Electronics for Powertrain Applications

Mobility is an important factor for the global economy
Sophisticated engine management and strict exhaust gas standards require increasingly individual sensor solutions, highly efficient motor controls for electrified auxilliary units and innovative technologies. We are at home in this market and offer you the appropriate solution for your project.

Speed Sensors for Powertrain Applications

Our engineers understand optimal control means: higher efficiency, lower emissions and an increase in driving pleasure
In order to handle resources in a responsible way and to protect the environment, it is necessary to measure precisely, even at a low rotational speed, immediately when the engine of a vehicle has been started.
Detecting rotational speeds without loss enables optimal engine control resulting in improved driving characteristics and low emissions.


Special features

  • Working range up to 3 mm
  • Temperature range -40 °C to +160 °C
  • Protection rating up to IP 69
  • True power on
  • Detection of direction

Example
High-precision rotational speed sensor featuring detection of rotational direction for start / stop systems

» More about Position Sensors

 

 

Position Sensors for Powertrain Applications

Rotor Position Sensor – Electric Motors

SPINpad - high-speed rotation and positioning technology

The new inductive high-speed rotation and position technology (SPINpad) has been developed in accordance with the requirements ISO 26262 and enables the accurate detection of speed and rotary position, especially for sensors in the engine and vehicle mount portion of the drive train.


An inductive high speed rotor position sensor (SPINpad sensor)

A combination of high accuracy and fast response time is required for rotor position sensors in the electric motors of hybrid or electric vehicles. This allows the control unit to drive the motor optimally, and leads to a reduction in energy consumption and an increased range of the vehicle.

KYOCERA AVX has developed a new high speed position sensor to meet these requirements. First prototypes of this new sensor have demonstrated market leading performance. This technology can be used in other applications where accuracy and response times are critical (for example, electric power steering), and is also capable of making an additional velocity measurement, which could be used in active suspension systems.

The basic structure of the SPINpad sensor is similar to KYOCERA AVX‘s mature and proven Autopad® technology. However, the SPINpad sensor uses one coil as a transmit coil and two coils as receive coils.

Typical applications

  • Traction Motors for any application (e.g. BEV, PHEV, HEV and MHEV or industrial applications)
  • Electric Compressor
  • Steer by Wire
  • Electric Turbocharger/Supercharger
  • Brake Booster

Special features

  • Flexible designs, can be matched to motor pole-pairs giving positional accuracy < 0.5deg electrical
  • Different targets available
  • Signal immediately after power on
  • High speed up to 100,000 rpm
  • Ready for ASIL C (D) or with redundant measurement ASIL D (D)
  • Immune to low frequency magnetic fields
  • Small package size, flat design
  • Temperature range: -40 °C to 160 °C

» More information about SPINpad technology
» More about Position Sensors
» Find further technical information in the Fast Facts Sheet

 

Pressure Sensors for Powertrain Applications

Last generation pressure sensors are absolutely solid and have excellent long-lived characteristics. They win by their modular-building-concept and can be integrated into customer systems easily
KYOCERA AVX offers a great number of innovative and robust solutions for measuring pressure in different media. Due to flexible configurations, our pressure sensor modules can easily be integrated into customer-specific systems.
Particularly powerful engines in trucks, work machines, and agriculture applications require permanent monitoring in different media. A great variety of different basic technologies enables us to optimally suit sensor features to the respective customer application.

Technologies

  • Ceramic measuring cell
  • Semiconductor measuring cell
  • Pressure range: 0 … 0.5 bar to 0 … 60 bar
  • Temperature range: -40 °C to +125 °C / +150 °C
  • Connectors according to customer specification

Example
Differential pressure sensor is not being influenced of atmosphere.
Sensing of differential pressure and velocity head in high longterm stability

» Fast facts

 

Motor Power Converter for Electrically Driven Water Pumps

Motor Control Unit (MCU) for Brushless DC Motor  (BLDC Motors)

A customer-specific control unit from KYOCERA AVX (Salzburg) provides significant advantages for integration into the electric motor and into the existing installation space. The modules contain all the necessary components for the control of a brushless DC motor (BLDC motor). Their design is adapted, via the selection of the electrical components and the mechanical fasteners, also to the smallest installation space requirements and coordinated perfectly with the respective application. The comprehensive know-how of several product generations is used via sophisticated thermal and mechanical simulation. Each control unit meets the requirement of a perfectly coordinated solution with regard to space, reliability, manufacturability and cost efficiency. The specially developed contact and connecting elements also contribute to this and permit optimal connection to the external connector and, besides the mechanical reliability, provide an important cost advantage. Increasingly shorter development times in the automotive industry are achieved via specially developed platforms for hardware and software solutions. In that way it is possible to make the first prototype available within a few weeks and to successfully implement a closely coordinated project schedule as far as series production. All the platforms can be adapted at any time to the needs of other applications and automobile manufacturers. This applies to the power (30 W – 10 kW), to the on-board voltage (12 V – 810 V), and to the required communication (PWM, LIN, CAN) with the control unit.      

