SiC-MOSFET or Si-IGBT: Comparison of Design and Key Characteristics of a 690 V Grid-Tied Industrial Two-Level Voltage Source Converter

Carlos D. Fuentes, Marcus Müller, Steffen Bernet and Samir Kouro
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Carlos D. Fuentes: Electronics Engineering Department, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso 2390123, Chile
Marcus Müller: Professur Leistungselektronik, Elektrotechnisches Institut, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
Steffen Bernet: Professur Leistungselektronik, Elektrotechnisches Institut, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
Samir Kouro: Electronics Engineering Department, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso 2390123, Chile

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-20

Abstract: In this paper, a design driven comparison between two 190 kVA industrial three-phase two-level voltage source converter (2L-VSC) designs based in silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) for 690 V grids is presented. These two designs were conceived to have the same nominal power, while switching at reasonable switching speeds and requiring the same case to ambient thermal impedance. Under these conditions, the designs were studied to detect the potential gains and limitations that a pragmatic converter design could feature when using these two technologies regarding cost, efficiency, size and weight. To achieve this, experimentally determined semiconductor characteristics were used to perform simulations, the results of which were then used to design the essential parts of the converter. These designed parts were then corroborated with manufacturers, from which physical characteristics of all designed components were obtained. The results show that the SiC based design presents substantial weight savings and an 11% system cost reduction, while preserving its traditional characteristics such as improved overall efficiency when compared to the silicon based design under the given design requirements and constraints.

Keywords: 2L-VSC; AFE; SiC-MOSFET; Si-IGBT; converter design; converter assessment; cost assessment; power density (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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