Fixed ratio converter modules help Hongfa shrink active suspension

Powering innovation

48V and power dense modules solve historic active suspension power problems The solution

Power delivery network challenges

Size and weight

Extreme power transients

Limited power regeneration capability

Size, weight and fast transient performance complicate systems design

Xiamen Hongfa Electroacoustic Co., Ltd (Hongfa), one of the world’s largest manufacturers of power relays, has been advancing technologies for the automotive market for nearly three decades. Today Hongfa is focusing on automotive electrification and has designed the next generation of advanced high performance active suspension system.

Active suspension systems use a network of sensors, electromechanical actuators and sophisticated software to adjust vehicle suspension in real time, providing better handling, a smoother, safer ride and reduced road noise. Earliest efforts to design active suspension systems resulted in adding over 800lbs. to vehicle weight. For decades this added weight and limited regenerative power capability has limited adoption.

Vicor advantages

Power density

Transient power: 8 million amps/second

Symmetrical power processing

Power dense DC-DC converters and 48V bus reduce size, boost performance

A 12V bus has proven inadequate for powering active suspension. With the influx of higher voltage 800V batteries, a 48 volt architecture can easily replace 12V bus to boost power, improve efficiency and reduce cable size and weight. This integrates seamlessly with Vicor fixed ratio 800V to 48V DC-DC converter, the BCM6135. The BCM6135 is bidirectional and provides rapid symmetrical power delivery in either direction with high transient performance of 8 million amps/sec. Its compact size and low profile proprietary packaging simplifies thermal management, while reducing overall footprint and weight. The bidirectional power module can provide the power necessary (4 to 6kW) to bring the shock down – and unlike discrete solutions – can respond instantly to provide the same amount of regenerative power back to the battery as the shock returns to its neutral position.

High power density modules and 48V-centric power delivery transforms the automotive power delivery networks

Hongfa’s solution leverages the Vicor power density advantage to create compact (197 x 201 x 71mm) 5kW power supplies for each actuator. The system can process up to 6kW of peak power in either direction. The design of the converter is greatly simplified by using a pair of Vicor BCM6135 modules operating in parallel, instead of several hundred discrete components.

The BCM6135 is a 3.5kW peak power K: 1/16 fixed ratio bus converter that converts 800V from the traction battery to 48V. The converter is optimized to work with a 800V battery system, which has an operating range between 420V and 920V. It can deliver up to 100A of current with 97.3% efficiency. This allows the Hongfa system to operate with great efficiency and rapid response rates minimizing power loss. The system housing volume is under 1.8 liter and weighs in at 2.6kg, the smallest and lightest weight today.