Next generation power converters for aerospace applications

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The main objective of this proposal is to investigate and commercialize the next generation of universal power converters for aerospace applications. In aircraft, electricity is generated by AC generators and then is converted into DC by autotransformer rectifier units (ATRU) to power different kinds of electrical loads including motor drives and actuators. In the past decades, the ATRU has been widely used in aircraft although it has lower power density. With increasing power demand in increasingly electrical aircraft (the More Electric Aircraft or MEA), the ATRU becomes the bottleneck in modern aircraft power conversion designs. This project will investigate possible converter topologies with high power density and high reliability to replace the ATRU in aerospace applications. Through this project we expect to improve the power density from 1kW/kg for normal ATRU powered system to 5kW/kg with air cooling or 8kW/kg for liquid cooling. It is also expected that through this project we will be able to bring the proposed power converter technology to an acceptable readiness level for commercialization.