Scalable Multilevel Multicell Power Architectures Leveraging Cost Effective GaN Power IC Technology

碳化硅和氮化镓等宽带隙半导体有望彻底改变下一代电力电子和电力基础设施。然而，它们进入市场受到两个主要障碍的阻碍：成本和可靠性。 该项目的目标是利用具有成本竞争力的氮化镓功率集成电路探索新的多级功率转换架构，并为突破这些成本和可靠性障碍建立可行的技术途径。随着可再生能源的使用、交通运输的电气化、高效电加热和电冷却的扩展、信息流量的扩大、工业电机使用的增加以及新的智能电网的发展，电力需求预计将大幅增加。到2030年，预计美国80%的电力将通过电力电子设备。先进的宽带隙电力电子技术将在发电、配电和消费等电力生命周期的各个阶段发挥关键作用，并有可能将电力效率提高10- 25%。利用所提出的先进转换器拓扑，可以通过促进在电源、电动汽车、数据中心、太阳能逆变器、功率调节器、电动机驱动器和风力发电系统的应用中更高水平地采用具有成本效益的氮化镓半导体来实现效率增益。该项目的目标是探索可扩展的多级多电池功率转换架构，将氮化镓功率转换器的额定功率扩展到100 kW的范围，充分利用低压（40- 300 V），成本竞争力，可靠性证明，商用氮化镓晶体管。这与使用高压（1200 V）半导体器件开发宽带隙功率转换器的主流方法截然不同，后者继续面临成本和可靠性挑战。这种新方法最初是为兆瓦级工业应用开发的，如果适当地适应拟议的较低功率水平，除了降低成本和尺寸外，还将提供相同的好处，即提高额定功率和效率，减少谐波失真，电磁干扰，提高冗余和可靠性。 这些目标将通过（1）先进的架构和拓扑结构，（2）新的控制策略和调制技术，（3）氮化镓功率IC构建块和集成栅极驱动器，以及4）集成和可扩展性的组合来实现，从而允许更广泛的功率应用。该研究计划包括以下领域的主要研究内容：功率转换器拓扑结构、设计、建模、原型设计和功率转换器测试;控制和调制技术;氮化镓器件集成和转换器可扩展性策略的开发;以及针对现有解决方案的评估和基准测试。

Wide bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride are poised to revolutionize the next generation of power electronics and electricity infrastructures. Their penetration into the market, however, is hindered by two major barriers: cost and reliability. The objective of this project is to explore new multilevel power conversion architectures leveraging cost-competitive gallium nitride power integrated circuits, and establish a viable technological pathway for breaking through these cost and reliability barriers. The demand for electricity is expected to increase significantly with further electrification of the world driven by renewable energy usage, electrification of transportation, expansion of efficient electrical heating and cooling, expansion of information traffic, increased industrial motor usage, and new smart grid development. By 2030, an estimated 80% of all U.S. electricity is expected to flow through power electronics. Advanced wide bandgap power electronics will play a critical role in all phases of the electricity life cycle including generation, distribution and consumption, and have the potential to improve electricity efficiency by 10-25%. With the proposed advanced converter topologies, it is possible to realize efficiency gains by facilitating higher levels of adoption for cost-effective gallium nitride semiconductors in applications of power supplies, electric vehicles, data centers, solar inverters, power conditioners, electric motor drives, and wind power systems. The objective of this project is to explore scalable multilevel multicell power conversion architectures to extend the power rating of gallium nitride power converters to the range of 100 kW, fully utilizing low-voltage (40-300V), cost-competitive, reliability-proven, commercially available gallium nitride transistors. This is distinctly different from the mainstream approach on developing wide bandgap power converters using high-voltage (1200V) semiconductor devices, which continue to face cost and reliability challenges. The new approach, originally developed for megawatt industrial applications, if adapted properly for the proposed lower power levels, will offer the same benefits of increased power rating and efficiency, reduced harmonic distortion, electro-magnetic interference, and improved redundancy and reliability, in addition to cost and size reduction. These objectives will be met through the combination of (1) advanced architectures and topologies, (2) new control strategies and modulation techniques, (3) gallium nitride power IC building blocks and integrated gate driver, and 4) integration and scalability allowing for a broader range of power applications. The research plan includes major research components in the areas of power converter topologies, design, modeling, prototyping, and testing of the power converters; control and modulation techniques; development of gallium nitride device integration and converter scalability strategies; and evaluation and benchmarking against existing solutions.