Renesas Electronics Corporation announced its fourth-generation lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery management IC that offers unmatched lifetime accuracy. The ISL78714 provides accurate cell voltage and temperature monitoring, along with cell balancing and extensive system diagnostics to protect 14-cell Li-ion battery packs while maximizing driving time and range for hybrid and electric vehicles. The feature-rich ISL78714 monitors and […]
EV Engineering
Charging electric vehicles, Part 2: The connections
Part 1 introduced some of the issues related to charging of electric vehicles. Part 2 continues with a look at the hardware (which also involves software, of course). Q: What about the electrical and physical connections? A: There are three connection situations, called “cases”: Case A has the charger connected to the AC mains, and […]
Charging electric vehicles, Part 1: The numbers
It’s nice to envision that recharging an electric vehicle is as straightforward as filling up an internal combustion vehicle, but it’s not: there are multiple charging, power, and connector options as well as limitations. You’re driving your internal-combustion (IC) car, and the gauge indicates it’s time to get “gas” (of course, it’s actually gasoline). So […]
Battery management system reference design boosts EV range
Texas Instruments introduced fully tested reference designs for battery management and traction inverter systems, along with new analog circuits with advanced monitoring and protection features to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and enable hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles (HEV/EVs) to drive farther and longer. Scalable across six to 96-series cell supervision circuits, TI’s new battery […]
FAQ: Piezoelectric motors, Part 2: drive circuits
Unlike better-known electromagnetic motors, the widely used piezoelectric-based motor/actuator provides precise, repeatable linear motion over short distances, and requires a voltage drive rather than a current drive. Part 1 of this FAQ looked at the moving piezoelectric element of the actuator. Part 2 looks at their drive requirements, which are very different than those of […]
FAQ: Piezoelectric motors, Part 1: actuators
Unlike better-known electromagnetic motors, the widely used piezoelectric-based motor/actuator provides precise, repeatable linear motion over short distances, and requires a voltage drive rather than a current drive. When we think “motor”, we usually think of rotating motion or perhaps a special “linear motor” which is a rotary motor which has been rolled out flat. To […]
Basics of AC, DC, and EC electric motors (Part 2) — EC and stepper
Part 1 looked at basic AC and DC motors which do not require “electronics” to operate (although the variable-frequency AC motor is an important exception). However, the development of fast, low-resistance all-electronic switches – primarily MOSFETs as well as IGBTs – and microcontrollers, plus powerful permanent magnets has dramatically changed the situation. Q: What is […]
Basics of AC, DC, and EC electric motors, Part 1— AC and DC
Electric motors – from tiny ones which advance a sheet of paper, to huge ones which power industrial machinery — are so common that we may not give them adequate consideration. Motors have a complex history and genealogy, which can be confusing to newcomers, Figure 1. Each motor subtype has unique characteristics which make it […]
Efficient cooling for EV battery packs thanks to CFD
Advanced 1D and 3D computational fluid dynamics simulation techniques can help analyze the thermal properties of battery cooling packs powering electric vehicles. Doug Kolak, Boris Marovic, Steve Streater | Mentor, A Siemens Business The cooling system for an electrical vehicle’s battery pack is slightly less complex than that for a hybrid. It is generally a […]
The next EV to drool over: An 1,800-hp hybrid will hit 150 mph in under eight seconds
The Tesla Roadster covers the quarter-mile in 12.757 seconds while hitting 104.74 mph. Big deal. There’s a hybrid in the works at Ariel Motor Co. in the UK that will leave a Tesla eating its dust, even with the Tesla running in “ludicrous” mode. The range extended, electric sports car project is called the Hipercar […]
