RII Track-4: NSF: Advancing High Density and High Operation Temperature Traction Inverter by Gallium Oxide Packaged Power Module

RII Track-4：NSF：通过氧化镓封装功率模块推进高密度和高工作温度牵引逆变器

• 批准号: 2327474
• 负责人: Xiaoqing Song
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: University of Arkansas
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-01 至 2025-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2327474&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RII; Track; NSF; Advancing; Density

Electric vehicles (EVs) offer a crucial pathway to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector and mitigate global climate change. The traction inverter powers the vehicle’s movement and is considered the “heart” of an EV’s powertrain. A smaller, lighter, and more efficient traction inverter saves energy and extends the driving range of EVs. Additionally, high-temperature capability is essential to ensure reliable EV operation across a wider range of temperatures without damage or failure, reducing the need for bulky cooling systems. The aim of this project is to enhance the power density and operating temperature range of traction inverters by utilizing gallium oxide packaged power modules. Gallium oxide, an emerging ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor, has the potential to revolutionize power electronics with higher efficiency and superior operational temperatures due to its exceptional material properties. By eliminating technical barriers to gallium oxide device integration, this project will foster the development of the next generation of high-density, high-temperature power converters and promote the use of gallium oxide technology in automotive and other harsh environment applications. The fellowship will strengthen the PI’s multi-disciplinary research capabilities in semiconductor devices, multiphysics analysis, power module packaging, and high-performance power electronics. It will also provide hands-on laboratory experience to educate and train the next generation of electrical engineers in the field of wide and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor devices, power electronics packaging, and conversion.This Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-4 EPSCoR Research Fellows (RII Track-4) project would provide a fellowship to an Assistant professor and training for a graduate student at the University of Arkansas. This work would be conducted in collaboration with researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. High-density, lightweight power electronics converters, especially those capable of operation at high ambient temperatures, are compellingly needed for automotive, aerospace, and space exploration applications. Gallium oxide emerges as a promising ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor material with a larger bandgap energy compared to conventional silicon and wide bandgap semiconductors. This advantageous characteristic enables high breakdown electrical strength, low intrinsic carrier concentration, and corresponding high operating temperatures, making it an ideal candidate for high-temperature, high-density power electronics. However, the low thermal conductivity of gallium oxide impedes efficient heat dissipation from the device junction, increasing thermal resistances in conventional packaging designs. In collaboration with researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the PI will overcome these challenges associated with gallium oxide power module packaging and advance its application in high-power density and high-temperature power electronics converters. This project has three research objectives: (1) Innovate power module packaging techniques that optimize thermal resistances, minimize parasitic inductances, and enhance high-temperature operation capability; (2) Explore reliable gallium oxide power device gate driving and protection strategies to maximize device potential and increase reliability; and (3) Demonstrate a gallium oxide-based high-density and high-temperature traction inverter to validate and expedite the adoption of gallium oxide technology. The success of the project promises empirical insights into gallium oxide device modeling, packaging, gate driving, protection, and its application in power converters. Consequently, it will catalyze advancements in transport electrification and the deployment of gallium oxide technology within challenging environments.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

电动汽车（EV）提供了减少运输部门碳排放并减轻全球气候变化的关键途径。牵引力逆变器为车辆的移动提供动力，被认为是电动汽车动力总成的“心脏”。一个较小，更轻，更高效的牵引逆变器可节省能量并扩展电动汽车的驾驶范围。此外，高温能力对于确保在不损坏或失败的各种温度上可靠的EV操作至关重要，从而减少了对笨重的冷却系统的需求。该项目的目的是通过利用氧化甲壳包装的功率模块来增强牵引逆变器的功率密度和工作温度范围。氧化甲壳虫是一种新兴的超宽带隙半导体，由于其出色的材料特性，具有较高效率和较高运行温度的电力电子的潜力。通过消除氧化韧带集成的技术障碍，该项目将促进下一代高密度，高温功率转换器的发展，并促进在汽车和其他HARMSH环境应用中使用氧化甲壳虫技术。奖学金将增强PI在半导体设备，多物理分析，功率模块包装和高性能电力电子方面的多学科研究能力。它还将提供动手实验室的经验，以教育和培训宽阔和超宽的带隙半导体设备，电力电子包装和转换领域的下一代电气工程师。本研究基础结构改进Track-4 EPSCOR研究Fellows（RII Track-4）项目将为助理专业的学生和助理学生培训，并将为助理学生提供服务。这项工作将与国家可再生能源实验室的研究人员合作进行。高密度，轻质电力电子转换器，尤其是能够在高环境温度下运行的转换器，对于汽车，航空航天和空间勘探应用来说是迫切需要的。与常规的硅和宽带隙半导体相比，氧化甘油含有更大的带隙能的超宽带隙半导体材料出现。该优势的特征使高击穿电强度，低固有载体浓度和相应的高工作温度使其成为高温高密度电力电子设备的理想候选者。然而，氧化韧带的低导热系数阻碍了设备连接的有效散热，从而增加了传统包装设计中的热电阻。与国家可再生能源实验室的研究人员合作，PI将克服这些挑战与氧化韧带电源模块包装相关的挑战，并提高其在高功率密度和高温电力电子转换器中的应用。该项目具有三个研究目标：（1）创新的功率模块包装技术，可优化热阻力，最大程度地减少寄生电感并增强高温操作能力； （2）探索可靠的氧化甲壳机电源门栅极驱动和保护策略，以最大程度地发挥设备潜力并提高可靠性； （3）展示了一种基于氧化韧带的高密度和高温牵引逆变器，以验证和加快采用氧化；该项目的成功承诺对氧化甲壳机建模，包装，门驾驶，保护及其在功率转换器中的应用进行经验见解。因此，它将促进运输电气化的进步和在挑战环境中的氧化耐加速技术的部署。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评估标准来评估我们被认为是诚实的支持。