make 12-Volt Batteries in Electric Cars Redundant
• New Onboard Power Architectures: Research Project Makes Electric Vehicles Safer and More Reliable