New ceramic capacitors improve electric vehicle energy efficiency

Scientists at the UK National Physical Laboratory have developed a new type of lead-free, high-temperature resistant ceramic capacitor that can significantly improve the energy efficiency and reliability of hybrid and pure electric vehicles.

    Hybrid and pure electric vehicles are highly dependent on energy conversion efficiency and battery management systems. In addition, the global market size of automotive power electronics is approximately US$61 billion. The difficulty facing many automobile manufacturers and R&D institutions is that automotive power electronics are subject to the working characteristics of components and need to be very cautious in temperature control, especially in key energy storage components such as capacitors, which generally require additional cooling systems to ensure long-term stable operation of the system. The additional cooling system not only adds weight to the already bulky battery pack, but also reduces energy efficiency and system reliability.

    A low-carbon vehicle fund of the UK Technology Strategy Committee has invested in the project, hoping to achieve a power system that can continue to work stably above 200°C by designing and manufacturing high-energy density ceramic capacitors. The project is called HITECA (HIgh TEmperature CApacitor). The capacitors currently used in electric vehicles can only work stably below 150°C.

    This new material will reduce the dependence of electric vehicles on cooling systems and reduce their own weight. The high dielectric constant can also help reduce the size of components, reduce internal friction, and improve the overall performance of electric vehicles. In contrast, capacitors made of other materials, such as barium titanate capacitors, can lose up to 85% of their power under working voltage. HITECA's technology can be used not only in the automotive industry, but also in aerospace, electricity, oil and gas fields and other fields.

    "Industrial-grade electronic products should maintain their performance in extreme operating environments. HITECA capacitors are designed to withstand high-temperature environments better than ordinary capacitors, which can effectively help electrical systems become more resilient and break through technical barriers in the field of electric vehicles," said Tatiana Correia, project leader at the UK National Physical Laboratory.