the electronics industry awards

The Electronics Industry Awards, organised by Components in Electronics (CIE) publisher Datateam Business Media, is back for 2021 to celebrate the very best professionals, products, projects and companies from across the electronics sector.

Paragraf has been nominated for the Automotive Product of the Year Award, for the GHS01AT graphene-based Hall effect sensor.

“Driven by consumer expectations for the next generation of EVs to be capable of covering greater distances between recharges, and for recharging to be completed with shorter time frames, EV manufacturers will need access to batteries that have exceptional properties. Alongside this there are pressures to lower the overall expense of the vehicles, by curbing the bill-of-materials costs. EV batteries are going to have to fit into areas with smaller dimensions and be more lightweight. At the same time they will need to offer elevated power density levels and support faster charging times. In many cases, the approach currently used for looking at the current densities in batteries is indirect – relying on temperature measurements. Direct methods, using fluxgate sensors, are equally problematic – as they lack the required field range and spatial resolution. Though Hall Effect sensors will deliver the real-time response to be effective in this application, they need to have performance parameters that are way beyond what conventional devices can provide – in terms of field resolution levels.  

Paragraf’s GHS01AT sensor will have a pivotal role to play in the testing of new EV battery concepts. Relying on a graphene monolayer (which is just 0.34nm thick), the GHS01AT’s sensor element can be considered as truly two-dimensional (2D). Consequently, this device is not subject to interference from stray in-plane electromagnetic fields. Far greater degrees of resolution can be supported than with standard Hall Effect sensor devices. Furthermore, as the measurement methodology is an isolated one, it causes no disruption to the cells’ operation.

By using this advanced magnetic sensing technology, EV manufacturers and their battery solutions providers will be able to scrutinise the validity of different battery designs – looking at what outcomes will result from any changes to the chemistry employed or to the form factor. They will be able to pinpoint early signs of hotspot formation, see what the implications are of charge/recharge cycles for the long-term health of the battery design (premature aging of cells, etc.), or what impact high operating temperatures might have. In addition, they will be able to undertake isolated current measurements at the anode and cathode tabs.”

Read the full submission entry for more details, or click here to cast your vote.

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