The most popular new product stories for the past year (in terms of reader interest) revealed a mixture of established and new companies, as well as established (i.e. switch mode power, power supplies, etc.) and emerging (HEVs) technologies. A major theme can be discerned by noting that nine of the stories deal with the general topic of energy efficiency. The ten most popular stories (determined by page views) in descending order, were:
10 – D&H Global Enterprise, LLC. announced a new electric power propulsion system (based on three patent-pending products: the PMRM™, the PMVCU, and the Power Electronic Unit) that the company claimed delivers higher performing and more reliable Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) with reduced complexity.
The PMRM™ was described as a new technology in electric motor/generators that operates with a wide constant torque to speed ratio, develops a high torque to weight ratio, and generates clean electricity with low space harmonics. The PMVCU is a smart control platform that monitors the performance of the HEV. Fuzzy Logic based algorithms are used to control the power management between the ICE and the EGS in the HEV. The Power Electronic Unit generates very low time harmonics, with a low switching frequency, resulting in a flat efficiency above 90% for the whole load range.
9 – DCS Energy, a division of DataComm Services LLC, announced the release of the DCS Energy Miser, which is installed on a home’s electrical panel and is capable, according to the company, of reducing home energy use by up to 20%. The DCS Energy Miser uses capacitors and a regulator to help inductive motors in a home – or energy hogs – (e.g., refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps, fans, washers, dryers and dishwashers) run more efficiently and at cooler temperatures.
8 – Energy Recovery Products, Inc. released its (Ultra High Density) UHD160-100X open frame power supply with 20W/in³ power density in a 2 x4 x 1" footprint. The products are approved for medical and commercial applications. The single output UHD160-100X product family featuring 5 to 48V main and 12V auxiliary outputs offer universal input range (90 to 265Vac) and PFC. The company claims they have the highest efficiency and power density in the industry.
7 – Emerson Network Power unveiled a digitally controlled 500W ac-dc power supply that offers a power density of 11.9W per cubic inch. The new Astec NTS503 power supply has a compact 4 x 7 inch footprint, which the company claims makes it easy for OEMs to incorporate a single unit that satisfies all their bulk dc power needs, and offers a choice of convection or forced-air cooling.
6 – Cambridge Semiconductor Ltd. launched its first products – a family of what is described as "breakthough performance" controller ICs – that it claims will enable power supply designers and volume manufacturers for the first time to develop more energy-efficient products at lower cost than existing solutions. The C2470 family is based on recent advances in intelligent digital/analogue control, coupled with a neat and simple resonant single-switch topology that the company claims has never before been exploited in an integrated form for off-line ac to dc power conversion. This patented, proprietary approach is claimed to allow manufacturers to secure operating efficiencies in excess of 80% and 100mW standby but at a new low-cost price point.
5 – ColdWatt Inc. introduced its digital power conversion portfolio aimed at helping IT managers and systems designers address the increasing challenges of spiraling IT power requirements and rising energy prices. The company’s first products, the 650W power sub-system and the ac-dc 1U 1200W power supply, are claimed to allow quick-turn customization and to generate 45% less heat, which results in 30% less overall server power consumption.
4 – Synergistic Technology Solutions introduced its first family of compact board mount ac-dc converters that reduce board space while providing regulated and fault-protected power up to 5W. The new BlueCube power module family is available in two series – the LX3i (3W) and LX5i (5W). They are claimed to offer engineers an immediate drop-in ac-dc solution with what is claimed to be the industry’s smallest footprint (1.80 x 0.80") and require no additional external components.
3 – ON Semiconductor unveiled what it claimed was the industry’s first open ATX reference design that meets the ENERGY STAR® performance requirements for ATX power supplies used in desktop PCs. The reference design achieves full-load efficiency of 86.5% at high-line and 82.5% efficiency at 20% of load and low-line. It was also said to address all functional blocks of the ATX power supply, including power factor correction, switch-mode power supply control and regulation, post regulation and standby power. The design utilizes several of ON Semiconductor’s newest power management devices and draws from its discrete component portfolio to achieve what is claimed to be superior efficiency performance.
2 – Advanced Analogic Technologies Inc. announced two new high-performance charge pump products which, the company claims, enables designers to build dramatically smaller, more feature-rich mobile handsets. The AAT2846 and AAT2856 combine backlight drivers, high-current flash drivers and two general purpose low-dropout (LDOs) linear regulators in a single 4 x 4 mm package.
1 – A123Systems Inc. introduced its 32-series cells, specifically designed for Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) use. The batteries are claimed to provide unprecedented specific power, safety and abuse-tolerance and to offer the electric drive industry a new level of price-performance. A123Systems’ 32-series lineup is currently comprised of two cells with custom Nanophosphate™ electrode designs.
