Design Considerations of a 3.3 kV SiC-based Reverse Voltage Blocking Module for Current Source Inverter Application

Abstract

This paper presents the design and development of a 3.3 kV silicon carbide (SiC) based reverse voltage blocking half-bridge module for the first time. This low inductance module can build a single-phase or a three-phase current source inverter (CSI). The module comprises of a SiC-MOSFET (3.3 kV/50 A die) and a SiC-MPS diode (3.3 kV/50 A die) to form a 3.3 kV SiC-based current switch in the half-bridge configuration. The static characterization of the current switch (CS) is performed, and a double pulse test circuit is used to verify the switching performance of the developed module. Additionally, the inverter efficiency is estimated for a 30 kW three-phase CSI for a motor drive application, using the obtained static and dynamic characterization results. The impact of the module inductances on the switch voltage and currents is discussed, thus illustrating the importance of a module-based design for CSI applications.