EVS35 Oslo

EVS35 Oslo – world’s largest EV event 2022

June 15, 2022

Last week Trued and Jens spent 2 days at the Oslo EVS35 – the electric vehicle symposium. Exhibitors from around the world came to show their latest charging solutions for residential charging or DC fast charging, accompanied by software solutions to manage the charging systems etc. On top of that, a selection of new electric vehicles (cars, motor bikes, cycles) was available for test drives by the exhibition visitors.

One remarkable event was the official launch of the Megawatt Charging standards for trucks. This standard will operate with 1250V DC and deliver up to 3000A.

In general, it was great to see so many different players in the market for DC fast chargers. It is the general understanding that we need an improved charging infrastructure for accelerating the electrification of transport. Some suppliers also accommodated their fast-charging portfolio with battery storage systems.

However, we found it remarkable that all these devices (chargers and batteries) only offered a 3-phase AC connection. When asked, no one could offer a direct DC connected version of their equipment. We were surprised by these answers – after all the AC conversion steps waste a lot of energy and many of the charging sites have solar panels (DC) installed and will probably also be equipped with battery storage systems (DC), so offering a direct DC link connection would make a lot of sense from our point of view.

In addition, we also listened to several interesting research article presentation, covering low voltage DC distributions and reconfigurable battery systems, confirming our own observations and experiments we made with our technology.

Overall, it was a very interesting 2-day trip, meeting many interesting people and companies, making new acquaintances and catching up with old ones.
We went home with a large set of new impressions and ideas.

Square Peg in Round Hole

Our CTO Jens Schroer was invited to Intertek to present our certification journey of Blixt Zero, the world’s first miniature solid state circuit breaker. And why would we even need to have a fully digital circuit breaker?

As most of you already know, a traditional circuit breaker is a mechanical device. Its sole purpose is to protect against over-currents (short circuits and similar). At best it responds to a fault within 1ms, which is far too slow to ensure electrical safety, in particular for DC. Remote control and monitoring is only available via additional external devices, other issues include mechanical wear and arcing. The only good news is that there are dedicated IEC standards for certification.

So how could we certify an electronic device according to mechanical standards?

Together with Intertek we worked intensely to find a short term work-around by using a different standard that would still allow us to operate it as a circuit breaker, while we joined the IEC working group PT 60947-10 for the upcoming new solid state breaker standard at the same time. During the journey we faced several design challenges – insulation and creepage distances, thermal management, form factor DIN rail, just to mention a few. But hard work paid off! The IEC certification was finally approved in September 2021, meaning that the Blixt Zero is proven to be safe to operate, can be installed in a distribution panel and meets the required EMC standards.

Now we are looking forward to the new solid state circuit breaker standard being released, which will enable us to roll-out our next generation SSCBs faster, cheaper and with less grey hairs!

Blixt Zero – the world’s first IEC certified solid state circuit breaker!

Blixt Tech AB (Blixt) has reached another major milestone receiving IEC certification for its Blixt Zero solid state circuit breaker. This is the first time ever a residential solid state circuit breaker is approved for commercial use.

Earlier this month Blixt announced a strategic partnership with Infineon and on September 24th the parties signed an MOU to co-develop low-cost solid-state circuit breakers. Receiving certification for the Blixt Zero is another great achievement, making the company the first in the world to deliver a certified miniature solid state circuit breaker.

Classic circuit breakers are mechanical devices, which makes them slow and less effective over time. In the worst-case they can cause an arc-fault incident, feared by electricians and a source of fires. They are static devices built for one single purpose only, and lack any advanced digital capabilities and communication. Blixt’s technology breakthrough with solid state circuit breakers enables completely new ways of handling electricity and allows real time control of the power flow.

We have an urgent global need to upgrade the current grid to handle peak loads and support the integration of renewables. But instead of investing in a static infrastructure based on outdated technology Blixt’s vision is to enable a fully dynamic network that can respond in real time to change in demand and supply. It would result in much more efficient use of electricity and a more resilient and safe infrastructure. For emerging markets this is a great opportunity to leapfrog their grid evolution and establish a durable, distributed, and highly efficient electricity infrastructure from the beginning.

