Active gate charge control strategy for series-connected IGBTs

Abstract

Since the voltage blocking capability of a single insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is limited, series-connected IGBTs are used in power electronic converters to satisfy the requirements of high-power and high-voltage applications. However, due to the parameter differences of the series-connected IGBTs, it is difficult to ensure an equal voltage sharing between the devices during both transient and steady-state operations. This paper proposes a novel active gate drive which operates basing on the active gate charge control strategy. The proposed active gate drive is able to achieve both minimized power loss and proper voltage sharing between the series-connected IGBTs. The active gate charge control strategy has been validated by simulations, and promising results have been obtained.