Advanced 42-Volt Technologies for Military Vehicles

With the integration of new technologies and advanced electronics into military vehicle applications, there grows an increasing demand on electrical systems to generate and sustain adequate power. Commercial automotive manufacturers and suppliers, dealing with similar needs, are addressing heightened load requirements through the on-going development of innovative vehicle power distribution architectures and sub-system designs. A new higher-voltage approach has emerged as a future standard for commercial automotive electrical systems. That is, the appearance of a 42-Volt system promises a number of benefits for both commercial and military applications, including increased power availability, improved energy storage, longer battery life, lighter wiring, smaller and more powerful motors and actuators, increased efficiency, lower emissions, and superior vehicle reliability. Additionally, the implementation of 42V power management systems will facilitate the growth of many emerging technologies that benefit from higher supply voltages, such as integrated starter/generators, drive-by-wire systems, electromagnetic valvetrains, and intelligent electro-mechanical loads. The objective of the proposed Phase II program is to demonstrate the feasibility of a military conversion toward 42-Volt electrical systems through the development and validation of a vehicle prototype. Secondly, a reasonable phased approach toward implementation using a triple-voltage architecture will be evaluated and reported.