Pulsetrain to industrialise ‘multilevel technology’ with Yazaki

Pulsetrain and Yazaki are jointly developing an intelligent ‘MultiCellBridge’ based on ‘multilevel technology,’ Pulsetrain announced. “As part of a proof of concept, the partners aim to demonstrate the industrial feasibility of this key technology—to significantly enhance the efficiency, safety, and lifespan of battery packs in electric mobility.” The collaboration was first showcased in early January at CES in Las Vegas.

‘Multilevel technology’ comprises two aspects: intelligent cell management and integrated power electronics. The cell management system is designed to enable precise and independent control of each individual battery cell. According to Pulsetrain, this ‘opens up new potential for efficiency, safety, and scalable cost optimisation in electric mobility.’ For power electronics, functions such as the inverter and charger, which are typically separate components (or the inverter is increasingly being integrated directly into the drive units), are to be integrated into the battery system. “The architecture is compatible with all battery types and applications and provides a flexible, space-saving solution that eliminates the need for separate inverters and chargers, reduces complexity and weight, and improves overall performance,” Pulsetrain states.

The partner, Yazaki EMEA, is part of the globally active Yazaki Corporation, which employs over 230,000 people across 46 countries. The company develops and manufactures wiring harnesses, connectors, electronic systems, instrumentation, custom cable systems, and high-voltage solutions for all vehicle segments.

In its collaboration with Pulsetrain, Yazaki aims to contribute ‘its expertise as a global market leader in electronic components and battery connection systems’ to industrialise the MultiCellBridge. However, the focus lies on the hardware expertise of the Japanese company. Pulsetrain emphasises in its announcement that Yazaki supports the transformation of this ‘disruptive technology’ into a production-ready solution through ‘high-precision hardware development and manufacturing.’

Pulsetrain itself specialises in the development of advanced power electronics and software-defined battery management systems (BMS). This is intended to enable the implementation of a so-called ‘alternating current battery:’ although direct current is stored in the battery cells, the battery system, with its intelligent control and integrated inverter, can output alternating current. The company, founded by Thomas Plaschko, Leopold König, and Niclas Lehnert, promises several advantages from this approach, including extended battery lifespan, enhanced safety, reduced weight, and fast charging.

Although the partnership has only now been officially announced, Yazaki and Pulsetrain already made their first major public appearance together at the beginning of the month. Initial joint ideas for Multilevel Technology were presented at the Yazaki Innovations Inc. booth during CES in Las Vegas—’with strong interest, valuable discussions, and consistently positive feedback from the market.’

mynewsdesk.com (in German), linkedin.com