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Have you heard of Silicon carbide power devices yet? Researchers are rolling out a new manufacturing process and chip design for silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, which can be used to more efficiently regulate power in technologies that use electronics. The process -- called PRESiCE -- was developed to make it easier for companies to enter the SiC marketplace and develop new products.(Silicon carbide power devices, like the one shown here, are more efficient than their silicon counterparts.)"PRESiCE will allow more companies to get into the SiC market, because they won't have to initially develop their own design and manufacturing process for power devices -- an expensive, time-consuming engineering effort," says Jay Baliga, Distinguished University Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NC State and lead author of a paper on PRESiCE that will be presented later this month. "The companies can instead use the PRESiCE technology to develop their own products. That's good for the companies, good for consumers, and good for U.S. manufacturing." Power devices consist of a diode and transistor, and are used to regulate the flow of power in electrical devices. For decades, electronics have used silicon-based power devices. In recent years, however, some companies have begun using SiC power devices, which have two key advantages. First, SiC power devices are more efficient, because SiC transistors lose less power. Conventional silicon transistors lose 10 percent of their energy to waste heat. SiC transistors lose only 7 percent. This is not only more efficient, but means that product designers need to do less to address cooling for the devices. Second, SiC devices can also switch at a higher frequency. That means electronics incorporating SiC devices can have smaller capacitors and inductors -- allowing designers to create smaller, lighter electronic products. But there's a problem. Up to this point, companies that have developed manufacturing processes for creating SiC power devices have kept their processes proprietary -- making it difficult for other companies to get into the field. This has limited the participation of other companies and kept the cost of SiC devices high. The NC State researchers developed PRESiCE to address this bottleneck, with the goal of lowering the barrier of entry to the field for companies and increasing innovation. The PRESiCE team worked with a Texas-based foundry called X-Fab to implement the manufacturing process and have now qualified it -- showing that it has the high yield and tight statistical distribution of electrical properties for SiC power devices necessary to make them attractive to industry. "If more companies get involved in manufacturing SiC power devices, it will increase the volume of production at the foundry, significantly driving down costs," Baliga says. Right now, SiC devices cost about five times more than silicon power devices. "Our goal is to get it down to 1.5 times the cost of silicon devices," Baliga says. "Hopefully that will begin the 'virtuous cycle': lower cost will lead to higher use; higher use leads to greater production volume; greater production volume further reduces cost, and so on. And consumers are getting a better, more energy-efficient product." The researchers have already licensed the PRESiCE process and chip design to one company, and are in talks with several others. "I conceived the development of wide bandgap semiconductor (SiC) power devices in 1979 and have been promoting the technology for more than three decades," Baliga says. "Now, I feel privileged to have created PRESiCE as the nation's technology for manufacturing SiC power devices to generate high-paying jobs in the U.S. We're optimistic that our technology can expedite the commercialization of SiC devices and contribute to a competitive manufacturing sector here in the U.S.," Baliga says. The paper, "PRESiCE: PRocess Engineered for manufacturing SiC Electronic-devices," will be presented at the International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials, being held Sept. 17-22 in Washington, D.C. The paper is co-authored by W. Sung, now at State University of New York Polytechnic Institute; K. Han and J. Harmon, who are Ph.D. students at NC State; and A. Tucker and S. Syed, who are undergraduates at NC State. The work was supported by PowerAmerica, the Department of Energy-funded manufacturing innovation institute that focuses on boosting manufacturing of wide bandgap semiconductor-based power electronics. ref.KY56-PZTA06KY41-SL12T1G

