Photo: Tesla
In the automotive world, a power inverter is normally used by hybrid and electric vehicles. It's main job is to supply enough zap for the intended power demands of the drivetrain. While the current generation of the device fulfills its duties pretty well, the people over at Google and IEEE will award $1 million to the man or woman that will build a smaller power inverter.
Known as the Little Box Challenge, Google and the IEEE Power Electronics Society tell that this is a contest that aims to bring the volume of an EV power inverter to 0.66 liters capacity. To put that into perspective, the current Toyota Prius has such a device, but it has a volume of 5.4 liters, similar to the inverter fitted to the Fiat 500e. Anyway you look at it, to downsize such an intricate device by roughly nine tenths of its current volume is quite a titanic feat.
The organizers tell that downsized designs must provide a minimum power density of 3.05 kW per liter displaced by the power inverter. And that sort of requirement will be a big problem in an inverter this small. For comparison's sake, the unit fitted to the Toyota Prius boasts with 11.1 kW per liter, while the peak power delivery for the Lexus LS 600h's inverter goes to a whopping 17.2 kW per liter displaced.
According to Google and IEEE, the Little Box Challenge is designed to spur innovation that can drive a 10x or greater reduction in those apparently mundane devices that convert direct current into alternating current. Such a small inverter could help remote parts of the world by creating low-cost microgrids, or even allowing people to keep the lights on in the event of a blackout via their electric vehicle's battery.
Applicants must register by September 30th, 2014, and registered teams have to submit a technical approach and testing application of the downsized power inverter by 22 July, 2015. Only 18 teams will be selected, so the competition will be as tough as it gets. “We believe that inverters will become increasingly important to our economy and environment as solar PV, batteries, and similar power sources continue their rapid growth,” says Google. “More broadly, similar forms of power electronics are everywhere: in laptops, phones, motor drives, electric vehicles, wind turbines, to give just a few examples."
The organizers tell that downsized designs must provide a minimum power density of 3.05 kW per liter displaced by the power inverter. And that sort of requirement will be a big problem in an inverter this small. For comparison's sake, the unit fitted to the Toyota Prius boasts with 11.1 kW per liter, while the peak power delivery for the Lexus LS 600h's inverter goes to a whopping 17.2 kW per liter displaced.
According to Google and IEEE, the Little Box Challenge is designed to spur innovation that can drive a 10x or greater reduction in those apparently mundane devices that convert direct current into alternating current. Such a small inverter could help remote parts of the world by creating low-cost microgrids, or even allowing people to keep the lights on in the event of a blackout via their electric vehicle's battery.
Applicants must register by September 30th, 2014, and registered teams have to submit a technical approach and testing application of the downsized power inverter by 22 July, 2015. Only 18 teams will be selected, so the competition will be as tough as it gets. “We believe that inverters will become increasingly important to our economy and environment as solar PV, batteries, and similar power sources continue their rapid growth,” says Google. “More broadly, similar forms of power electronics are everywhere: in laptops, phones, motor drives, electric vehicles, wind turbines, to give just a few examples."
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