TY - GEN
T1 - 18 kW three phase inverter system using hermetically sealed SiC phase-leg power modules
AU - Zhang, Hui
AU - Tolbert, Leon M.
AU - Han, Jung Hee
AU - Chinthavali, Madhu S.
AU - Barlow, Fred
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Power electronics play an important role in electricity utilization from generation to end customers. Thus, highefficiency power electronics help to save energy and conserve energy resources. Research on silicon carbide (SiC) power electronics has shown their better efficiency compared to Si power electronics due to the significant reduction in both conduction and switching losses. Combined with their hightemperature capability, SiC power electronics are more reliable and compact. This paper focuses on the development of such a high efficiency, high temperature inverter based on SiC JFET and diode modules. It involves the work on high temperature packaging (>200 °C), inverter design and prototype development, device characterization, and inverter testing. A SiC inverter prototype with a power rating of 18 kW is developed and demonstrated. When tested at moderate load levels compared to the inverter rating, an efficiency of 98.2% is achieved by the initial prototype without optimization, which is higher than most Si inverters.
AB - Power electronics play an important role in electricity utilization from generation to end customers. Thus, highefficiency power electronics help to save energy and conserve energy resources. Research on silicon carbide (SiC) power electronics has shown their better efficiency compared to Si power electronics due to the significant reduction in both conduction and switching losses. Combined with their hightemperature capability, SiC power electronics are more reliable and compact. This paper focuses on the development of such a high efficiency, high temperature inverter based on SiC JFET and diode modules. It involves the work on high temperature packaging (>200 °C), inverter design and prototype development, device characterization, and inverter testing. A SiC inverter prototype with a power rating of 18 kW is developed and demonstrated. When tested at moderate load levels compared to the inverter rating, an efficiency of 98.2% is achieved by the initial prototype without optimization, which is higher than most Si inverters.
KW - Efficiency
KW - High temperature
KW - Inverter
KW - Packaging
KW - SiC JFET
KW - Silicon Carbide (SiC)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77952200634&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/APEC.2010.5433365
DO - 10.1109/APEC.2010.5433365
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:77952200634
SN - 9781424447824
T3 - Conference Proceedings - IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition - APEC
SP - 1108
EP - 1112
BT - APEC 2010 - 25th Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition
T2 - 25th Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, APEC 2010
Y2 - 21 February 2010 through 25 February 2010
ER -