（Researchers have developed an algorithm that allows residential customers to share power from the renewable energy sources in their homes during an outage.） If you think you can use the solar panels on your roof to power your home during an outage, think again. During an outage, while your home remains connected to the grid, the devices that manage your solar panels are powered down for safety reasons. In other words, this permanent connection to the grid makes it impossible for homeowners to draw on power generated by their own renewable energy resources. A team of engineers at the University of California San Diego wants to change this. They have developed algorithms that would allow homes to use and share power from their renewable energy sources during outages by strategically disconnecting these devices, called solar inverters, from the grid. The algorithms work with existing technology and would improve systems' reliability by 25 to 35 percent. Researchers detail the algorithms and their applications in a paper they presented at the American Control Conference in Seattle, Wash. "We were inspired to start investigating a way to use renewable power during outages after Hurricane Sandy affected eight million people on the East Coast and left some without power for up to two weeks," said Abdulelah H. Habib, a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering at UC San Diego and the paper's first author. Our Society is Dependent upon ElectricityJust a few hours without power can cause massive losses to both product and revenue.We rely on electricity much more than we realize. Even if you live "off the grid," as I did for years, you are still living in a world and a society that is deeply dependent upon electricity. If the power is out for a few hours, we have all experienced that; of course you'll be fine. Maybe you will be a little bored and inconvenienced, but if the outage is lengthy and widespread, the consequences can be much more severe, even deadly. What would happen if the electricity was out for a week?Every year, 7 million customers experience power outages. Outages that last more than 5 to 10 minutes cost customers more than $80 billion each year. How the Algorithm WorksThe innovation here is the algorithm's capability to prioritize distribution of power from renewable resources during an outage. The equations take into account forecasts for solar and wind power generation as well as how much energy storage is available, including electric vehicles, batteries and so on. The algorithm combines that information with the amount of energy that the residents are projected to use as well as the amount of energy that a cluster of homes can generate.The algorithm could also be programmed to include a priority function, based on different parameters. For example, customers who are willing to pay more could get priority to get power during an outage. Or customers who generate more energy than they produce during normal operations would not lose power during an outage. More importantly, the algorithm could give priority to customers who are in urgent need of power, because they use life support equipment, for example. Ref.KY605-LC-R064R5PKY605-0860-0004

The rapid development of wearable technology has received another boost from a new development using graphene for printed electronic devices. New research from The University of Manchester has demonstrated flexible battery-like devices printed directly on to textiles using a simple screen-printing technique. The current hurdle with wearable technology is how to power devices without the need for cumbersome battery packs. Devices known as supercapacitors are one way to achieve this. A supercapacitor acts similarly to a battery but allows for rapid charging which can fully charge devices in seconds. Now a solid-state flexible supercapacitor device has been demonstrated by using conductive graphene-oxide ink to print onto cotton fabric. As reported in the journal 2D Materials the printed electrodes exhibited excellent mechanical stability due to the strong interaction between the ink and textile substrate. Further development of graphene-oxide printed supercapacitors could turn the vast potential of wearable technology into the norm. High-performance sportswear that monitors performance, embedded health-monitoring devices, lightweight military gear, new classes of mobile communication devices and even wearable computers are just some of the applications that could become available following further research and development. To power these new wearable devices, the energy storage system must have reasonable mechanical flexibility in addition to high energy and power density, good operational safety, long cycling life and be low cost. Dr Nazmul Karim, Knowledge Exchange Fellow, the National Graphene Institute and co-author of the paper said: "The development of graphene-based flexible textile supercapacitor using a simple and scalable printing technique is a significant step towards realising multifunctional next generation wearable e-textiles." "It will open up possibilities of making an environmental friendly and cost-effective smart e-textile that can store energy and monitor human activity and physiological condition at the same time". Graphene-oxide is a form of graphene which can be produced relatively cheaply in an ink-like solution. This solution can be applied to textiles to create supercapacitors which become part of the fabric itself. Dr Amor Abdelkader, also co-author of the paper said: "Textiles are some of the most flexible substrates, and for the first time, we printed a stable device that can store energy