Converter Architectures

电力电子在电能转换中起着非常重要的作用，在交通、可再生能源和公用事业等领域有着广泛的应用。到2020年，80%的电力将通过发电、输电、配电和用电之间的电力电子转换器。因此，高效率、高功率密度、高可靠性是电力电子变流器的重要组成部分。传统的电力电子器件是基于硅材料的，已经达到了其潜力的极限。碳化硅(SIC)和氮化镓(GaN)等宽带隙(WBG)材料的出现带来了明显的机遇，使紧凑型、更高效的功率转换器能够在更高的电压、频率和功率下运行，以满足一系列现有和新兴应用的日益增长的需求。例如，混合动力的More/Full电动飞机需要10兆瓦的高频驱动高效功率转换，更高的电压水平以及更高的功率密度。无线充电将频率从100千赫推到千瓦级的MHz，以最大限度地减少电感和电容器等无源元件。由高压SIC器件实现的无变压器、紧凑、高效的中压(1KV~10KV)功率转换对于实现智能电网和未来交通系统的基于电力电子的配电网(包括储能接口)至关重要。虽然WBG器件提供了在更高电压下运行的可能性，且导通损耗更低，开关速度比硅器件更快，但在转换器级最大限度地提高性能带来了一系列相互关联的挑战。例如，WBG设备的高电压和高电流变化率会产生严重的电磁干扰(EMI)，并影响其他设备的运行。识别最有效的电路拓扑、无源元件技术和控制方法，并管理非常高的开关速率以扩展频率/电压/功率包络，这对电力电子工程师来说是巨大的挑战，但如果要实现WBG电路的真正潜力，则是至关重要的。因此，它们构成了该项目的主要动机。该转换器架构(CA)项目汇集了英国最优秀的学术和行业专业知识，以研究最佳的转换器架构、先进的无源元件设计方法、快速控制技术和整体优化，以实现WBG设备在实现更高效率、高功率密度和扩展电压、频率和功率处理能力方面的全部潜力。

Power Electronics plays a very important role in the electrical power conversion and is widely used in transportation, renewable energy and utility applications. By 2020, 80% of electrical power will go through power electronics converters somewhere between generation, transmission, distribution and consumption. So high-efficiency, high-power-density and high-reliability are very important for power electronics converters. The conventional power electronics devices are based on silicon materials and have reached the limit of their potential. The emergence of wide-bandgap (WBG) material such as silicon-carbide (SiC) and Gallium-Nitride (GaN) based devices has brought in clear opportunities enabling compact, more efficient power converters, operating at higher voltages, frequencies and powers to meet the increasing demand by a range of existing and emerging applications. For example, more/full electric aircrafts with hybrid propulsion requires 10s of MW efficient power conversion with high frequency drives, higher voltage levels as well as higher power density. Wireless power charging is pushing the frequency from 100s of kHz to MHz at kW power level to minimise passive elements such as inductors and capacitors. Transformerless, compact, high-efficiency medium-voltage (1kV~10kV) power conversion enabled by high voltage SiC devices is critical for the realisation of power electronics based distribution networks (including energy storage interfacing) for smart grid as well as future transportation systems.Whilst WBG devices offer the possibility to operate at higher voltages with lower on-state losses, and faster switching speeds than Si devices, maximising the performance benefits at a converter level creates a range of interrelated challenges. For example, high voltage and current changing rates of WBG devices will generate significant electro-magnetic-interference (EMI) and affect the running of other equipment. Identifying the most effective circuit topologies, passive component technologies and control methods, and managing the very high switching rates to extend the frequency/voltage/power envelope present great challenges to power electronic engineers, but are vital if the true potential of WBG circuits is to be achieved. They therefore form the main motivation for this project. This Converter Architecture (CA) project brings together the UK's best academic and industrial expertise to investigate optimal converter architectures, advanced passive components design methods, fast speed control techniques and holistic optimisation to realise the full potential of WBG devices in achieving higher efficiency, high power density with extended voltage, frequency and power handling capability.