Gas Pump Prices Point To Advantages of Rectifier's Power Mmgt Technology
24 March 2000
Today's Spiralling Gas Pump Prices Point To Advantages of International Rectifier's Power Management Technology
Electronic Steering and Smart Starter-Alternator Motors
Can Save Five mpg and Improve Reliability
LOS ANGELES, March 23 Pump prices are soaring. Sales of
gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles, minivans and pickups are tanking.
Gas prices are up more than 60 percent over last year, and most industry
analysts say they are bound to rise further and stay high for a long time.
Auto dealers report that they fear the market for big cars and trucks may be
coming to an abrupt end as their inventories stack up.
Are we heading for an energy crisis?
"Don't count on it," says Alex Lidow, chief executive officer of El
Segundo, Calif.-based International Rectifier .
And he should know. His company is a world leader in power management, a
technology that promises to cut our dependency on petrochemicals and
revolutionize the way we power our planet.
"Just take a look at today's cars," advises Lidow. "They depend on
electronics to power all the new features, like navigation, plus now-standard
airbags and anti-lock brakes.
"The latest models are replacing hydraulic steering with electric steering
systems that reduce the weight and the drag on the engine, so you can save two
miles per gallon. That can make a big dent in spiraling fuel costs. And
we're working with GM and other companies on systems that make it possible to
power the starter and alternator functions with a single motor that's twice as
efficient. You'll see that in a couple of years, and it can save another
three miles per gallon -- about a ten percent improvement for the average
car."
The technology driving these cost-savings is called power management,
which has moved from obscurity to center stage, as makers of everything from
cars to computers and cell phones to servers race to create high-performance
products that are smaller, lighter, faster, and offer more features.
Advancements in power management allow portable electronics to run longer on a
single charge and enable automakers to add popular electronic features without
sacrificing fuel mileage.
Longterm, Lidow calls the evolution from gas to electricity "inevitable,"
and adds, "I already drive an electric car. It handles great, runs clean, and
costs a lot less to operate -- especially with today's pump prices."
Cars aren't the only thing gobbling up more power management technology
all the time. What fuels heady growth expectations for this $7 billion market
is the world's huge appetite for Information Technology. Right now
International Rectifier technology powers the internet backbone of routers and
servers, wireless phones, Pentium III portable computers, and Sony's mega-hit
PlayStation 2, to name just a few applications.
What's more, technology advancements in power management can improve the
world's overall energy outlook.
"Over half the electricity in the U.S. is used to power motors, and power
electronics can cut their electricity consumption by up to 40 percent. So we
wouldn't need to build another nuclear power plant or dam a river for many
years to come," says Lidow.
But the biggest savings come in the simplest application -- the light
bulb.
"About 30 percent of our electricity goes into lighting, and incandescent
bulbs waste 75 percent of the energy they consume," says Lidow. "Compact
fluorescent bulbs cut electricity consumption by two-thirds and last ten times
longer.
"In China, India and throughout Africa where the energy budget per person
is about 100 watts, power management technology can mean the difference
between lighting one bulb and lighting four," Lidow continues. "The
implications are staggering, especially in the developing world."
International Rectifier, Inc.
International Rectifier, Inc., designs, manufactures and markets power
management products to industry leaders in information technology and other
market sectors. IR supplies analog ICs and advanced circuit devices, power
systems, and components, and is the pioneer and market leader in the $3
billion power MOSFET industry. IR's advancements in power management
technology allow its customers to add functionality, improve performance and
reduce size and weight in products such as routers, servers, cell phones and
notebook computers. IR's devices and systems allow battery-operated products
to run longer off a single charge, improve automotive fuel efficiency and cut
energy consumption in home appliances and industrial motors.
For further information please contact, Shelley Wagers, International
Rectifier, 310.726.8512, swagers1@irf.com; or Tim Blair, Blair & Associates,
310-470-4569, blaircom@att.net, for International Rectifier