and be as flexible as cotton. "The device is also washable, which makes it practically possible to use it for the future smart clothes. We believe this work will open the door for printing other types of devices on textile using 2D-materials inks." The University of Manchester is currently completing the construction of its second major graphene facility to complement the National Graphene Institute (NGI). Set to be completed 2018, the £60m Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) will be an international research and technology facility. The GEIC will offer the UK the unique opportunity to establish a leading role in graphene and related 2D materials. The GEIC will be primarily industry-led and focus on pilot production and characterisation. Ref.MS614SE-FL28EML-614S/FN

When designing a custom lighting solution, there are many different goals to take into consideration. One of the most essential may be reducing the power supply needs of the system. Doing so can provide further benefits, such as improving reliability and expected shelf life, and reducing space and size constraints. Benefits often come with tradeoffs; traditionally, when you reduce power you may need to reduce brightness at the same time. The good news is that this doesn’t always have to be the case. GLOBAL LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES have compiled a list of five smart ways that you can reduce power without sacrificing LED brightness. 1. LED efficiencyHow do you do more with less? It's all about efficiency, and choosing more efficient LEDs can make a world of difference. Choosing a more efficient LED may seem like a more expensive option, but keep in mind that it’s not just about the cost of the LED - what you should really be considering is the cost per Lumen of output. A more efficient LED is actually more cost-effective, while simultaneously helping reduce power needs. 2. Lightguide material efficiencyAny light which is absorbed by the lightguide material is light that the actual display is losing. Therefore, switching to a material with a higher transmissivity to improve efficiency and it will aid in the retention of more light. 3. LED driver circuitBy utilising a highly efficient LED driver circuit, you can prevent power loss and improve the end result. This is often overlooked, as many engineers design circuits which use resistors to reduce voltage and match current to the LEDs. You can prevent those power losses from occurring by using custom designed LED driver chips and circuits with improved efficiency. 4. Lightguide extraction efficiencyAnother area where efficiency can be improved is with extraction, and by doing so more light is able to reach the user’s target area. In turn, power can also be reduced. Our innovative extraction technology offers higher efficiency and overall improved extraction, helping to achieve this goal. 5. LightguidesThe job of a lightguide is to take the light from the LED and spread it out uniformly over the surface being illuminated. With the right design and technology, a custom lightguide can actually conserve most of the initial LED efficiency while greatly increasing uniformity of the display, offering the best of both worlds. Ref.KY32-HV9921N3KY32-MIC2287CBD5KY32-LNK456DG

 Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) has expanded its U-MOS IX-H Series of low-voltage N-channel power MOSFETs with the addition of new 40V and 45V products. Delivering high-speed performance and industry-leading1 low on-resistance, the new MOSFETs are designed for industrial and consumer applications, including high-efficiency DC-DC converters, high-efficiency AC-DC converters, power supplies, and motor drives. The new MOSFETs utilize Toshiba’s latest generation low-voltage trench structure U-MOS IX-H process to lower the performance index for “RDS(ON) Qsw”2 figure of merit, improving switching applications to a level that surpasses other offerings3. Output loss is improved by the reduction of output charge, which can contribute to higher set efficiency. Additionally, the cell structures used in the new MOSFETs are optimized to suppress spike voltage and ringing during switching, which can contribute to lowering set EMI. Toshiba’s U-MOS IX-H Series is specifically designed for synchronous rectification applications, including the secondary side of isolated switching power supplies. It provides an improved Qoss4 performance, which is one of the main causes of power loss of synchronous rectification. The U-MOS IX-H Series also provides a low Ron•Qoss, the trade-off characteristics between on-resistance and Qoss. Since Ron has a significant impact on Qoss, Toshiba will extend the U-MOS IX-H portfolio to include MOSFETs having ultra-low Ron in order to supplement its U-MOS VIII-H Series of MOSFETs. Features·Low on-resistance·Low output charge·High-speed performance·Low switching noise·Supports 4.5V logic level drive *About TAECThrough proven commitment, lasting relationships and advanced, reliable electronic components, Toshiba enables its customers to create market-leading designs. Toshiba is the heartbeat within product breakthroughs from OEMs, ODMs, CMs, VARs, distributors and fabless chip companies worldwide.  A committed electronic components leader, Toshiba designs and manufactures high-quality flash memory-based storage solutions, solid state drives (SSDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), solid state hybrid drives (SSHDs), discrete devices, custom SoCs/ASICs, imaging products, microcontrollers, wireless components, mobile peripheral devices, and advanced materials that make possible today’s leading smartphones, tablets, cameras, medical devices, automotive electronics, industrial applications, enterprise solutions and more. Ref.KY68-VS75B-24KY68-DS1200D  

