To meet our climate goals, we need to make more efficient use of the energy we have. Part of this will be the development of smarter and more efficient power electronics – the components that convert electrical power into usable forms. Moreover, this is an area in which Swedish industry may have a competitive edge.
All electricity that we produce must be converted before it can be used. And this requires power electronics in the shape of, for example, diodes, transistors and transformers – large components for the substations where electricity is converted ready to be routed nationwide via power lines, and small components for our mobile phone chargers to ensure the right current and voltage. The problem here is that some of the energy is lost each time it is converted, such as in the form of heat.
– “Power electronics will be extremely important to society in the future as everything is becoming increasingly electrified. Whether you use, say, solar power or hydropower as the initial energy source, you still benefit from transferring this energy as efficiently as possible. If, for example, we consider an electric car, a combination of battery size and efficient power electronics can enable it to cover another couple of dozen kilometres,” says Klas Brinkfeldt, Unit Manager System Integration at RISE.
Better components mean lower losses
To minimise energy losses, we need to improve the actual components, including by means of new materials. Using silicon carbide rather than silicon in transistors and diodes, for example, greatly reduces energy losses. However, it is also a matter of more intelligent control components to enable power electronics to be used as efficiently as possible.
– “To remain competitive in the future, it’s extremely important to keep abreast of developments. Many Swedish companies are way ahead when it comes to intelligent control, and they have great potential to excel at power electronics systems,” says Klas Brinkfeldt.
Power electronics will be extremely important to society in the future as everything is becoming increasingly electrified
Researching and testing the power electronics of the future
Autumn 2021 saw the beginnings of an extensive research project at RISE, the goals of which are to produce power electronics with lower energy losses, smaller, lighter and more efficient hardware and intelligent systems for control and preventive maintenance.
– “A large share of the budget will be used to purchase equipment to test the power electronics of the future. Since the trend is for higher currents and more power, we need equipment that can test this type of power electronics. So that the industry can use us as a test partner, and so that we’re able to develop new systems ourselves,” says Klas Brinkfeldt.
In addition to this, RISE is involved in three major EU projects and a number of national projects centred on power electronics – with more in the pipeline. Most of them concern vehicles, but there are also projects involving trains and household appliances.
– “Any companies that are interested in the field are welcome to get in touch. We can help with everything from power electronics system design and testing through simulations and literature studies to putting together Swedish consortia and applying for funding for different projects. Since we have a large European network, we can also help companies by mediating contacts with whom to develop project ideas,” says Klas Brinkfeldt.