This Week in PowerBites: Record-Setting Power Grid, Powerful Passives

Battery technology continues to play an increasingly influential role in the power universe, while venerable relays and IGBTs remain relevant in defense and automotive applications.

May 14, 2025

What you’ll learn:

A nano-engineered hybrid anode material holds promise to boost capacity and longevity of Li-Ion batteries.
New developments in open-source protocol software for EV charging stations will make them more user-friendly, work more smoothly with utilities, and easier to deploy.
California power utilities are using grid-scale storage to support record-breaking periods of all-renewable operation.
Advances in IGBTs and LED controllers/drivers for automotive applications.
Passives in play with a new thick-film resistor and new rugged relays.

Technology Advances

Can Nano-Engineered Anodes Boost Li-ion Battery Capacity and Longevity?

Researchers at Dongguk University unveiled a nanoscale-engineered hybrid anode material that enhances Li-ion battery energy storage and cycling stability.

Electronic Design

Battery Storage Helps California’s Power Grid Set New Records

Supplementing the CA grid’s wind and solar generating capacity with up to 9.72 GW of peak power, large-scale storage led to 100% renewable operation during parts of 79 out of ...

Electronic Design

Upgraded Open-Source EV Charging Software Stack Supports New and Legacy Apps

The Linux Foundation’s update to its open-source Charging Station Management System software stack enables most legacy station equipment to support smoother transactions and advanced...

Electronic Design

MIT and GE Vernova Join Forces to Develop and Scale Sustainable Energy Systems

The MIT-GE Vernova Energy and Climate Alliance will collaborate on research, education, and developing career opportunities related to sustainable energy systems.

Electronic Design

ProductBites

This month’s grab bag of the latest power-related products includes advanced IGBTs and specialized LED controller drivers for automotive applications, plus a highly integrated PMIC that’s tailored for high-performance computing applications. And don’t miss the pair of rugged relays that boldly go where solid-state switches fear to tread!

Automotive Power Products

Energy-Efficient IGBTs and RC-IGBTs Target 400/800-V EV Systems

Infineon’s latest IGBT and RC-IGBT devices offer lower losses, improved performance, and reliability for electric-vehicle drivetrains and more.

Electronic Design

Highly Integrated SoC Sets Sights on Automotive Lighting Systems

Target applications for NOVOSENSE’s smart LED controller/drivers include automotive interior light modules, charging door indicators, and body lighting.

Electronic Design

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Advanced Motor Control and Thermal Management Enhance e-Mobility

Allegro’s latest current sensors and fan driver ICs help boost performance and energy efficiency for automotive and industrial applications.

Electronic Design

Power Conversion

PMIC Fits Space-Starved AI, Industrial Computing, Data Center Apps

The MCP16701 PMIC from Microchip integrates buck converters, low-dropout voltage regulators, and a controller.

Electronic Design

Non-Isolated DCMs Shrink Converter Size Sixfold

High-density power modules developed by Vicor make it possible to bridge 48-V and legacy 12-V power buses in industrial, HPC, and other applications.

Electronic Design

Power Passives

Thick-Film Power Resistors Enhance Protection Against Transient Pulses

The automotive-grade resistors from Vishay offer high pulse absorption, power dissipation of 150 W, and a clip-mount package for direct mounting on a heatsink.

Electronic Design

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Rugged Relays Go Where Solid-State Switches Fear to Tread

Pickering and Microchip march on with new electromechanical solutions that handle tasks which are still a struggle for their solid-state counterparts.

Electronic Design