A 55-kW Three-Phase Inverter With Si IGBTs and SiC Schottky Diodes

Author

Ozpineci, Burak ; Chinthavali, Madhu Sudhan ; Tolbert, Leon M. ; Kashyap, Avinash S. ; Mantooth, H. Alan

Author_Institution

Power Electron. & Electr. Machinery Res. Center, Oak Ridge Nat. Lab., Oak Ridge, TN

Volume

45

Issue

1

fYear

2009

Firstpage

278

Lastpage

285

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) power devices are expected to have an impact on power converter efficiency, weight, volume, and reliability. Currently, only SiC Schottky diodes are commercially available at relatively low current ratings. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has collaborated with Cree and Semikron to build a Si insulated-gate bipolar transistor-SiC Schottky diode hybrid 55-kW inverter by replacing the Si p-n diodes in Semikron´s automotive inverter with Cree´s made-to-order higher current SiC Schottky diodes. This paper presents the developed models of these diodes for circuit simulators, shows inverter test results, and compares the results with those of a similar all-Si inverter.

Keywords

Schottky diodes; automotive electronics; circuit simulation; hybrid electric vehicles; insulated gate bipolar transistors; invertors; power convertors; silicon compounds; IGBT; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Schottky diodes; Semikron´s automotive inverter; SiC; circuit simulator; hybrid electric vehicle; insulated-gate bipolar transistor; low current ratings; p-n diodes; power 55 kW; power converter efficiency; three-phase inverter; Automotive engineering; Circuit simulation; Circuit testing; Collaboration; Insulated gate bipolar transistors; Insulation; Inverters; Laboratories; Schottky diodes; Silicon carbide; DC–AC conversion; Schottky diode; hybrid electric vehicle, insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs); insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs); inverter; silicon carbide (SiC);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Industry Applications, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0093-9994

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TIA.2008.2009501

Filename

4757380