The next-generation high power density inverter technology for vehicle

Realizing a sustainable society will require a reduction in CO2 emissions, and many different sectors of the economy are being encouraged to be energy efficient, including the electric power business, industry, and consumer and transportation businesses. In the transportation sector in particular, environmentally conscious vehicles that use power electronics will be essential as replacements for conventional vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. The main components used in power electronics include inverters, batteries, and electric motors, and we are working on the development of specific technologies intended to make these components even smaller and more efficient than before. In this article, we describe the physical circuit designs needed to make the inverters used for controlling large electric power systems more efficient and techniques that achieve a high level of reliability, including cooling and vibration resistance.