Eaton has reached an agreement with Cummins to supply elements of the Flex PDU, which distributes power and keeps the vehicle and occupants safe while protecting power electronics from short circuits, crash events and other electrical system faults, Eaton says.
“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,” says Scott Adams, Eaton senior vice president, eMobility. “Our intelligent Flex PDU leverages our industry experience and electrical expertise to ensure complete power protection with enhanced vehicle performance and efficiency.”
Eaton’s Flex PDU not only protects vital components and occupants, but it also is an intelligent unit that provides diagnostic information to the original equipment manufacturer via the Controller Area Network (CAN), including where the most power is being consumed to maximize performance and efficiency, the company says.
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, Eaton says.
For each output channel, the high-voltage Flex PDU offers isolation detection, voltage and current sensing, pre-charge functionality, high-voltage interlock and circuit protection and switching capability. Eaton says the Flex PDU is scheduled to go into production by 2021.
