A study is conducted to evaluate 1.2 kV silicon-carbide (SiC) MOSFETs in a cascaded H-bridge (CHB) three-phase inverter for medium-voltage applications. The main purpose of this topology is to remove the need for a bulky 60 Hz transformer normally used to step up the output signal of a voltage source inverter to a medium-voltage level. Using SiC devices (1.2-6.5 kV SiC MOSFETs) which have a high breakdown voltage, enables the system to meet and withstand the medium-voltage stress using only a minimal number of cascaded modules. The SiC-based power electronics when used in the presented topology considerably reduce the complexity usually encountered when Si devices are used to meet the medium-voltage level and power scalability. Simulation and preliminary experimental results on a low-voltage prototype verifies the nine-level CHB topology presented in this study.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.