Hybrid-Modulation based High-power High-frequency and Scalable SiC Polyphase Fuel-cell Inverter for Power Quality and Distributed Generation

目的：本研究的目的是设计一种新型的高功率，“高频”，节能的燃料电池逆变器，可扩展和模块化，支持批量发电和/或无功和谐波补偿。这种激进的高频拓扑结构基于一种新的混合调制方案、下一代SiC功率器件和纳米晶变压器铁芯。验证机制是双重的：用于概念验证的规模实验设计和使用经验验证的SiC器件模型进行高功率性能和可靠性预测的分析设计。知识优势：传统的低频大功率逆变器需要极其庞大、昂贵、占地空间巨大的滤波器和变压器。所提出的多相逆变器消除了直流链路滤波器和线频公用变压器的需要。此外，由于i)独特的混合调制（降低了开关损耗），ii)显著降低了纳米晶变压器铁心损耗，iii)减小了SiC高压器件的导通降（意味着更低的导通损耗），减小了器件电容和反向恢复（意味着更低的开关损耗），即使在高频下，大功率逆变器也可以高效率地运行。更广泛的影响：拟议的逆变器应用范围从FutureGen， FACTs，固态发电站，分布式发电，在不同频率下运行的两个子电网的互连，电动船舶，用于航空航天的燃料电池APU，到大功率UPS。研究结果将整合到两门权力课程中，由PI教授，由几名学生参加。该项目将支持1名博士生，并将包括6名高级设计和本科生

Objectives:The objective of this research is to design a novel high-power, "high-frequency", energy-efficient fuel-cell inverter that is scalable and modular and supports bulk power generation and/or reactive and harmonic compensations. This radical high-frequency topology is based on a novel hybrid modulation scheme, next-generation SiC power devices, and nanocrystalline transformer core. The mechanism for validation is twofold: scaled experimental design for concept validation and analytical design using empirically-validated SiC device models for performance and reliability predictions at high power.Intellectual Merit:Conventional low-frequency high-power inverter needs extremely bulky, expensive, and huge-footprint-space filters and transformer. The proposed polyphase inverter eliminates the need for dc link filters and line-frequency utility transformer. Further, due to i) the unique hybrid modulation (which reduces switching loss), ii) significantly reduced core loss of the nanocrystalline transformer core, and iii) reduced on-state drop (implying lower conduction loss) and reduced device capacitance and reverse recovery (implying reduced switching loss) of SiC high voltage devices, operation of high power inverter is feasible at high efficiency even at high frequency. Broader Impact:The proposed inverter has applications ranging from FutureGen, FACTs, solid-state power station, distributed generation, interconnection of two subgrids operating at different frequencies, electric ship, fuel-cell APU for aerospace, to high power UPS. Results of the research will be integrated into two power courses, which are taught by the PI and taken by several students. The project will support 1 Ph.D. student and will incorporate 6 Sr. Design and undergraduate students (with