GaN-based single phase brushless DC motor drive for high-speed applications

It is a well-known fact that wide-bandgap (WBG) materials such as gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) have superior characteristics compared to silicon (Si) in power electronics and motor drive applications. Performance of a single-phase brushless high-speed DC motor can be improved by using GaN-based drive since it requires high frequency operation and low conduction and switching losses. This paper discusses the implementation of GaN devices to drive a single-phase brushless DC motor. Control strategies and simulation analysis are presented. Comparison is carried out between GaN-based and Si-based brushless DC motor drive systems and the potential benefits of GaN-based drive system are quantified from the efficiency and loss perspective.

[1]  K. Shenai,et al.  Simple and Accurate Circuit Simulation Model for Gallium Nitride Power Transistors , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[2]  J. Lazar,et al.  GaN HFET switching characteristics at 350V/20A and synchronous boost converter performance at 1MHz , 2012, 2012 Twenty-Seventh Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC).

[3]  Jun-Koo Kang,et al.  Efficiency Comparison Between Si-IGBT-Based Drive and GaN-Based Drive , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[4]  F. Lee,et al.  Three-level driving method for GaN power transistor in synchronous buck converter , 2012, 2012 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE).

[5]  J. Strydom,et al.  Understanding the effect of PCB layout on circuit performance in a high frequency gallium nitride based point of load converter , 2013, 2013 Twenty-Eighth Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC).

[6]  Yi Zhao,et al.  1 MHz cascaded Z-source inverters for scalable grid-interactive photovoltaic (PV) applications using GaN device , 2011, 2011 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition.

[7]  A. Monti,et al.  An Efficient High-Frequency Drive Circuit for GaN Power HFETs , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[8]  D. Kranzer,et al.  Application of a new 600 V GaN transistor in power electronics for PV systems , 2012, 2012 15th International Power Electronics and Motion Control Conference (EPE/PEMC).

[9]  Bulent Sarlioglu,et al.  Efficiency characterization and thermal study of GaN based 1 kW inverter , 2014, 2014 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition - APEC 2014.

[10]  Ke Zou,et al.  A Gallium Nitride switched-capacitor power inverter for photovoltaic applications , 2012, 2012 Twenty-Seventh Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC).

[11]  M. Acanski,et al.  Comparison of Si and GaN power devices used in PV module integrated converters , 2011, 2011 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition.

[12]  Bulent Sarlioglu,et al.  Application Engineering of Wide Bandgap Semiconductors , 2013 .

[13]  O. Wasynczuk,et al.  Analysis and Modeling of a Single-Phase Brushless DC Motor Drive System , 1989, IEEE Power Engineering Review.

[14]  D. Howe,et al.  Control of single-phase permanent magnet brushless DC drives for high-speed applications , 2000 .

[15]  Ruey-Hsun Liang,et al.  Optimal Driving Efficiency Design for the Single-Phase Brushless DC Fan Motor , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics.

[16]  Youhao Xi,et al.  Optimization of the drive circuit for enhancement mode power GaN FETs in DC-DC converters , 2012, 2012 Twenty-Seventh Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC).

[17]  Ziwei Ouyang,et al.  Very thin flexible coupled inductors for PV module integrated GaN converter , 2012, Proceedings of The 7th International Power Electronics and Motion Control Conference.

[18]  S. Heikman,et al.  A 97.8% Efficient GaN HEMT Boost Converter With 300-W Output Power at 1 MHz , 2008, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[19]  Satoshi Tamura,et al.  99.3% Efficiency of three-phase inverter for motor drive using GaN-based Gate Injection Transistors , 2011, 2011 Twenty-Sixth Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC).