Page 49 - EngineerIt August 2021

INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTS and INNOVATION you want to read about

First aerospace-qualified baseless power module family improves

aircraft electrical system efficiency

n the race to reduce aircraft emissions, BL3 devices meet all mechanical and environmental compliance guidelines set forth in RTCA DO-160G,
Idevelopers increasingly are moving toward the “Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment,” Version G (August 2010).
more efficient designs, including electrical RTCA is the industry consortium that develops consensus on critical aviation modernization issues.
systems that replace today’s pneumatics and The modules are available in low-profile, low-inductance packaging with power and signal
hydraulics, powering everything from on-board connectors that designers can solder directly on printed circuit boards, helping to speed development
alternators to actuators and Auxiliary Power and increase reliability. And, the same height between the modules in the family enables them to be
Units (APUs). To enable next-generation aircraft paralleled or connected in a three-phase bridge and other topologies to achieve higher-performing
electrical systems, new power conversion power converters and inverters.
technology is required. ”Microchip’s powerful new modules will help to drive innovation in aircraft electrification
Microchip Technology with Clean Sky, and, ultimately, progress toward a future of lower emissions,” said Leon Gross, vice president of
a joint European Commission (EC) and Microchip’s discrete products business unit. “This is an enabling technology for the systems ushering
industry consortium, have developed the first in a new era of flight.”
aerospace-qualified baseless power modules The family incorporates silicon carbide MOSFETs and Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs) to maximize
enabling higher-efficiency, lighter and more system efficiency. In packages delivering 100W to more than 10 KW of power, the BL1, BL2, and BL3
compact power conversion and motor drive family is available in numerous topology options including phase leg, full bridge, asymmetric bridge,
systems. boost, buck and dual common source. These high-reliability power modules are available in voltage
Partnering with Clean Sky to support ranges from 600V to 1200V in silicon carbide MOSFETs and IGBTs to 1600V for rectifier diodes.
aerospace industry goals set by the EC for Microchip’s power module technology as well as its ISO 9000- and AS9100-certified fabrication
stricter emission standards that result in facilities provide high-quality units through flexible manufacturing alternatives.
climate neutral aviation by 2050, Microchip’s While introducing innovations the company also teams with system manufacturers and integrators
BL1, BL2 and BL3 family of baseless power on obsolescence management, supporting customers’ efforts to minimize redesign work and lengthen
modules provides greater efficiency in AC- life cycles, thereby reducing overall system costs.
to-DC and DC-to-AC power conversion and The company’s baseless power modules complement its aerospace portfolio of motor drive
generation through the integration of its silicon controllers, storage integrated circuits, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), microcontrollers
carbide power semiconductor technology. (MCUs), microprocessors (MPUs), timing products, semiconductors and point-of-load regulators
Forty-percent lighter than others due to the – providing designers with total system solutions for a wide variety of aerospace and defense
modified substrate, the innovative design also applications. Microchip also provides a full portfolio of silicon carbide technology solutions for
produces an approximate 10% cost savings aerospace, automotive and industrial applications.
over standard power modules that incorporate
metal baseplates. Microchip’s BL1, BL2, and For additional information, contact Andrew Athanasiou, email aathanasiou@arrow.altech.co.za

EngineerIT | August 2021 | 47