A Low Cost, High Capacity, Smart Residential Distribution Network Enabled By SiC Power Electronics

英国配电网络运营商（DNOs）今天面临的主要挑战之一是对住宅网络的电力需求不断增加，例如一般负载增长，电动汽车（EV）和电气化热的扩散。与此同时，由于分布式发电（DG）和储能设备的连接增加而引起的电压限制违规问题也随之而来。TSB可行性研究表明，通过将本地网络相电压提高到400 V（现有电缆额定值为600 V），可以在现有基础设施上实现这些问题的经济有效的解决方案。为了将每个家庭的电压降低到230 V，需要在电表箱中安装DNO拥有的低成本99%效率的电力电子转换器（佩奇）。我们之前的研究表明，99%的效率对于避免电表箱过热至关重要，因此必须使用新的低成本SiC器件。然而，现有的市售SiC的成本非常高，这与低成本的需求相冲突。因此，本项目将考虑一种新的，高度创新的制造技术为碳化硅功率器件，即3C硅上碳化硅。该系统不仅将增加网络容量，还将为新兴的电动汽车充电，DG和储能提供优化的连接-“智能电网”。该项目将开发一个PEC原型，该原型将由西部配电公司在该项目的小规模演示中部署。

One of the key challenges facing the UK electrical Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) today is the Increasing demandfor power being placed on residential networks e.g. general load growth, the proliferation of electrical vehicles (EVs) andelectrified heat. At the same time, there are problems associated with voltage limit violations caused by an increase in theconnection of distributed generation (DG) and energy storage devices. This project follows on from a TSB Feasibility Studywhich showed that a cost effective solution to these problems can be achieved on the existing infrastructure by increasingthe local network phase voltage to 400 V (existing cable is rated at 600V). To step the voltage back down to 230 V at eachhouse, DNO-owned, low-cost, 99% efficient power electronic converters (PECs) will need to be installed in the meter-box.Our previous study showed that the 99% efficiency was essential to avoid over-heating in the meter-box and hence new,low-cost SiC devices were mandatory. However, the cost of existing commercially available SiC is very high, whichconflicts with the need for low-cost. Therefore this project will consider a new, highly innovative fabrication technique forSiC power devices namely 3C SiC on Silicon. This system will not only increase network capacity, but also provideoptimised connections for emerging EV charging, DG and energy storage - the "smart-grid". The project will develop a PECprototype which will be deployed by Western Power Distribution in a small-scale demonstration of the project.