08-04-2015
- News releases
Paris, April 8, 2015 - Mersen (Euronext FR0000039620 – MRN), global expert in electrical specialties and graphite-based materials, has announced its participation in the "Little Box Challenge" to design the smallest power inverter in the world which, Google says, “will help revolutionize electricity for the next century.”
The objective of the competition, launched by Google and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), is to create an inverter capable of delivering the highest power, at roughly a tenth of the usual size.
With a prize of US $1 million, this project should, in particular, enable more solar-powered homes, more efficient distributed electrical grids and could help bring electricity to the most remote areas of the planet. The winners will be revealed in January 2016.
Power inverters are electronic devices that are essential for a number of varied applications. For example, they can take direct current from devices such as solar panels and batteries and turn it into alternating current for use in homes, businesses, and cars.
A recognized international expert in cooling solutions for power electronics systems, Mersen has joined forces with partners who are experts in their field in order to meet this challenge: the Canadian company TM4, for its expertise in inverter design and industrial electric steering motors; the PRIMES innovation platform for its abilities in integration and installation of power chips; and the French company Griset for iTBC®, its patented material whose thermal properties are specially adapted for electronic power modules.