CAREER: Power Converters with embedded passive components

研究目标和方法：本研究的目的是提高电力电子产品的功率密度，同时降低阻碍学生参与该领域的经济障碍。方法是在没有磁性材料和小值电容器的情况下，制造频率至少比传统设计高10倍的高效开关功率转换器。智能优势：最近功率密度方面的进步主要归功于开关更快的半导体的改进，但这些进步在用于传统电路设计时正处于停滞不前的状态。这是由于半导体和储能设备中的频率相关损耗。这项研究希望通过制造所有具有导电痕迹的无源设备，将印刷电路板转换为三维谐振结构，使用廉价的印刷电路板来实现增值策略。这将消除制造后调整和组件变化，同时以更低的成本保持非凡的性能水平。广泛的影响：为了加强推广，与研究结果捆绑在一起的谐振电源转换器上的教育模块将吸引学生，并增加进入这一发展中领域的机会。学生，特别是拉美裔学生很少有机会学习这门课程，他们将是计划中的重点。该项目将遵循以下方法：大幅提升密歇根大学的电力电子学课程，通过教育推广鼓励拉美裔学生学习电力电子学，并使用低成本技术使谐振转换器的设计和制造更容易为更广泛的公众所接受。

Research Objectives and Approaches: The objective of this research is to improve power density inpower electronics, while lowering the economic hurdles keeping students from participating in thisfield. The approach is to make efficient switching power converters with frequencies at least ten timeshigher than conventional designs with no magnetic materials and small-valued capacitors. Resultingdesigns will have all passive components embedded in an inexpensive circuit board.Intellectual Merit: Recent advances in power density have been mostly due to improved semiconductorsthat switch faster but these advances are reaching a plateau when used in conventional circuitdesigns. This is due to frequency-dependent losses in semiconductors and in energy storage devices.This research looks to implement a value-added strategy using inexpensive printed circuit boards byfabricating all passive devices with conductive traces, transforming the printed circuit board into athree-dimensional resonant structure. This will eliminate post-fabrication tuning and component variationwhile maintaining extraordinary levels of performance at reduced cost.Broader Impacts: To enhance outreach, educational modules on resonant power converters tied to theresearch outcomes will engage students and increase access to this developing field. This coursework israrely available to students, specially Hispanic, who will be a particular focus of the proposed outreach.The program will follow the approach of: dramatically enhance the power electronics curriculum at theUniversity of Michigan, employ educational outreach to encourage Hispanic students to learn powerelectronics, and use low-cost technologies to make the design and fabrication of resonant convertersavailable to a wider public.