EPC inverter design shrinks motor drives
GaN-based 3-phase BLDC reference design enhances efficiency, range, and torque, while doubling power per weight
EPC has announced the EPC9194, a 3-phase BLDC motor drive inverter reference design that is claimed to significantly enhance motor drive system efficiency, range, and torque, while more than doubling power per weight.
It operates from an input supply voltage range of 14 V to 60 V and delivers up to 60 Apk (40 ARMS) output current. This voltage range and power level makes the solution suitable for eBikes, eScooters, drones, robots, DC servo motors.
The EPC9194 demonstration board features six EPC2302 100V eGaN FETs in a 3 mm x 5 mm QFN package. The board’s size is 130 mm x 100 mm (including the connector). The EPC2302 eGaN FET offers a low RDS(on) of 1.8 mOhm, combined with small QG, QGD, and QOSS parameters for reduced conduction and switching losses. The package is a thermally enhanced QFN with exposed top for enhanced heat dissipation to the heatsink, and wettable flanks for easy inspections.
EPC says the estimated total power loss with six EPC2302’s at 20 ARMS and with 100 kHz PWM frequency is half that of a silicon MOSFET solution with the same RDS(on) operating at 16 kHz PWM frequency. The 100 kHz PWM frequency enables a quasi-pure sinusoidal current, reducing vibration and distortion in the motor and resulting in about 7 percent higher motor system efficiency. Additionally, 100 kHz PWM frequency allows for the reduction of the input filter and the elimination or reduction of electrolytic capacitors.
“Designers can use EPC GaN FETs to make lighter-weight and more efficient battery-operated motor drives for a wide variety of e-mobility and robotic applications”, said Alex Lidow, CEO of EPC. “GaN enables motor systems that are smaller, lighter, quieter, more powerful, and more precise while improving EMI, reducing the need for EMI filtering and capacitors, and eliminating electrolytic capacitors and input filter inductors.”
The EPC9194 reference design board is priced at $909.00 and is available from Digi-Key.