“Receiving the certification for the Blixt Zero has been an extraordinary team effort and an important milestone for our company. To achieve the IEC certification, the Blixt Zero had to meet vigorous electrical safety standards and electromagnetic compatibility criteria. It is also a proof point that we have managed to take our disruptive innovation from idea to commercial product” says Jens Peter Schroer CTO of Blixt.

The Blixt Zero is a pure solid state (electronic) device, without any moving parts and no physical separation of the conductive path for power flow. This leads to faster response times and interruption of extreme currents in nanoseconds without generating any arc faults. Furthermore, it has built in real-time voltage and current monitoring, as well as software programmability and two-way communication. This makes the system more efficient, wasting less energy, and at the same time increasing our safety levels.

The Blixt Zero is designed as a 16A, 110 – 230VAC breaker, but the technology is agnostic to the type of semiconductors used and future proof in this way. The system can take full advantage of new developments in the Power MOSFET segment and going forward be scaled up to medium voltage or high current systems.

About Blixt Tech AB

Blixt’s mission is to enable full software control of electricity, using solid state technology. The first two innovations, developed solely by Blixt, embrace both current and voltage control. The company holds 39 patent applications in the field of solid state circuit breakers, voltage conversion and battery technology and is since 2021 an official member of Infineon’s high-quality partner ecosystem program. Blixt was founded in Sweden in 2018 and has received multiple industry awards for its innovations.

Read more at https://blixt.tech/

Contact: Jens Peter Schroer, CTO Blixt Tech AB

Email:  jens@blixt.tech

Phone: +46 72 700 01 72

https://news.cision.com/blixt-tech-ab/r/blixt-zero—the-world-s-first-iec-certified-solid-state-circuit-breaker,c3424767

Press release: Partner Collaboration with Infineon

Infineon and Blixt strengthen the collaboration to accelerate growth of solid state circuit breakers

Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) and Blixt Tech AB announced today that they have entered an agreement to co-develop solid state circuit breakers (SSCB) based on Infineon’s product portfolio. The new solid state circuit breakers have the potential to disrupt the USD 38 billion market for circuit breakers by providing superior electrical safety, real time circuit level metering and full control of the power flow.

There is a strong global demand for faster, safer and smarter circuit breakers, supporting the power grid to handle the increasingly diverse mix of energy sources and peak loads.

By 2050 more than half of the global energy will be generated from clean, but volatile renewable sources. Increased electrification and peak loads continue to stress outdated grid infrastructure, and heat waves and droughts add to the challenges. At the same time, we rely on more and more direct current (DC), which creates a fundamental safety issue due to the lack of fast and reliable DC protection devices.

It is very evident that the electricity system must evolve to a new digital infrastructure. Solid state circuit breakers will be an important part, supporting a safer, more flexible and reliable power grid for both AC and DC and revolutionize how we produce, manage, and consume electricity.

“We are creating a new value chain that will generate value by digital control of electricity, right from the energy service providers to the edge of the grid, where building owners and managers are consuming, producing and managing electricity, and to any stakeholder in between, who has an interest in monitoring and controlling electricity. The technology shift towards digital circuit breakers has already begun. And with the new, upcoming SSCB certification standard we expect to see dramatically increasing volumes.” said Jens Peter Schroer, CTO at Blixt.

“While we at Infineon can contribute on a component and design level and have strong sales and distribution channels world-wide, Blixt brings in extensive expertise in the field of solid-state circuit breakers and the system level aspect. By partnering with Blixt we can further accelerate the technology transition and expedite time-to-market for solid-state circuit breaker solutions. We want to jointly shape this market,“ said Robert Hermann, Senior Product Marketing Director for High-Voltage Conversion at Infineon.

Key features of the new SSCB co-developed by Blixt and Infineon replace all the traditional moving parts with power electronics, able to control power and interrupt high currents within micro seconds, 1000 times faster compared to mechanical circuit breakers. But the advantages do not stop there. Being a digital device, a solid-state circuit breaker also includes real-time metering, remote control and programmability – functionality that mechanical circuit breakers do not possess and can only be realized by additional expensive devices.

