Compact Low Cost High Voltage Power Supply for Space Applications

Abstract

Since 2015 ASP-Equipment is in charge to develop modular and compact High Voltage Power Supply (HVPS) dealing with sensitive cost/mass reduction, and high rate production/test. In order to improve the level of integration and at the same time optimize efficiency and thermal management, the adopted architecture implements 3 key points: high switching frequency, Gallium Nitride (GaN) switches [1] and planar transformer [2] which allow to reduce the mass/volume and to reach high efficiency and a very high integration capability. The size of the converter is further reduced by means of the use of digital control [4] which offers many advantages including simplification of the power management, easy adjustment of sequencing and soft start function, rejection of input/output transients and reduction of the parts count. The delivery rate and the reduction of the recurring cost play a key role in the new space market, for this reason only SMT parts have been selected which allow strongly reducing manufacturing, assembly, integration and test (MAIT) time/costs. Thanks to the new concept a mass reduction of 50% (compared to the classical Silicon MOSFET based architecture) is achieved. The proposed solution reaches a power density in the range of 2kW/kg. Electric Propulsion (EP) is the typical application for such HVPS [5]. In this frame a prototype 1.2kV/1.2kW has been developed.