A Single Channel IGBT Gate Drivers for Medium Voltage Converters

Sokchea Am,Bunthern Kim,Phok Chrin,Lim Phing

doi:10.11648/j.jeee.20210901.13

Sokchea Am, Bunthern Kim + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jeee.20210901.13

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Abstract

This article treats the gate driver system for IGBT modules in Medium-Voltage (MV) applications. The study focuses principally on two functions of an IGBT gate driver: an impulse signal transmission and a power transmission. For each function, the suitable topology is proposed. Then, for safety and device's protection reason, all gate driver functions must sustain the high and very high galvanic insulation voltage capabilities. For low-cost design, the insulation system can be achieved with the help of the insulating material in a pot core planar transformer. Therefore, for each function, the optimized design of a pot-core transformer and its associated electronics components is performed with the help of a virtual prototyping tool (a genetic algorithm: GA code in MATLABTM). The first section focuses on optimization design of a selected topology for an impulse signal transmission function. A bi-objective (maximize the output voltage vout and minimize the input current imos) problem of this function that leads to a Pareto front is presented. Several Pareto fronts’ results are obtained assuming different insulation layers thickness. The second part focuses on optimization design of a selected topology for a power transmission function. Maximize the converter efficiency (ηcon) and minimize the output power (Pout) are considered as a bi-objective. Thus, numerous Pareto fronts’ results are achieved for a few different insulation thicknesses. Finally, the prototype of a single channel IGBT gate driver is invented to validate the proposed design.

Highlights

Nowadays, the power converter for MV application is mostly used in electric ship, railway electrification, electrical power distribution [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
The insulation technology is done through the air-gap of the pot core planar transformer
According to Am et al [7,8], a full-bridge series-series resonant converter is highly recommended in terms of high efficiency (ZVS operation) and high insulation achievements

Summary

Introduction

The power converter for MV application is mostly used in electric ship, railway electrification, electrical power distribution [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. According to works of literature, numerous modular voltage source converters (VSC) are proposed such as: Multilevel Converter [9], Neutral Point Clamp [10], Flying Capacitors [11], Cascaded Half-Bridge [12], and series connection of IGBT modules [13]. For safety and protection purposes, IGBT gate drivers for IGBT modules in the MV-MMC converter must support the insulation voltage which equals input DC voltage Vin,DC (can reach few of 10kV as mentioned in Figure 1b and [4]). The insulation technology is done through the air-gap of the pot core planar transformer (cf Figure 1d) [22]. With the air gap thickness of 0.5mm with a dielectric polyetherimide, the few of 10kV of insulation voltage level is achieved [14, 15]

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Results

Conclusion