The core of the Blixt Zero smart circuit breaker is the power stage, which is build up with Infineon´s CoolMOS™ S7. This new MOSFET technology is optimized for solid-state applications and offers unprecedented low RDS(on) * A, resulting in optimum power density at minimized system cost. This is the key enabler for demanding and cost sensitive high-power applications with smart circuit breakers being one of them. Besides power components, Infineon contributes to all relevant system devices such as power supplies, microcontrollers, sensors, safety and security devices and IoT functionality. Based on this first generation, SSCB feature-set enrichment and further system cost optimization will be the next planned steps.

To further strengthen the cooperation, Blixt has been appointed an official member of Infineon’s high-quality partner ecosystem program. This is to honor the company’s proven competence to design and deliver strong and trustworthy solutions, especially for new technologies and application fields related to solid-state circuit breakers. Blixt’s strategic considerations are perfectly in line with Infineon´s holistic product-to-system (P2S) approach.

About Blixt Tech AB

Blixt’s mission is to enable full software control of electricity, using solid state technology. The first two innovations, developed solely by Blixt, embrace both current and voltage control. The company holds +30 patent applications in the field of solid state circuit breakers, voltage conversion and battery technology. Blixt’s was founded in Sweden in 2018 and has recieved multiple industry awards for its innovations.

Read more at https://blixt.tech/

About Infineon

Infineon Technologies AG is a world leader in semiconductor solutions that make life easier, safer and greener. Microelectronics from Infineon are the key to a better future. In the 2020 fiscal year (ending 30 September), Infineon reported revenue of more than €8.5 billion with a workforce of some 46,700 people worldwide. Following the acquisition of the US company Cypress Semiconductor Corporation in April 2020, Infineon is now a global top 10 semiconductor company.

Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the over-the-counter market OTCQX International Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY).

X-Verter® Sneak Peak

There is currently a fair amount of focus on battery chemistry. What if there would be a new dynamic battery architecture that can enhance the battery system regardless of battery chemistry?

Today a battery system is a static environment. What if there would be a dynamic alternative that would provide a new approach to switching power conversion. There are some initiatives that are leaning in the right direction out there, like modular multilevel converters and re-configurable battery systems. Let us take one step further.

Our X-Verter® technology applied in a battery system environment in comparison with today’s state of the art have a promising skill-set:

Increased Flexibility due to Dynamic Architecture:

• Faster charging capability in most existing (static) environments
  
• More flexible range of input
  
• Faster discharging capability in most existing (static) environments
  
• More flexible range of output
  

Significantly higher efficiency:

• No switching losses
  
• More output of energy
  
• Longer standby
  
• Configurable sinus waves with lower losses
  
• Significant reduction of cooling needs
  

Lower cost and smaller size:

• Less components (no need for inverters and rectifiers)
  
• Less expensive components
  
• Lower overall system cost
  
• Lighter
  
• Less space
  
• Less complicated system architecture
  

New additional features:

• Increased cycle times
  
• Independent of battery chemistry
  
• Ability to mix cells with different chemistry in the same battery system
  
• Modular (range of low, medium and high voltage)
  
• Multi-directional
  
• Non- interrupted current flow
  
• Less interference EMI-wise
  
• Extension of battery cell lifetime
  
• Longer battery system lifetime
  
• Software programmable/reconfigurable in real time:
  

– Direction (input/output) and AC/DC

– Frequency

– Voltage

• Faster adjustment in voltage and current, input and output
  
• Less interference/noise in grid environment
  
• Configurable battery equalizer
  

Safer and easier maintenance:

• Safer maintenance and service of the Battery system
  
• Easier maintenance of Battery System
  
• Hot swap capability (add remove battery modules)
  

After numerous prototypes and iterations we expect to have our first demonstrator ready by this winter. Looking forward to step outside our laboratory environment and show the world what we have achieved. Do not hesitate to reach out to info@blixt.tech

Good Old days?

A change in technology is an interesting phenomenon. It often meets with resistance initially, but in retrospect it is the exact opposite and one often wonders why it did not happen faster.

