Ideal Power Inc., pioneering the development of its patented B-TRAN bidirectional semiconductor power switch, recently announced it received a purchase order from a global provider in power semiconductor and power electronics solutions.
The customer purchased B-TRAN devices and a circuit breaker evaluation board. It’s collaborating with Ideal Power on a solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) design in connection with its launch of a multi-year dc power distribution system program.
For SSCB applications, our B-TRAN technology offers advantages for SSCBs, providing lower conduction losses, lower costs, and bi-directionality compared to electromechanical breakers and IGBT and silicon-carbide MOSFET-based SSCBs.
According to Ideal Power, its patented semiconductor power switch, B-TRAN can reduce power losses by 50% or more over conventional power switches, depending on the application.
B-TRAN’s higher efficiency results in less heat being generated and therefore significantly lower thermal management requirements, requiring significantly smaller surface area to dissipate heat and giving rise to potentially smaller original equipment manufacturer products.
Currently, B-TRAN offers the industry’s only symmetric bidirectional operation, reducing the number of components required for an application by 75% compared to a conventional bidirectional switch using IGBTs and diodes. This highly efficient and unique symmetric operation provides a strong competitive advantage in bidirectional applications — which are growing rapidly as transportation electrifies.
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