42 V Powernet enabling technologies: overview

This paper aims to review the enabling technologies that provide the “how” to achieve the 42 V Powernet electrical architecture in a vehicle. The transition from purely 14 V to purely 42 V electrical systems will not be a single “straight-swap” process and the intermediate mixed 14 V/42 V architecture is also discussed. The reason for a mixed architecture is that there is impetus in the OEM vehicle market to begin early introduction of 42 V systems into production vehicles. This enables early prove out of the new technologies while gaining early in-vehicle development benefits from 42 V systems (e.g. energy/weight savings)