Power-dense multilevel inverter module using interleaved GaN-based phases for electric aircraft propulsion

Pallo, Nathan; Foulkes, Thomas; Modéer, Tomas; Coday, Samantha; Pilawa-Podgurski, Robert C. N.

doi:10.1109/apec.2018.8341239

Cited by 62 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…(Note that here we always refer to the individual device switching frequency (f sw ), and not the effective switching frequency (f eff ), cf., Eqn. (14). )…”

Section: B Using the X-fom To Tradeoff Semiconductor Efficiency And mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Compared to a conventional 2-level bridge-leg, multi-level converters (Fig. 1b) can utilize power semiconductors with lower voltage ratings for lower onresistance [13], demonstrate increased power density [14,15] and efficiency [16,17]. In flying capacitor multi-level converters (FCML [18]), in particular, the filter size can also be reduced as more levels are added due to the lower voltseconds applied to the output inductor [19] (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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New Figure-of-Merit Combining Semiconductor and Multi-Level Converter Properties

Anderson

Zulauf

Kolar

et al. 2020

IEEE Open J. Power Electron.

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Figures-of-merit (FOMs) are widely-used to compare power semiconductor materials and devices and to motivate research and development of new technology nodes. These material-and device-specific FOMs, however, fail to directly translate into quantifiable performance in a specific power electronics application. Here, we combine device performance with specific bridge-leg topologies to propose the extended FOM, or X-FOM, a figure-of-merit that quantifies bridge-leg performance in multi-level (ML) topologies and supports the quantitative comparison and optimization of topologies and power devices. To arrive at the proposed X-FOM, we revisit the fundamental scaling laws of the on-state resistance and output capacitance of power semiconductors to first propose a revised device-level semiconductor Figure-of-Merit (D-FOM). The D-FOM is then generalized to a multi-level topology with an arbitrary number of levels, output power, and input voltage, resulting in the X-FOM that quantitatively compares hard-switched semiconductor stage losses and filter stage requirements across different bridgeleg structures and numbers of levels, identifies the maximum achievable efficiency of the semiconductor stage, and determines the loss-optimal combination of semiconductor die area and switching frequency. To validate the new X-FOM and showcase its utility, we perform a case study on candidate bridge-leg structures for a three-phase 10 kW photovoltaic (PV) inverter, with the X-FOM showing that (a) the minimum hard-switching losses are an accurate approximation to predict the theoretically maximum achievable efficiency and relative performance between bridge-legs and (b) the 3-level bridge-leg outperforms the 2-level configuration, despite utilizing a SiC MOSFET with a lower D-FOM than in the 2-level case.

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“…(Note that here we always refer to the individual device switching frequency (f sw ), and not the effective switching frequency (f eff ), cf., Eqn. (14). )…”

Section: B Using the X-fom To Tradeoff Semiconductor Efficiency And mentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Figure-of-Merit Combining Semiconductor and Multi-Level Converter Properties

Anderson

Zulauf

Kolar

et al. 2020

IEEE Open J. Power Electron.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is an example of how WBG devices aid in the electrification process. The semiconductor technology permits the design of more power dense and reliable power electronic systems, while optimizing efficiency [83], [84], [95].…”

Section: A More Electric Aircraftmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current Status and Future Trends of GaN HEMTs in Electrified Transportation

et al. 2020

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Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistors (GaN HEMTs) enable higher efficiency, higher power density, and smaller passive components resulting in lighter, smaller and more efficient electrical systems as opposed to conventional Silicon (Si) based devices. This paper investigates the detailed benefits of using GaN devices in transportation electrification applications. The material properties of GaN including the applications of GaN HEMTs at different switch ratings are presented. The challenges currently facing the transportation industry are introduced and possible solutions are presented. A detailed review of the use of GaN in the Electric Vehicle (EV) powertrain is discussed. The implementation of GaN devices in aircraft, ships, rail vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles is briefly covered. Future trends of GaN devices in terms of cost, voltage level, gate driver design, thermal management and packaging are investigated.INDEX TERMS Electric vehicle, gallium nitride, high electron mobility transistor, hybrid electric vehicle, wide bandgap devices.

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“…The comparison in [15] showed that multilevel converters can achieve better efficiency and better power density in higher-power applications. Research activities related to topologies with three-level (3L) [16,17], five-level (5L) [18], and even higher-voltage-level [19] output were investigated. However, these researches did not compare different multilevel converter topologies with different voltage levels to show which topology is more favorable in certain applications.…”

Section: Corners Of Thementioning

confidence: 99%

An Extremely High Power Density Asymmetrical Back-to-Back Converter for Aerospace Motor Drive Applications

Zhang

et al. 2020

Energies

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Higher-voltage-standard and higher-power-rating aerospace power systems are being investigated intensively in the aerospace industry to address challenges in terms of improving emissions, fuel economy, and also cost. Multilevel converter topologies become attractive because of their higher efficiency under high-voltage and high-switching-frequency conditions. In this paper, an asymmetrical-voltage-level back-to-back multilevel converter is proposed, which consists of a five-level (5L) rectifier stage and a three-level (3L) inverter stage. Based on the comparison, such an asymmetrical back-to-back structure can achieve high efficiency and minimize the converter weight on both rectifier and inverter sides. A compact triple-surface-mounted heatsink structure is designed to realize high density and manufacturable thermal management. This topology and structure are evaluated with a full-rating prototype. According to the evaluation, the achieved power density is 2.61 kVA/kg, which is 30% higher than that of traditional solutions. The efficiency at the rated power of the back-to-back system is 95.8%.

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Power-dense multilevel inverter module using interleaved GaN-based phases for electric aircraft propulsion

Cited by 62 publications

References 12 publications

New Figure-of-Merit Combining Semiconductor and Multi-Level Converter Properties

New Figure-of-Merit Combining Semiconductor and Multi-Level Converter Properties

Current Status and Future Trends of GaN HEMTs in Electrified Transportation

An Extremely High Power Density Asymmetrical Back-to-Back Converter for Aerospace Motor Drive Applications

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