CIRCE has reached new milestones in the development of its power electronics, bringing its technology centre to the forefront of worldwide know-how in this field. Thanks to its dedication to studying and applying highly efficient and advanced power layouts, CIRCE has managed to implement innovative solutions in various high-frequency switching converters for a range of different purposes.
One of its achievements involves reducing the size of these converters and enhancing their features through the use of cutting‑edge power transistor technology based on silicon carbide. This material entails a whole series of advantages in extreme conditions, including temperature, voltage and frequency.
CIRCE has developed different power solutions for a number of projects, some of which are EU-funded – such as BUILDHEAT and UNPLUGGED – or state-funded – such as SIRVE and EV‑OPTIMANAGER –, while others are backed by private funding. These solutions are being applied in fields such as electric vehicle charging, battery connection and management systems and renewables.
Along these lines, CIRCE’s services are helping a broad range of businesses by developing customised electronic layouts, shortening their products’ time-to-market by working end-to-end, from the system’s design and industrialisation all the way through to standardisation, as well as providing global guidance for industrial partners.
CIRCE’s most significant developments include completely inaudible multilevel converters of up to 250 kW that are able to achieve over 98% efficiency levels and under 1% harmonic distortion rates (THDs), as well as high power density battery charging and discharging converters running at up to 2 kW per litre. The technology centre is currently working on high-frequency resonant topology using silicon carbide to develop a smart power transformer for the electric transport and distribution network. One of its functions will involve working as a FACTS that is directly linked to a high-voltage network without the need for traditional transformers.
In the electric vehicle department, CIRCE has developed contactless charging and power supply systems that are able to transmit over 300 kW through the air. This allows vehicles to be charged whilst standing still or on the move and consequently makes for shorter waiting times.