Three-Level Inverter with 60 A, 4.5 kV Si IGBT/SiC JBS Power Modules for Marine Applications

Abstract

Semiconductor modules with medium-voltage (MV) Si IGBTs and anti-parallel silicon-carbide (SiC) junction-barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes are of interest in commercial and naval converters as they allow for significantly reduced switching losses and at present are more cost-effective than an all-SiC switch. A three-level converter is being built and tested using custom modules made with 60A (120A pulsed), 4.5kV Si IGBTs and SiC JBS diodes. This work provides a platform to de-risk and evaluate the integration of SiC JBS diodes at MV using commercial modulation strategies and gating electronics with standard industry topologies for a range of switching frequencies. A comparison of SiC JBS diodes for MV, such as the decrease in turn-on IGBT losses and the elimination of snappy or avalanche recoveries is reviewed, and ways to make SiC more cost effective via topology and packaging choices are discussed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA589496

Entities

People

  • Karl D. Hobart
  • Kathleen Lentijo

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Converters
  • Frequency
  • Inverters
  • Military Research
  • Pin Diodes
  • Power Converters
  • Power Electronics
  • Recovery
  • Semiconductor Devices
  • Semiconductors
  • Silicon Carbide
  • Solid State Electronics
  • Standards
  • Switches
  • Switching
  • Topology

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Semiconductor Device Technology

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics