1
*STTR
Project: An Advanced Power Converter
System Using High Temperature, High Power Density SiC Devices—Aegis
Technology, 3300 Westminster Avenue, Santa Ana, CA
92703; 714-265-1238
Dr.
Timothy Lin, Principal Investigator, aegiste1400@earthlink.net
Mr.
Bob Liu, Business Official, aegiste1400@earthlink.net
DOE
Grant No. DE-FG02-05ER86234
Amount:
$750,000
Research
Institution
University
of Tennessee at Knoxville
Knoxville,
TN
Electronic
power conversion systems introduce major cost and reliability issues in most
distributed energy resources and energy storage systems.
This project will develop a power conversion
system based on an emerging wide-bandgap, SiC-based semiconductor technology.
This system will be capable of operating at high power densities, high
temperatures, and high frequencies, and will provide advantages of high
efficiency, small size, and light weight. In
Phase I, the modeling of a SiC inverter design for energy storage applications
showed a dramatic reduction in power loss and heat sink size, compared with a
Si-based inverter. A SiC power
module was demonstrated, characterized, and compared a commercial Si power
module. The high temperature
packaging and gate drive also were investigated.
Phase II will demonstrate, model, and characterize an 1200 V, 120 A
SiC inverter that integrates technologies in circuit design, packaging, gate
drive, and passive components. The
underlying technical issues that govern the fabrication and performance of this
novel inverter will be addressed, and the technical/economical impacts of the
SiC inverter will be analyzed.
Commercial
Applications and other Benefits as
described by the awardee: High
efficiency and small size are rapidly becoming key issues for improving both
military and commercial power systems. High-performance,
lightweight, compact SiC-based inverters should find use in energy storage,
hybrid-electric vehicles, electric drives for transportation, and distributed
energy resources. A large military
application would involve ship/vehicle inverters.