To visualize this we have a nerdy BL!XT story for you.

The discussion takes place in a not too distant future, when electronics have totally replaced mechanics in the field of electricity:

– Is this such a mechanical switch as you had in the past?
– Yes, it’s an mechanical circuit breaker. It was the most proven and safest one around.
– How did it work?
– It needed a proper over current to trip.
– So there was no limit to how much current could go through the wire?
– Well, the more power, the faster it tripped.
– So you mean that you could charge the power grid with 10000A?
– Yes, the current spikes could be that high.
– For how long?
– The mechanical arm needed to change position to OFF. For the smallest fuses it took about 3ms and the large 300ms.
– Are you kidding? There is no electricity network that can handle these spikes, is there?
– Well, the network had to be oversized quite heavily.
– Yes, but 10,000A?
– No, you’re right. Quite often the spike traveled and damaged the grid further up the chain.
– Then whole districts must be without electricity.
– Yes, unfortunately it happened sometimes.
– What happened when you broke the big current?
– Then an arc was formed.
– Could that not weld the mechanical arm in a fixed position?
– Yes. Therefore, continuous manufacturing tests were performed with 500A.
– But 10000 A is enough to start a fire if it is allowed to float for 300ms. R = (220V / 10000A) = 22mΩ. The power is thus 10,000A x 10,000A x 0.022Ω x 0.3

Take care!

Press release: Industry leaders sign up for Blixt’s Early Access Program

Press release, February 26, 2021

Kista, Sweden

Solar Impulse Labelled Solution

Blixt awarded for being focused on both environment and profitability

Why?

The Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label is designed to shed light on existing Solutions that are both clean and profitable and have a positive impact on quality of life.

How?

A decision as to the attribution of the Label will be made by the Solar Impulse Foundation following a rigorous assessment based on a verified methodology and against several criteria performed by external independent Experts.

“Being recognized as a Solar Impulse Labelled Solution is a great honor and helps us to achieve our mission and to empower the energy transition” says Trued Holmquist CEO of Blixt.

Read more: https://solarimpulse.com/efficient-solutions/blixt-solid-state-circuit-breaker

Blixt Zero Early Access Program

Let us present, BLIXT ZERO – the first market-ready generation of Blixt’s solid state circuit breaker technology!

As the name indicates, Blixt Zero is the first product in our upcoming portfolio of new generation circuit breakers. The Zero is designed as a 1P+N (not breaking N), 16A, 80-250V AC breaker, capable of measuring voltage, current, and zero crossings in real time, and equipped with a microcontroller and an Ethernet port for communication. The little beauty comes in a DIN housing, and will fit on any standard DIN rail.

As we speak, we are building a set of engineering samples that will be used for the certification testing. But as we already received a lot of interest from the market we will also make a limited number of engineering samples available for independent third party evaluations.

To simplify the evaluations efforts, we offer a ready to use evaluation kit, including a laptop running the Blixt control software and the Blixt Zero engineering sample. 

Happy Kasun after fixing the final bug with zero crossings. Good to go!

If you are interested in participating, please contact us on info@blixt.tech .

BLIXT GHG REDUCTION 101 MTON!

MISSION INNOVATION AND NET ZERO COMPATIBLE INNOVATION INITIATE

How do we filter the most effective innovations to invest in? A global initiative has addressed this challenge and developed a new way to estimate emissions-slashing potential for innovations across the world. 

We are proud to see that BLIXT has been ranked among the innovations with highest potential, with an estimated potential of saving 101 Mt CO2e per year by 2030. 

Mission Innovation (MI) was created by leading governments and launched in conjunction with Breakthrough Energy where many of the world’s most prominent billionaires join together. Mission Innovation’s Net-Zero Compatible Innovations Initiative (NCI) is now gathering the best innovations for mitigating climate change and has selected BLIXT as one of those.  The aim is to bring investors and key users of innovative solutions (such as cities and large companies) together with policy makers to see how such innovations can not only grow, but grow exponentially.
After being assessed by NCI experts, coordinated by RISE, BLIXT ranks amongst innovations with highest potential GHG reductions.

https://misolutionframework.net/Innovations