Scalable 3 kW, 48 V / 12 V Bidirectional DC/DC Converter Reference Design

Vishay offers a complete 3 kW, 48 V / 12 V buck-boost converter design that utilizes an insulated metal substrate (IMS) with a heatsink for the power stage and a standard FR4 controller board mounted on top. In general, these types of converter designs cannot operate at maximum efficiency over a wide power range. However, this design features six modular power stages capable of 500 W each.

As dual-board net systems (vehicles with both a 12 V and 48 V bus) increase in popularity, high-power, bidirectional, 48 V to 12 V DC/DC converters have become key building blocks in the architecture of today’s automobiles. To optimize overall vehicle efficiency, energy must be transferred in either direction between the 12 V and 48 V batteries, depending on the vehicle’s electrical demands and the state of the batteries’ health.