Eaton is collaborating with Munich Electrification to develop and market the company’s battery configuration switch (BCS). The switch is designed for 400V and 800V dual string battery packs in electric vehicles and will allow 800V vehicles to charge from a 400V charger.
“There are a lot of 800-volt vehicles in the market, but many charging stations can only supply 400-volt power,” said Mark Schneider, president, Eaton’s eMobility. “BCS provides charging flexibility to consumers who want access to an expanded network of DC chargers."
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The BCS is an integrated, bi-stable device for parallel/series reconfiguration designed for automotive, light commercial, and UTV applications. It can reduce up to 12 components in a battery disconnect unit to simplify the system overall, the company said, while also minimizing contact resistance by reducing the number of contact points required by conventional contactors.
The device also features a mechanical interlock to prevent pack short circuits due to crashes, software bugs, and contactor malfunctions. It can also maintain stable conditions if the electronic control unit loses power, and the bi-stable element of the device eliminates the hold current of a traditional contactor.
