Design and Implementation of a GaN-Based, 100-kHz, 102-W/in3 Single-Phase Inverter

High power density is a desirable feature of power electronics design, which prompts economic incentives for industrial applications. In this paper, a gallium nitride (GaN)-based 2-kVA single-phase inverter design was developed for the Google Little Box Challenge, which achieves a 102-W/in3 power density. First, the static and dynamic temperature-dependent characteristics of multiple SiC and enhancement-mode GaN FETs are investigated and compared. Based on the device testing results, several topologies of the inverter stage and different power decoupling solutions are compared with respect to the device volume, efficiency, and thermal requirements. Moreover, some design approaches for magnetic devices and the implementation of gate drives for GaN devices are discussed in this paper, which enable a compact and robust system. Finally, a dc notch filter and a hard switching full-bridge converter are combined as the proposed design for the prototype. A 2-kVA prototype is demonstrated, which meets the volume, efficiency, and thermal requirements. The performance of the prototype is verified by the experimental results.

[1]  Robert C. N. Pilawa-Podgurski,et al.  A high-efficiency high energy density buffer architecture for power pulsation decoupling in grid-interfaced converters , 2015, 2015 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE).

[2]  Dehong Xu,et al.  A ZVS Grid-Connected Three-Phase Inverter , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[3]  L. Tolbert,et al.  Active Gate Driver for Crosstalk Suppression of SiC Devices in a Phase-Leg Configuration , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[4]  Jin Wang,et al.  Switched-Capacitor-Cell-Based Voltage Multipliers and DC–AC Inverters , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[5]  Johann W. Kolar.  Approaches to Overcome the Google Little-Box Challenges , 2015 .

[6]  Hui Zhao,et al.  Active Power Decoupling for High-Power Single-Phase PWM Rectifiers , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[7]  Johann W. Kolar,et al.  Comprehensive Design and Optimization of a High-Power-Density Single-Phase Boost PFC , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[8]  F. Blaabjerg,et al.  A review of single-phase grid-connected inverters for photovoltaic modules , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[9]  Johann W. Kolar,et al.  Ultraflat Interleaved Triangular Current Mode (TCM) Single-Phase PFC Rectifier , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[10]  Nakkireddyvari Bhargavi,et al.  Modular Cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel PV Inverter with Distributed MPPT for Grid-Connected Applications , 2016 .

[11]  Siew-Chong Tan,et al.  Mitigation of Low-Frequency Current Ripple in Fuel-Cell Inverter Systems Through Waveform Control , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[12]  Frede Blaabjerg,et al.  Proportionalresonant controllers and filters for gridconnected voltagesource converters , 2006 .

[13]  F. Lee,et al.  On a Future for Power Electronics , 2013 .

[14]  Fred Wang,et al.  Characterization of an enhancement-mode 650-V GaN HFET , 2015, 2015 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE).

[15]  Haibing Hu,et al.  A Controlled-Type ZVS Technique Without Auxiliary Components for the Low Power DC/AC Inverter , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[16]  Fritz Schimpf,et al.  Effective use of film capacitors in single-phase PV-inverters by active power decoupling , 2010, IECON 2010 - 36th Annual Conference on IEEE Industrial Electronics Society.

[17]  Leon M. Tolbert,et al.  Evaluation of switching performance of SiC devices in PWM inverter fed induction motor drives , 2014, 2014 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE).

[18]  Quan Li,et al.  A Review of the Single Phase Photovoltaic Module Integrated Converter Topologies With Three Different DC Link Configurations , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[19]  Fred C. Lee,et al.  Evaluation of high-voltage cascode GaN HEMT in different packages , 2014, 2014 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition - APEC 2014.

[20]  Holmes,et al.  Pulse width modulation for power converters , 2003 .

[21]  M. Glover,et al.  Wide Bandgap Technologies and Their Implications on Miniaturizing Power Electronic Systems , 2014, IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics.

[22]  Michael A. E. Andersen,et al.  Evolution of Very High Frequency Power Supplies , 2014, IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics.

[23]  F. Wang,et al.  A High Power Density Single-Phase PWM Rectifier With Active Ripple Energy Storage , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[24]  Changliang Xia,et al.  Topology Review and Derivation Methodology of Single-Phase Transformerless Photovoltaic Inverters for Leakage Current Suppression , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[25]  J. Bordonau,et al.  Topologies of single-phase inverters for small distributed power generators: an overview , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[26]  Siew-Chong Tan,et al.  Analysis and design of repetitive controller for harmonic elimination in PWM voltage source inverter systems , 2008 .

[27]  F. Krismer,et al.  Design Space Analysis and ρ – ρ Pareto Optimization of LC Output Filters for Switch-Mode AC Power Sources , 2015 .

[28]  Charles R. Sullivan,et al.  Accurate prediction of ferrite core loss with nonsinusoidal waveforms using only Steinmetz parameters , 2002, 2002 IEEE Workshop on Computers in Power Electronics, 2002. Proceedings..

[29]  P. T. Krein,et al.  Minimum Energy and Capacitance Requirements for Single-Phase Inverters and Rectifiers Using a Ripple Port , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[30]  Hans Ertl,et al.  EMI Filter Design for a 1 MHz, 10 kW Three-Phase/Level PWM Rectifier , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[31]  Fred C. Lee,et al.  Design and evaluation of GaN-based dual-phase interleaved MHz critical mode PFC converter , 2014, 2014 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE).

[32]  D. Boroyevich,et al.  Three-level Active Neutral-Point-Clamped Zero-Current-Transition Converter for Sustainable Energy Systems , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[33]  Haibing Hu,et al.  A Review of Power Decoupling Techniques for Microinverters With Three Different Decoupling Capacitor Locations in PV Systems , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[34]  Jih-Sheng Lai,et al.  Design consideration for power factor correction boost converter operating at the boundary of continuous conduction mode and discontinuous conduction mode , 1993, Proceedings Eighth Annual Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition,.