STTR Phase I: Integrated Magneto-Optic Current Sensor for Power Electronics Modules

这项小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目建议开发能够直接集成到电力电子模块中的磁光电流和温度传感器，其设计目标是提高电源转换和控制电路的可靠性和生存能力。现有的电力电子设计通常使用三种组件中的一种来感知电力设备或控制子系统中的电流：霍尔效应传感器，电阻分流器和电流互感器。当电源调节设备的开关频率超过100千赫（10e5赫兹），并且这些电路中包含的功率超过1兆瓦（10e6瓦）时，这些组件及其相关的接口电路虽然具有功能，但正在变得过时。此外，这些组件的小型化已经变得越来越困难，并且没有跟上电力电子模块小型化的步伐。第一阶段项目将开发一种混合电光电力电子模块（HE-OPEM），能够使用光学方法测量模块上的局部电流和温度。当与机载智能相结合时，昂贵的高功率密度电力电子模块将能够在纳秒内感知潜在的故障状况，从而使其能够自我调节其运行并保护自己免受灾难性故障的影响。以今天的技术，这是不可能的。根据该计划开发的技术可用于所有高功率电力电子半导体，以自我监控自我调节其运行，从而使系统具有更高的可靠性和更低的纠正维护成本。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project proposes to develop magneto-optical current and temperature sensors capable of direct integration into power electronic modules, with the design goal of improving reliability and survivability of the power conversion and control circuitry. Existing power electronics designs generally use one of three components to sense current in power devices or in the control subsystem: Hall effect transducers, resistive shunts, and current transformers. Each of these components and their associated interface circuitry, while functional, are becoming obsolete as switching frequencies of power conditioning equipment surpass 100 kHz (10e5 Hz), and as the power contained in these circuits exceeds 1 MW (10e6 watt). Additionally, miniaturization of these components has become increasingly difficult and has not kept the same pace as with the miniaturization of power electronic modules. The Phase I program will develop a hybrid electro-optic power electronics module (HE-OPEM) capable of measuring local current and temperature on the module using optical methodologies. When coupled with on-board intelligence, expensive and high-power density power electronic modules will be able to sense potential fault conditions in nanoseconds, resulting in their ability to self-regulate their operation and protect themselves from catastrophic failure. This is not possible with today's technology. The technology developed under this program could be used in all high-power, power electronic semiconductors to self-monitor self-regulate their operation, leading to systems that have higher reliability and lower corrective maintenance costs.