Volvo orchestrates ‘super-conductor’ investment

Volvo Technology Transfer is investing SEK 2m (£150,000) in a company that has developed an energy-efficient conductor made of silicon carbide, a semi-conductor material that is one of the hottest substances today in the world of research into hybrid vehicles.

The conductor is used, among other things, when battery direct current is converted into alternating current in an electric motor. The basis for today’s technology is semi-conductors made of silicon, which has the double disadvantage that it can withstand neither high temperatures nor high electrical voltages.

The company in which Volvo Technology Transfer (VTT) is now investing, TranSiC AB, has developed a new conductor based on silicon carbide. This substance is as hard as a diamond and can be used, for example, in angle-grinding discs and it can also withstand extremely high temperatures.

“One problem with electric hybrid vehicles is that they often require cooling of both the motor and the electronics,” explains Anders Kroon, head of hybrid technology at Volvo Powertrain. “With silicon carbide, the heat losses are small so perhaps no cooling will be needed.”

Another advantage with silicon carbide is that the vehicle’s electronics can be made far smaller and much more compact. This, in turn, makes the entire vehicle lighter and cheaper. A current MSc thesis at Volvo Powertrain is studying silicon carbide and its applications in hybrid vehicles.

Hybrid technology is of considerable interest to vehicle manufacturers throughout the world. The same applies to VTT, which has accordingly invested in the one-year old company, TranSiC AB.

Johan Carlsson, who headed the move to invest in TranSiC says, “We are focusing early in the process on companies that can provide a good return and that can be of benefit to the Volvo Group. TranSiC AB is a young company with both a good product and a clear business plan.”