Eaton’s new Flex Power Distribution Unit delivers safer power for commercial electric vehicles
Power management company Eaton today announced its eMobility business has introduced a new Flex Power Distribution Unit (PDU) for high-voltage electrified commercial vehicles that is uniquely designed to handle multiple load requirements.
Eaton has reached an agreement with Cummins Inc. to supply elements of the Flex PDU, which reliably distributes power and keeps the vehicle and occupants safe while protecting power electronics from short circuits, crash events and other electrical system faults.
“As power demands in electric vehicles continue to increase, the capabilities of PDUs, which connect the main battery power to the rest of the vehicle, must also increase,” said Scott Adams, SVP, eMobility, Eaton. “Our intelligent Flex PDU leverages our industry experience and electrical expertise to ensure complete power protection with enhanced vehicle performance and efficiency.”
Eaton’s new Flex PDU not only protects vital components and occupants, but it is also an intelligent unit that provides diagnostic information to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) via the Controller Area Network (CAN), including where the most power is being consumed to maximize performance and efficiency.
The Flex PDU, which combines all the benefits of an automotive PDU into flexible and modular packaging, can be tailored to customer specifications with short lead time, making it ideal for low-volume commercial vehicle applications.
For each output channel, the high-voltage Flex PDU offers:
- Isolation detection
- Voltage and current sensing
- Precharge functionality
- High-voltage interlock
- Circuit protection and switching capability
Eaton’s Flex PDU is scheduled to go into production by 2021. The Flex PDU will be introduced on October 29 at the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Eaton is a power management company with 2018 sales of $21.6 billion. We provide energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton is dedicated to improving the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. Eaton has approximately 100,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries.
www.eaton.com
