access icon free Analysis of cascaded silicon carbide MOSFETs using a single gate driver for medium voltage applications

Medium voltage power supplies for applications such as electrostatic precipitators are used in industrial plants to remove particles from fumes. Current solutions based on silicon devices rely on high-voltage transformers to reach the required output voltage levels. New wide band gap materials such as silicon carbide have higher electric breakdown voltage, and thus fewer devices are required in series to withstand the output voltage. Owing to the faster switching speed of silicon carbide devices further demands are put on the serialisation method. In this study, a cascaded series-connection method using only a single external gate signal is analysed in detail, guidelines to size the resistor–capacitor–diode-snubber are proposed and its applicability is experimentally demonstrated. The circuit is tested with four series-connected devices in a double pulse test at 2400 V and current levels of 250–800 mA to show the load dependence. The serialisation technique is tested in a boost converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode but is limited to 1200 V due to an oscillating state occurring after zero current crossing. Finally, the technique is tested at 2400 V and 10 kHz in a synchronous boost converter, which demonstrates the proposed design guidelines.

Inspec keywords: semiconductor device breakdown; power capacitors; silicon compounds; power semiconductor diodes; silicon; wide band gap semiconductors; MOSFET; switching convertors; snubbers; driver circuits; resistors; power semiconductor switches

Other keywords: voltage 2400.0 V; frequency 10.0 kHz; medium voltage applications; switching speed prediction; cascaded silicon carbide metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors; single gate driver; industrial plants; integrated circuit emphasis simulation; wide band gap materials; voltage 1200.0 V; serialisation method; double pulse test; high-voltage transformers; series-connected devices; SiC; medium voltage power supplies; cascaded series-connection method; resistor–capacitor–diode-snubber; electrostatic precipitators; synchronous boost converter; current 250.0 mA to 800.0 mA; discontinuous conduction mode; current levels; single external gate signal; output voltage levels; silicon carbide devices; zero current crossing; load dependence; electric breakdown voltage

Subjects: Other power apparatus and electric machines; Power semiconductor devices; Junction and barrier diodes; Power convertors and power supplies to apparatus; Relays and switches; Insulated gate field effect transistors; Resistors

http://iet.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1049/iet-pel.2019.0573
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content/journals/10.1049/iet-pel.2019.0573
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