Bringing power electronics to the road track and skies

21st July 2020

Lanna Deamer

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GaN Systems and BrightLoop Converters, a French power electronics company, have announced their strategic partnership to develop the latest AC/DC and DC/DC Converter products for electric motorsport and aerospace applications. Leveraging GaN Systems’ 650V GaN transistors, BrightLoop produces a range of converters that are smaller, lighter, and more efficient than currently available in the market.

GaN is a key component for applications in industries requiring high power performance and reliability. BrightLoop’s most recent family of DCDC converters, including the 1.9kW, 4.8kW, and 9.6kW DCDC converters designed for hybrid and electric racing, incorporates GaN Systems transistors and are around half the size and weight of the company’s first generation DCDC converter developed without GaN. BrightLoop continues to make advancements using GaN to produce lighter and more compact converters.

BrightLoop’s DCDC converters are now used in many of the Formula E teams and the winning team from 2019. The converter’s function is to power all the low-voltage electronics including pumps, lighting, and radio. Most recently, the World Sporting Consulting (WSC) Group, the premier motorsport event and racing promotion organisation overseeing Touring Car Racing (TCR) and ETCR (Electric Touring Car Racing) brands, announced BrightLoop as the sole supplier of DCDC converters for ETCR cars. ETCR is the world’s first electric touring car championship, which will begin this summer 2020.

Additionally, BrightLoop will unveil a high performance 5kW ACDC Power Factor Correction (PFC) product for aerospace applications coming later next year, which also incorporates GaN Systems transistors. It operates from an input voltage of 60 to 180VAC and achieves 96% efficiency.

“We are excited to partner with GaN Systems as a recognized leader in the GaN power semiconductor marketplace,” said Florent Liffran, CEO of BrightLoop Converters. “The industries which we service require high reliability and performance and GaN is an important piece in helping us achieve that. GaN Systems offers one of the best lines of 650V GaN transistors and coupled with its unique packaging allow unprecedented integration.”

“Teaming up with a leader like BrightLoop to demonstrate GaN Systems’ products in these very demanding applications proves the value and ruggedness of our GaN in high reliability power applications,” stated Jim Witham, CEO of GaN Systems.