Project SCAPE to improve power electronics for EVs

To strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and reduce its dependence on external technologies, the EU-funded SCAPE (Switching-Cell-Array-Based Power Electronics Conversion for Future Electric Vehicles) project is developing a new design approach for power converters for electric vehicles. The project is coordinated by the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) in Barcelona.

SCAPE is aiming for an efficiency of over 97.5 per cent. The project aims to double the power density and halve the cost per kilowatt compared to current standards. This would lead to longer ranges, more affordable electric vehicles and a strengthening of the European automotive industry.

Modular system for small and large vehicles

SCAPE’s design approach is based on a modular system: at the heart of the project is the so-called ‘switching cell’, a standardised and compact basic module that incorporates advanced power semiconductor technology and additional circuits. Several of these switching cells can be interconnected to form converter strings, which are then assembled into complete power converters. This should enable the same technology to be used for various types of vehicles, from small city cars to large electric trucks. This should result in economies of scale that significantly reduce development and manufacturing costs.

SCAPE also wants to develop a combined unit consisting of an on-board charger and a traction inverter. This should simplify vehicle design and manufacturing, significantly increase drive power, reduce costs and increase reliability through fault tolerance.

Another focus of the project is chip embedding technology: normally, power chips are mounted on circuit boards. SCAPE, however, embeds them directly into the circuit board. This is intended to make the technology smaller, cooler, faster and more efficient and ensure less power loss and a longer service life. SCAPE has already developed a first batch of such chip-embedding switching cells. Experimental validations confirm successful operation under demanding conditions and show a 45 per cent reduction in thermal resistance between the barrier layer and heat sink, as well as an 85 per cent reduction in stray inductance in the power circuit compared to a conventional implementation.

Monitoring the health of the system is also essential: the SCAPE project relies on a digital twin of the powertrain, i.e. an exact virtual replica of the physical system. This involves predictive maintenance warnings and load redistribution between switching cells, converter string and battery modules to maintain operation until maintenance is performed.

The SCAPE project is funded by the EU with a total of around six million euros and will run until June 2026. In addition to the lead partner, the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) in Barcelona, other participants include the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy, Deep Concept in France and the mobility technology developer AVL.

innovationnetworkpower.com, cordis.europa.eu

This article was first published by Florian Treiß for electrive’s German edition.