Reducing the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) in offshore wind through a disruptive silicon carbide converter technology, SiCtek

如果统一的能源成本(LCOE)能够与替代低碳发电相竞争，海上风能的全球市场潜力巨大。电力电子换流器是海上汽轮机传动系统和高压直流输电系统的重要组成部分。主导市场的硅基转换器的效率和经济性已经停滞不前，但最近推出的化合物半导体，如碳化硅(SIC)，有可能从根本上提高转换器的性能、可靠性和经济性。该项目旨在通过设计、建造和测试50 kW的原型换流器来证明和展示SIC换流技术的好处和经济性，以此作为海上和高压直流应用的大规模换流器的基础。

There are substantial global market potentials for offshore wind if the Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) could become competitive with alternative low-carbon power generations. The power electronics converter is a major component in offshore turbine drivetrains and power transmission via High Voltage DC (HVDC) networks. The efficiency and economics of market dominating Silicon-based converters have plateaued, but recently introduced compound semiconductors such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) have the potential to deliver radical improvements to performance, reliability and economics of converters. This project aims to prove and demonstrate the benefits and economics of a SiC converter technology through design, build and testing of a 50 kW prototype converter as a building block for large-scale converters for offshore and HVDC applications.