US Army picks Calnetix as electrification inverter partner
Robotic Combat Vehicle following a live fire exercise at Camp Grayling, Michigan, in April 2021. (Photo: US Army/Dan Heaton)
Bidirectional silicon carbide inverters will be tested by the US Army as it looks to add electric power to next-generation vehicles.
The US Army Ground Vehicles Systems Center has chosen California-based Calnetix Technologies to design and develop a 500kW bidirectional silicon carbide inverter, which will be demonstrated in multiple new-generation programmes.
The high-frequency and power-dense inverter will be demonstrated in Robotic Combat Vehicle - Medium and Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle prototypes as a part of the Platform Electrification and Mobility (PEM) effort, Calnetix announced on 28 July.
The company will deliver a number of inverters during the multi-year technology development phase.
PEM inverters will drive traction motors and pair with hybrid electric generators to provide mobility and onboard electrical power.
Vatche Artinian, CEO of Calnetix Technologies, claimed: ‘The PEM inverter will provide high-temperature operation and power density, high system efficiency of up to 98.5%, and unmatched power levels and durability for the harsh environments of the US Army’s Ground Vehicle Systems.’
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