Integrated Powertrain System - MotorTransformer
Andromeda Power, LLC
Recipient
Long Beach, CA
Recipient Location
33rd
Senate District
70th
Assembly District
$482,130
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
Project efforts have been focused on selecting an electric vehicle that will be used to demonstrate this project's Integrated Powertrain System, which will enable alternating current (AC) fast charging and discharging. Next steps are to design the MotorTransformer and onboard devices responsible for power conversion and to develop the software responsible for controlling power flow. System integration onto the vehicle and testing is scheduled for 2024.
The Issue
Currently, plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) fast charging and discharging is only possible using offboard direct current (DC) electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), which is used to convert DC power from the battery to usable AC power for the building. This is a bulky and costly solution for building owners. By utilizing the PEV's onboard charging or propulsion components, the vehicle can convert the DC power from the battery to usable AC power for the building without the offboard equipment. However, this AC vehicle-to-building solution has not been adopted because a PEV's current technology does not support fast charging and discharging directly from a building or grid.
Project Innovation
Andromeda Power will develop and test an Integrated Powertrain System for light-duty electric vehicles that enables alternating current (AC) bidirectional charging. The Integrated Powertrain System can enable AC bidirectional charging at a lower cost compared to today's direct current (DC) pathways. This cost reduction can be achieved by modifying the vehicle's existing motor and electronics that otherwise sit idle during charging. The modifications enable these existing components to provide safe power conversion in place of off-vehicle equipment, reducing infrastructure complexity while enabling more cost-effective vehicle-to-building back-up power and vehicle-to-grid use cases.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
The proposed vehicle-to-building (V2B) technology is a low-cost solution to temporary facility backup power. The system will also have the potential to work with the grid in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) mode, providing access to low-cost clean energy when coupled with clean production sources. Low-income and disadvantaged community plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) equipped with this project's V2B system can aid in community resiliency. The proposed technology can also help overcome the limit on chargers installed in multi-unit dwellings or rural areas caused by grid limitations. A facility's energy management system can control the charging power of PEVs equipped with a MotorTransformer to avoid overloading the grid.
Affordability
The integrated powertrain system will enable alternating current (AC) bidirectional charging at an up to 70 percent lower cost compared to today's direct current (DC) pathways.
Reliability
This project's modified plug-in electric vehicle will aid in grid resiliency by providing high backup power to critical commercial loads without the need of offboard equipment.
Key Project Members
Luigi Giubbolini
Subrecipients
Coil Winding Specialist, Inc.
IXYS Long Beach, Inc.
PalPilot International Corporation
Match Partners
Andromeda Power, LLC
Verdek
