Optimisation of WBG power converters to reduce EMI

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The project is structured in literature review, simulation, practical research activities and writing the thesis research.Literature reviewThe project will compare different WBG devices and identify which WBG device is suitable for which application. The project will investigate the cause of oscillations and techniques to minimise them. The project will investigate EMI standards and compare different EMI minimisation techniques this may involve looking at gate drivers and/or filtering strategies.SimulationA power converter topology will be selected for this project and implemented in simulation. Different scenarios will be simulated to gain a better understanding of the cause of oscillations and how to minimise them. Results will be compared with EMI standards. Gate driver and or filtering circuits may also be designed, simulated and compared if required.Practical workBased on the two main activities rules and design criteria will be developed. New designs will be first tested in simulation for optimisation and in a second step a new layout will be designed and built. The optimised WBG converter will be tested, and its performance will be compared to EMI standards. If required, an optimised gate driver circuit and/or a filter will also be designed and tested. This gate driver and/or filter will be embedded in the power converter to achieve optimal performance.Thesis writingA thesis will be written that summarises all the findings with in-depths discussions, analyses and recommendation.Power electronics experiences a transition from silicon (SI)-based power switches to Wide-Band-Gap (WBG) devices. There are many benefits in using WBG devices in power converters such as reduced size, reduced cooling requirement and reduced current oscillations. However, some of these benefits cannot be fully exploited due to electro-magnetic-interference (EMI) that is caused by the fast-switching transients. The project will study the impact that EMI has on components and controllers and will produce design rules and optimisation strategies to minimise oscillations and overshoots without limiting the speed turn-on and turn-off speeds. The project will also be optimising gate driver and/or filter circuits and identify optimised passive components. Passive components such as capacitors and inductors are made from different materials. Some of the materials do not withstand high frequency currents and voltages. Thus, the project is identifying the best materials for passive components.