Design and technology of compact high-power converters

New material technologies such as silicon carbide (SiC) are promising in the development of compact high-power converters for next-generation power electronics applications. This paper presents an optimized converter design approach that takes into consideration nonlinear interactions among various converter components, source and load. It is shown that with the development of high-temperature, high-power SiC power module technology, magnetic components and capacitors become important technology challenges, and cannot be ignored. A 50% improvement in power density is calculated for a 100 V-2 kV, 7k W SiC DC-DC power converter operating at 150/spl deg/C compared to a silicon power converter. The SiC power converter can be operated at junction temperatures in excess of 300/spl deg/C (as compared to 150/spl deg/C for a silicon power converter) with reasonable efficiency that potentially leads to a significant reduction in thermal management.

[1]  G. E. Schwarze,et al.  Development of high frequency low weight power magnetics for aerospace power systems , 1984 .

[2]  Krishna Shenai,et al.  Optimum semiconductors for high-power electronics , 1989 .

[3]  K. Shenai,et al.  Optimally scaled low-voltage vertical power MOSFETs for high-frequency power conversion , 1990 .

[4]  K. Shenai,et al.  Potential impact of emerging semiconductor technologies on advanced power electronic systems , 1990, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[5]  N. Mohan,et al.  Asymmetrical duty cycle permits zero switching loss in PWM circuits with no conduction loss penalty , 1991, Conference Record of the 1991 IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting.

[6]  Krishna Shenai,et al.  Mixed-mode circuit simulation: an emerging CAD tool for the design and optimization of power semiconductor devices and circuits , 1994, Proceedings of 1994 IEEE Workshop on Computers in Power Electronics.

[7]  Narain G. Hingorani,et al.  Introducing custom power , 1995 .

[8]  Deepak Divan,et al.  Low stress switching for efficiency , 1996 .

[9]  John A. Hamley,et al.  The design and performance characteristics of the NSTAR PPU and DCIU , 1998 .

[10]  Krishna Shenai,et al.  Device reliability and robust power converter development , 1999 .

[11]  Michael Dudley,et al.  Study of bulk and elementary screw dislocation assisted reverse breakdown in low-voltage (<250 V) 4H-SiC p/sup +/-n junction diodes. I. DC properties , 1999 .

[12]  P. Neudeck,et al.  Study of Bulk and Elementary Screw Dislocation Assisted Reverse Breakdown in Low-Voltage (< 250 V) 4H-SiC p(sup +)n Junction Diodes--Part II: Dynamic Breakdown Properties. Part 2; Dynamic Breakdown Properties , 1999 .

[13]  Philip G. Neudeck,et al.  SiC Technology , 2000, The VLSI Handbook.