  

Special characteristics

  • High temperature range (-40 to + 150 °C)
  • High performance in a small installation space
  • High vibrations permissible, attachment to combustion engine and transmission possible
  • Complete integration into the electric motor due to high integration density
  • Customized design

Platform

Typical applications

  • Water pumps
  • Oil pumps
  • Air pumps
  • Electric refrigerant compressor
  • Electronic crankcase ventilation
  • Heat pumps
  • Vacuum pumps
  • Intercooling
  • Filter drive
  • Blower
  • E-turbocharger

Products from this area are also known under the following keywords:

Inverters, motor control unit, electric drive, electrification

Our controls support the focal areas of future mobility:

Electromobility, CO2 reduction

» Download Fast Facts

» More about Motor Control Units


Air Blower 11 kW

Power Electronics for a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Air Blower
Highly integrated power electronics for an air blower of a hydrogen fuel cell stack, mounted to the backside of the blower motor


Features:

  • Supply voltage: 200-500 VDC
  • Power / current: up to 13.5 kW peak (40 A RMS / 55 A peak)
  • Sensor-less FOC control up to 111,000 rpm (for a single pole-pair motor)
  • Response time: < 100 ms
  • Fast startup: < 2 s (0 to max. rpm)
  • Fault handling and protection
  • CAN / LIN / PWM communication

Key Technologies:

  • SiC / IGBT discrete SMD switches
  • Fully SMD – no THT components (ultra-low profile) Standard FR4 Substrate
  • In-house sensor-less FOC Software performed on a small ARM M4F MCU
  • In-house RTOS
  • AUTOSAR like software structure

» Download Fast Facts

» More about Motor Control Units


Stack Cooling Pump 0.7 kW / 1.4 kW

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cooling Pump
Power electronics for a hydrogen fuel cell stack cooling pump directly, mounted to the backside of the pump motor


Features:

  • Supply voltage: 200-500 VDC / up to 800 V possible
  • Power: 0.7 kW, 1.4 kW / up to 3 kW possible
  • Sensor-less FOC control down to 800 rpm
  • ASIL-Rating: ASIL B
  • Fault handling and protection
  • CAN / LIN / PWM communication

Key Technologies:

  • IGBT discrete SMD switches
  • Standard FR4 – Fully SMD
  • In-house sensor-less FOC Software performed on a small ARM M4F MCU with In-house RTOS
  • Single PCB-Shunt current measurement (no physical component)
  • Ceramic Substrate Al2O3 – for higher thermal performance

» Download Fast Facts

» More about Motor Control Units


Temperature Sensors for Powertrain Applications

Intelligent sensor-concepts for fast and precise temperature detection also in demanding applications
Temperature sensors by KYOCERA AVX are reliable, fast and precise in liquid and gaseous media such as water, oil, fuel, intake air and charge air.
With more than 20 years of experience in developing and producing temperature sensors we are well positioned as partners to wellknown OEMs and Tier 1 / 2 suppliers in the automotive industry.


Technologies and special features

Housing: plastic, metal (brass), steel
Technology: NTC, PT, thermocouples, semiconductor

  • Temperature range -40 °C to +155 °C / +170 °C / +220 °C / +300 °C
    (high temperature up to +1150 °C)
  • Optional programmable eletronic interfaces
  • Plug, measuring element, mechanic and electric interface according to customer requirements
  • Low-weight miniature versions due to minimised metal content
  • Long-lasting robustness against vibrations and dust / humidity
  • Thermal decoupling for excellent accuracy of measurement

Example:
Temperature sensor with extremely short response time <2sTau90

» Data sheet

 

Individual solutions are our strength.
Together we will find the best option for your project.

Sensors and controls from KYOCERA AVX support highly efficient motor control systems.

Temperature. Pressure. Level. Quality. Speed. Position. Sensors, Pedals and Control Units from KYOCERA AVX reliably monitor and control customer-specific applications with high accuracy.