A High-power High-frequency and Scalable Multi-megawatt Fuel-cell Inverter for Power Quality and Distributed Generation

Recent R&D in high-voltage and high-power SiC power semiconductor devices have enabled the possibility of a radical shift in the design of high-power inverters from one that is based primarily on line-frequency switching to one that operates between 10 to 20 kHz. It is based on this ongoing advancement, we propose a 1-10 MW and 20 kHz inverter that is fed from a fuel-cell stack and delivers active and reactive power to a utility grid at 12.47 kV and 60 Hz. The inverter eliminates the need for bulky line-frequency transformer and reactive components and has less volume and lower cost. Further, owing to the modular structure of the inverter, it is scalable for higher power and higher voltage applications.