Renewables

Recent IDTechEx conference presentations and webinars on the research carried out for the IDTechEx report, titled Electric Buses 2015-2025, attracted many questions. They reveal a general perception that things are moving much more slowly than is actually the case, with the exception of a few aspects such as use of fuel cells and continuous charging, both of which are failing to progress at the intended speed.

From the Wright Brothers' first powered flight in 1903, through the first solo global circumnavigation in 1933, to the proliferation of commercial aviation in the latter half of the 20th century, humanity has always held a special place in its heart for flight. On 9th March 2015, Solar Impulse 2 departed on the first leg of a groundbreaking mission: to fly around the world using only the power of the Sun.

  The next step for PV technology is integrating it directly into buildings. Sally Ward-Foxton explores for ES Design magazine.

Heliatek has announced that its partner, vTrium Energy, will be implementing the world's most powerful and Asia's largest BIOPV (Building Integrated Organic Photovoltaic) project. Heliatek's organic solar film, HeliaFilm, will be the core part of this installation in Singapore, which provides a test-bed platform for sustainable technologies.

The first range extender invention announced in 2015 is an "Electronic Carnot Engine ECE" by Kan Cheng of KanLabs. According to the IDTechEx report Range Extenders for Electric Vehicles Land, Water & Air 2015-2025, over 8m hybrid cars will be made with a range extender in 2025, the additional power source that distinguishes them from pure-electric

A report published by IDTechEx, which analyses the off-road, on-road, water and airborne EVs, is particularly useful for benchmarking new technology for EVs. The report, tilted, ‘Electric Vehicle Forecasts, Trends and Opportunities 2015-2025’, discusses how the types of energy harvesting used in EVs do not first appear in cars.

Expanding its family of current sensors, HARTING has unveiled a differential current transformer capable of carrying out current measurements at up to 10A. Specifically designed to measure ambient conditions in the wind energy sector, the single-piece core transformer combines high functional reliability with extremely high mechanical stability for the most demanding applications.

Launches of fuel cell cars are reportedly planned by up to six carmakers from 2015, including Tata Motors of India, owners of Jaguar Land Rover. Hydrogen fuel cells are portrayed as pivotal in creating success for pure electric cars but the truth is very different. More is explained in the latest IDTechEx report, Future Technology for Hybrid and Pure Electric Cars 2015-2025.

Suitable for use as a DC link capacitor in EV and HEV applications, TDK has announced a power capacitor with an innovative ring configuration, the RingCap. The device can be integrated into a clutch bell housing or wheel hub motors and its dimensions can be adapted according to the specific requirements of the customer: the outer diameter may be up to 315mm, while its width is no more than 50mm.

Reducing power losses and improving reliability in EV and HEV applications, a family of robust 650V IGBTs has been introduced by Infineon Technologies. The automotive qualified TRENCHSTOP 5 AUTO IGBTs feature current ratings of 40 or 50A and are designed for on-board charging, PFC, DC/DC and DC/AC conversion.