Rompower's 'Ideal Flyback' Aims to Power Next-Gen EVs and AI

TUCSON, Ariz. – January 16, 2026 – A Tucson-based research firm, Rompower Energy Systems Inc., has unveiled a new power converter design that could provide a significant efficiency boost to two of the world's most demanding technology sectors: electric vehicles (EVs) and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The company’s ‘Ideal Flyback’ topology promises to solve long-standing challenges in power conversion, delivering measured efficiency gains of 4-7% and halving power dissipation in high-voltage applications.

This innovation arrives at a critical moment, as both the automotive and computing industries are rapidly adopting 800-volt power architectures to overcome the physical and economic limits of existing systems. By fundamentally re-engineering a common power supply component, Rompower’s breakthrough could have an outsized impact on everything from EV charging speeds to the operational cost and carbon footprint of AI.

The Engineering Leap Beyond Conventional Limits

The flyback converter is a workhorse in the world of electronics—a simple, cost-effective circuit used to convert voltages in countless devices. However, in high-voltage applications, its traditional design suffers from a critical flaw related to the transformer's leakage inductance. This phenomenon causes voltage spikes and parasitic ringing when the main power switch turns off, creating energy loss, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and stress that can lead to component failure.

Engineers have historically mitigated these issues with external 'snubber' circuits or more complex 'active clamp' designs that add components and cost. Rompower’s 'Ideal Flyback' takes a more elegant approach. Instead of merely suppressing the problematic leakage energy, it harvests and repurposes it to achieve true Zero-Voltage Switching (ZVS) across all operating conditions. ZVS ensures the power switch turns on only when the voltage across it is zero, virtually eliminating switching losses and the associated voltage spikes and ringing.

Crucially, this is achieved while preserving the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of a single-switch architecture. According to the company, measured waveforms validate this behavior even at an input of 1000V using advanced Silicon Carbide (SiC) power switches, demonstrating a clean, efficient, and robust performance under extreme conditions. This technical novelty is supported by intellectual property, including a patent that details a method for using leakage inductance energy to create ZVS conditions at the main switch.

Powering the 800-Volt Revolution in Electric Vehicles

The automotive industry is in the midst of a foundational shift from 400-volt to 800-volt electrical architectures. Pioneered by models like the Porsche Taycan and now adopted by Hyundai, Kia, Lucid, and others, 800V systems allow for dramatically faster charging times—a key factor in overcoming consumer range anxiety. Higher voltage also means lower current for the same power delivery, enabling the use of lighter, thinner cables, which reduces vehicle weight and cost.

Rompower's technology plugs directly into this trend. A 4-7% gain in power conversion efficiency is not a trivial improvement in an EV. It means more energy from the battery makes it to the wheels, directly extending the vehicle's driving range. It also means less energy is wasted as heat during operation and charging. By reducing power dissipation by more than half, the Ideal Flyback can lead to smaller, lighter cooling systems and more compact power electronic modules—freeing up valuable space and further reducing vehicle weight.

Flyback converters are already common in vehicles for auxiliary power supplies that run infotainment, lighting, and battery management systems. With its proven high-voltage capability, Rompower’s design is positioned to enhance these systems and other power conversion stages within the demanding 800V environment, contributing to a more efficient and reliable EV ecosystem.

A Critical Boost for Energy-Hungry AI Data Centers

While EVs are reshaping transportation, a parallel power revolution is underway in data centers, driven by the insatiable energy demands of artificial intelligence. Training and running complex AI models require massive computational power, and projections show AI workloads could cause data center electricity consumption to double by 2030, putting immense strain on global power grids.

In response, industry leaders like NVIDIA are championing a move from traditional 48V systems to 800V High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) power distribution within data centers. Much like in EVs, this shift dramatically reduces energy lost during power transmission by lowering electrical current. Rompower's Ideal Flyback, with its high efficiency and low heat waste, is a compelling component for this new architecture.

In a hyperscale data center, a 4-7% efficiency improvement translates into millions of dollars in annual electricity savings and a substantially lower carbon footprint. Furthermore, with cooling accounting for up to 40% of a data center's energy use, the Ideal Flyback’s ability to cut power dissipation in half directly reduces the thermal load. This lessens the demand on expensive and energy-intensive cooling systems, improves reliability, and allows for higher-density server racks—enabling more computing power in the same physical space. By enhancing the reliability of a fundamental power component, the technology also helps mitigate the risk of power-related failures, which are a leading cause of data center outages that can cost millions of dollars.

A Strategy of Quiet Innovation

Unlike large-scale component manufacturers, Rompower operates as a specialized research and development firm, focusing on creating breakthrough technologies that can be licensed or integrated by industry giants. This strategy allows the company to focus on deep engineering challenges rather than the complexities of mass production.

“We continually challenge ourselves to remain at the forefront of power-conversion technology,” said Ionel “Dan” Jitaru, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Rompower Energy Systems Inc., in the company's announcement. “Our focus is on delivering breakthrough innovations that redefine efficiency, scalability, and performance for next-generation power systems.”

This engineering-driven approach positions Rompower as a key enabler for the broader industry. By developing and patenting foundational technologies like the Ideal Flyback, the company provides the building blocks that larger manufacturers in the automotive and data center supply chains can adopt to build their next-generation products.

As industries from automotive to computing race to build more powerful and efficient systems, the foundation they are built on—the humble power converter—is proving to be a critical frontier for innovation. Rompower's Ideal Flyback demonstrates that even in mature components, significant breakthroughs are possible, with the potential to ripple across entire ecosystems by saving energy, reducing heat, and enabling the next generation of high-performance technology.