Bigger is always better, isn’t it? That’s not necessarily the case when it comes to specifying an AC/DC power supply. One of the most important aspects of designing a power supply into a system is ensuring that it is sized appropriately. Erring on the side of caution by trying to ensure that the supply’s maximum output exceeds that of the load is no longer the right answer in many cases. Customers increasingly need to focus on energy efficiency. The trend is partly driven by the need to cut operating costs and partly by legislation such as the European Union’s EcoDesign Directive.Under the directive, manufacturers of energy related products need to be able to demonstrate they have taken environmental factors into account. The efficiency of the power delivery sub-system is one of the key factors. It will play a large part in determining how energy will be lost through heat. As a result, choosing a high efficiency PSU (Power Supply Unit) is an important consideration in the design process.A 200W PSU operating at full load with an efficiency of 85% will lose 30W in waste heat. Not only is that heat wasted, there may be an additional energy cost in forced air cooling to prevent the rest of the system overheating. A PSU that is 90% efficient will cut the power wastage by 10W.If that PSU is operated below full capacity, it will run at a lower temperature. That allows usage in higher ambient temperatures or with less forced air cooling. However, there can be a trade off between efficiency and headroom. Many PSUs are designed to provide peak efficiency when they are driving a load close to full capacity. But this efficiency can roll off dramatically beneath 70 or 80% of full load. Using a power supply that is oversized for a particular application may result in an undesirable loss in efficiency and excessive heat production.A potential problem for system designers is that the focus on energy efficiency in electronics has led to the adoption of power saving modes. The resulting load demands can vary widely during operation. Responding to this trend, PSU designers working in the data centre space have embraced initiatives such as 80 PLUS.Launched in the mid 2000s at a Market Transformation Symposium organised by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the 80 PLUS idea was quickly adopted as the basis for PSU efficiency marking by the US Energy Star programme. Supported worldwide, the idea behind 80 PLUS was to make PSUs deliver high efficiency over a larger proportion of the load curve. Recognising that many data centre system PSUs are operated using 1+1 redundancy and current sharing, the maximum efficiency point was centred on 50% capacity.Ratings range from Bronze to Titanium. At 50% load, Bronze offers an efficiency of 85%. Titanium pushes the peak efficiency to 96%, rolling off towards 94% when operating at 20% load and 91% at full load. Bel and GE provide wide ranges of PSUs that are graded according to the 80 PLUS standards.An alternative way to approach the issue of variable loads is to use the idea of boost power. This concept is gaining popularity in industrial designs where engineers have to deal with highly capacitive and inductive loads such as motors. As these systems shift between modes, there may be short term peak loads that go some way above normal operation. Motor start up also needs careful handling to deal with high current inrush conditions.Built for the DIN-rail format commonly used in industrial systems, the Cliq-II and Cliq-M series of DIN-rail supplies from Delta offer an ‘Advanced Power Boost’ of 120% for three seconds or 150% for five seconds, respectively. Alternatively, if a PSU has been derated to operate at a lower output level so that it does not need forced air cooling, it can be ramped up to peak load for short periods of time without necessarily demanding additional cooling. However, this usage of a PSU does call for attention to the thermal conditions to ensure that the short term peaks in heating are dissipated.To deal with situations such as high current inrush, PSUs such as the Artesyn LCM600 offer constant current modes that limit how much power is delivered to the load during the kinds of demand surges seen during motor startup. As one of a growing number of PSUs that employ digital control, the LCM600’s firmware can be programmed to support a number of different protection strategies so that the integrator can pick the mode best suited to the application.Reference:C300HC650HXBA-01