18
Cars in particular pose special challenges
such as space and weight requirements,
robustness under extreme mechanical and
climatic conditions, and how to achieve
volume production at low cost. Power
electronic inverters, for instance, control
the energy flow for electric driving in hy-
brid and electrical vehicles. More precisely,
they convert direct current from the trac-
tion battery into the three-phase alternat-
ing current that powers the electric motor.
Inverters also control energy recuperation,
which saves on fuel, as well as the currents
recharging the battery. The second genera-
tion of Bosch inverter systems has already
entered series production (fig. 3 - 4).
Robert Bosch GmbH
The Bosch Group is a leading global sup-
plier of technology and services. It em-
ploys roughly 375,000 associates world-
wide (as of December 31, 2015). The
company generated sales of 70.6 billion
euros in 2015. Its operations are divided
into four business sectors: Mobility Solu-
tions, Industrial Technology, Consumer
Goods, and Energy and Building Technol-
ogy. The Bosch Group comprises Robert
Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 sub-
sidiaries and regional companies in some
60 countries. Including sales and service
partners, Bosch’s global manufactur-
ing and sales network covers some 150
countries. The basis for the company’s fu-
ture growth is its innovative strength. At
roughly 118 locations across the globe,
Bosch employs 55,800 associates in re-
search and development. The Bosch
Group’s strategic objective is to create
solutions for a connected life. Bosch im-
proves quality of life worldwide with prod-
ucts and services that are innovative and
spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates
technology that is “Invented for life.”
Power electronics: from technologies
to product innovations
Power electronics is a key enabling tech-
nology in many areas in which Bosch
does business, including e-mobility (fig.1),
industrial drives, power tools, and renew-
able energy (fig. 2).
Miniaturization of power electronics plays
a central role in product innovation: reduc-
ing space requirements, decreasing weight,
improving efficiency, and ultimately lower-
ing the cost of power electronics will make
fuel-saving hybrid technology affordable
to more and more drivers. In interdiscipli-
nary teams of engineers, Bosch is develop-
ing miniaturization and next-generation
power-electronics system integration on
all technology levels, from semiconductor-
components, power-modules and control
units to overall electric drive systems.
Robert Bosch gmbh
1 Power electronics is a key enabling technology
for the electric powertrain in hybrid and electrical
vehicles, electric power steering, start-stop
systems, and for body electronics
3 Bosch power inverters are controlling the electric
drives in hybrid and electrical cars
(example: Inverter-Converter Gen. 2.3)
4 Modular design of automotive power inverters
enables demanding design spaces in hybrid cars,
resulting in individual solutions (example: Inverter_L7)
2 Photovoltaic inverters
combined with intelligent
energy management
and storage solutions
such as the VS5 Hybrid
are innovative products
of Bosch Power Tec
