High Performance SiC MOSFETs for Fault Tolerant Applications

Abstract

Harsh environment applications are characterized by exceptional constraints regarding temperature, volume, fault tolerance, efficiency, etc. As the introduction of power electronics in such systems is constantly growing, research activities are essential to get more knowledge on the capabilities of available technologies for such applications: aerospace and renewable energies. This paper evaluates the performance of a Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET transistor for a multiphase power converter for fault-tolerant applications. Two methods are carried out in this study: first, the model provided by the manufacturer is used in simulation for a fault-tolerant electric drive application, then in the same operating conditions, the power module is characterized and its performance evaluated. Both methods lead to high system efficiency around 97-98% for a 1200V-400A SiC MOSFET transistor module integrated in a 120kW-100A 6-phase modular inverter.