Porsche is working with Burmester and the University of Stuttgart on a new approach to in-car audio that uses Gallium Nitride (GaN) to deliver greater efficiency and power density. The technology is designed to make powerful audio systems more compact while reducing energy consumption and heat.
Why Porsche Is Turning to Gallium Nitride
Gallium Nitride is being used as a semiconductor material in the new audio system. While GaN is already used in automotive applications, including charging systems, DC-DC converters and traction motor inverters for recouping energy through deceleration and braking, Porsche and its partners are applying the material to another area of vehicle technology.
Compared with silicon, GaN can be packaged more compactly, switches on faster, produces less heat and can handle higher loads. Those characteristics make it suitable for an audio system where efficiency, power and packaging are all important.
What GaN Means for Porsche Audio Systems
The more compact arrangement provides greater packaging flexibility and could benefit future Porsche models. Lower heat emissions can also improve energy efficiency, while GaN’s ability to handle higher loads means powerful amplifiers do not require large numbers of transistors to operate.
Porsche plans to apply the GaN-equipped audio system to models featuring the Burmester High-End setup. The technology is intended to address more than simply sound quality or volume, with efficiency and energy consumption also playing important roles.
GaN Could Extend Beyond Audio
The audio system is only the beginning of Porsche’s work with this technology. The company expects to apply the know-how to other vehicle parts and functions as cars become increasingly dependent on technology.
GaN semiconductors could eventually become an industry norm and find applications in auxiliaries, powertrains and other vehicle systems. For now, Porsche, Burmester and the University of Stuttgart are applying the technology to high-end automotive audio with a focus on greater efficiency and power density.
