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, dealingwith 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 commercialautomotive 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 benefitfrom 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 I program is to demonstrate the feasibility of a militaryconversion to a 42-Volt system and to determine its impact on vehicle sustainability and maintainability. Secondly, a reasonable phased approach toward implementation using a dual-voltage architecture will be evaluated and reported. There are a number ofanticipated benefits from the conversion of military vehicles to a 42V or hybrid 14/42V system, including improved vehicle performance, greater power generation and storage capacity, superior reliability, reduced weight, and lower fuel consumption.Additional anticipated benefits include support for emerging 42V technologies and consistency with future commercial standards. Direct applications exist for 42-Volt systems and related technologies in the commercial automotive and trucking industries.Other potential commercialization targets include construction equipment, marine and aerospace applications, mobile power generators, and other motorized systems.