Design Article
Tell us What You Think
We want to know what you thought about this Design. Let us know by adding a comment.
Alternator-regulator IC boosts charging system efficiency, control
Jean-Philippe Meunier and David Lopez, Freescale Semiconductor
10/31/2011 1:09 PM EDT
One of today's major challenges for carmakers is improving fuel efficiency to reduce vehicle fuel consumption and carbon footprint. Among the reasons for placing a high priority on improved fuel consumption are (1) taking advantage of tax incentives offered by regional governments for low emission vehicles and (2) avoiding increased taxes and fines for inefficiency and high fuel consumption vehicles.
To meet the goals being established by governments in many regions of the world, all the stops must be pulled out. As a result, every vehicle system is expected to contribute towards improved efficiency. A recently released alternator regulator integrated circuit (IC) provides improved control allowing the charging system to do its part towards achieving greater efficiency. With its Local Interconnect Network 1.3 (LIN) interface, the IC enables simplified, standardized, and robust communications with the engine control unit (ECU).
The alternator provides the source of power for vehicle loads and charging the vehicle’s battery. With diode rectification, a typical belt-driven claw-pole automotive alternator has limited efficiencies. Improved slot fill techniques for the stator windings can improve some production alternators from 15 to 20% efficiency ranges. In addition, the synchronous rectifier, brushless DC machines used in starter-alternators in stop-go systems can add efficiencies of 10%, according to automotive market. Both of these improvements come at increased cost and are not typical of the vast majority of automotive alternators. Still, improving the charging system’s efficiency is a highly desirable goal.
From a systems perspective, one means of improving the efficiency and reducing the energy consumption involves improved control. Typically, a conventional analog voltage regulator simply increases or decreases the amount of rotor current and provides a voltage to an indicator lamp if there is a problem as well as a signal to a microcontroller (MCU). Using the low-cost LIN protocol, the alternator regulator can be interfaced to an ECU that manages the charging system to improve operation under a variety of conditions.
For the complete article, which looks at the alternator, regulator, battery, and the control connections in an interfaced charging system (and optimizing that system), click here, courtesy of Automotive Designline Europe.
To meet the goals being established by governments in many regions of the world, all the stops must be pulled out. As a result, every vehicle system is expected to contribute towards improved efficiency. A recently released alternator regulator integrated circuit (IC) provides improved control allowing the charging system to do its part towards achieving greater efficiency. With its Local Interconnect Network 1.3 (LIN) interface, the IC enables simplified, standardized, and robust communications with the engine control unit (ECU).
The alternator provides the source of power for vehicle loads and charging the vehicle’s battery. With diode rectification, a typical belt-driven claw-pole automotive alternator has limited efficiencies. Improved slot fill techniques for the stator windings can improve some production alternators from 15 to 20% efficiency ranges. In addition, the synchronous rectifier, brushless DC machines used in starter-alternators in stop-go systems can add efficiencies of 10%, according to automotive market. Both of these improvements come at increased cost and are not typical of the vast majority of automotive alternators. Still, improving the charging system’s efficiency is a highly desirable goal.
From a systems perspective, one means of improving the efficiency and reducing the energy consumption involves improved control. Typically, a conventional analog voltage regulator simply increases or decreases the amount of rotor current and provides a voltage to an indicator lamp if there is a problem as well as a signal to a microcontroller (MCU). Using the low-cost LIN protocol, the alternator regulator can be interfaced to an ECU that manages the charging system to improve operation under a variety of conditions.
For the complete article, which looks at the alternator, regulator, battery, and the control connections in an interfaced charging system (and optimizing that system), click here, courtesy of Automotive Designline Europe.
_____________________________________
Receive a weekly highlights update delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for our weekly automotive electronics newsletter here.
|
|
|
|
|
Navigate to related information
