Power Control Unit

Power Control Unit with DC/AC inverter and Voltage-Boosting Converter

HYBRID SYNERGY DRIVE is equipped with a Power Control Unit that consists of an inverter, a Voltage-Boosting Converter and an AC/DC converter to run the car on electric motors.

Inverter
The inverter converts DC supplied by the battery to AC to turn the electric motors and to use in the generator. Conversely, it converts AC generated by the electric motors and the generator into DC to recharge the battery.
Direct cooling of switching device is featured in the new Prius, improving cooling efficiency and enabling inverter downsizing and weight reduction.

Voltage-Boosting Converter
The Voltage-Boosting Converter steplessly increases the normal 201.6 V DC supply voltage to a maximum of 650 V(*1) to feed the electric motors and the generator as required. This means more power can be generated from a small current to bring out high performance from the high output motors, enhancing overall system efficiency. It also means that the inverter could be made smaller and lighter.

DC/DC Converter
The DC/DC converter steps down the 201.6 V supply voltage from the battery to 12 V, to be used by ancillary systems and electronic devices like the ECU.