Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jie Shang, Zhengyu Chen, Biao Zhao, Zhanqing Yu, Jinpeng Wu, Lin Dong, Rong Zeng
Summary: Under the background of clean energy connected to the grid, a novel detachable gate driver unit (DGDU) concept is proposed for high-capacity power electronics device integrated gate commutated thyristor (IGCT). By optimizing the connection scheme and board design, the stray inductance is minimized, and the effects of the detachable connector on the structure and thermal characteristics are analyzed. The turn-OFF capability and continuous running reliability of DGDU are verified through experiments.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Chaoqun Xu, Zhanqing Yu, Biao Zhao, Zongze Wang, Zhengyu Chen, Rong Zeng
Summary: Existing line commutated converter (LCC)-based high-voltage dc (HVdc) systems require a large amount of reactive power and costly reactive power compensation equipment. This letter proposes a novel operation of a hybrid LCC based on integrated gate commutated thyristor (IGCT) to achieve LCC with ultra-low reactive power (LR-LCC), utilizing IGCT's active blocking and bidirectional voltage withstanding capability. The LR-LCC almost eliminates the system's extinguishing angle and achieves a close-to-unity power factor. This novel LR-LCC can significantly reduce the manufacturing cost and volume of reactive power compensation equipment for HVdc application.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Jiapeng Liu, Biao Zhao, Wenpeng Zhou, Gang Lyu, Zhengyu Chen, Chaoqun Xu, Zhanqing Yu, Rong Zeng
Summary: This article presents a precise measurement methodology for nH-level gate electrode inductance of unity-gain turn-off devices. By utilizing a customized extraction method and gate current measurement method, the measurement achieved ultrahigh accuracy.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Pei-Yu Wu, Min-Chen Chen, Ting-Chang Chang, Hao-Xuan Zheng, Fu-Yuan Jin, Yung-Fang Tan, Yu-Fa Tu, Xin-Ying Tsai, Jen-Wei Huang, Kuo-Jen Chang, Guan-Shian Liu, Tsung-Ming Tsai
Summary: A study applied supercritical fluid treatment to passivate SiC-GTO bulk defects, resulting in an 8% improvement in breakdown voltage without increasing on-state resistance, and suppressing leakage current by over 30% on average. Electrical analysis was used to understand the device characteristics post-treatment and discuss the passivation mechanism.
SEMICONDUCTOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Hyemin Kang, Florin Udrea
Summary: As superjunction devices are scaled down to smaller dimensions, gate ringing becomes more prominent in dynamic switching. This article finds that gate ringing is highly related to input capacitance, with the gate ringing highly dependent on the sum of input capacitances for turn-on, and affected by the ratio of input capacitances for turn-off, where a lower C-GS is desirable for reducing gate oscillation.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Ruihang Bai, Biao Zhao, Chen Yang, Zhengyu Chen, Jiapeng Liu, Liang Zhang, Jinpeng Wu, Zhanqing Yu, Rong Zeng
Summary: This letter proposes an ultrafast IGCT turn-OFF failure detection method by analyzing the turn-off process and failure mechanism of IGCT and designing a prototype, threshold and timing sequence. The method involves measuring the voltage drop on the turn-OFF MOSFET to determine failure. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme can achieve reliable turn-OFF failure detection within 19 microseconds without false detection or missed detection. The method is accurate, rapid, and convenient to implement, greatly reducing the extreme failure rate of IGCT-based converters.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Jakub Kucka, Drazen Dujic
Summary: This article investigates the optimization and design of IGCT for the soft-switching dc transformer applications. By simplifying the driving topology and increasing the switching frequency, low power consumption and a small size of the gate unit are achieved. The experimental results validate the feasibility of IGCT in high voltage and current resonant operation.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Yinyu Liu, Lifang Liu, Shan Yin, Yunfei Gu, Shuairong Deng, Zhanqiang Xing, Quanfeng Zhou, Zhiqiang Li, Kun Zhou
Summary: Silicon carbide gate turn-off thyristor is favored for grid applications due to its high blocking voltage and low ON-resistance. However, the short-circuit reliability issue is a limiting factor. This study presents an in situ condition monitoring method for SiC GTO reliability, using the forward I-V characteristics of anode-gate p-n junction as a precursor for degradation. The monitoring circuit demonstrates high current resolution, current range, and electrical isolation capabilities.
IEEE JOURNAL OF EMERGING AND SELECTED TOPICS IN POWER ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Yu Xiao, Yifei Wu, Yi Wu, Mingzhe Rong, Fei Yang, Chong Gao, Sunhonghao Peng
Summary: Medium-voltage dc (MVdc) distribution systems have advantages of high power density and fast system response, but face challenges with fault current interruption. A novel circuit breaker scheme based on IGCTs is proposed in this study to address this issue, providing high reliability in interrupting short circuit currents.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Jakob Teichrib, Rik W. De Doncker
Summary: The performance of inverters greatly depends on the characteristics of semiconductor devices, and a new medium-voltage semiconductor device is proposed in this work to reduce losses in both conduction and switching domains. It is shown that combining a GCT with an IGBT can significantly reduce overall losses.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Tanuj Saxena, Vishnu Khemka, Ganming Qin, Moaniss Zitouni, Raghu Gupta
Summary: This study analyzes the core-shell SJ structure theoretically and numerically, developing an analytical model with closed-form expressions for electric field profiles in both core-shell and linear stripe structures. The comparison between 2-D and 3-D RESURF reveals that neither design is universally better, with the superior design determined by fabrication technology limitations.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRON DEVICES
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Edemar O. Prado, Pedro C. Bolsi, Hamiltom C. Sartori, Jose R. Pinheiro
Summary: This study presents a comparative analysis of four power MOSFET technologies and identifies the optimal performance in terms of voltage, current, and frequency ranges for each technology. A database of power MOSFETs from various manufacturers was created. The study also introduces a methodology for selecting power MOSFETs in power electronics applications.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jochen Henn, Christoph Luedecke, Michael Laumen, Steffen Beushausen, Sven Kalker, Christoph H. van der Broeck, Georges Engelmann, Rik W. de Doncker
Summary: This article discusses the recent developments in power semiconductor gate drivers with intelligent features. These drivers can actively control the switching process and ensure safe operation under various conditions. Additionally, they have integrated sensing capabilities to extract thermal response and state-of-health data. Intelligent gate drivers play a crucial role in the application of semiconductor devices.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Mingmin Huang, Rui Li, Zhimei Yang, Yao Ma, Yun Li, Xi Zhang, Min Gong
Summary: By introducing a lightly-doped MCD and forming the p-pillar using the ME process, the SJ MOSFET can achieve improved performance with reduced Qrr and smaller reverse recovery oscillations.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRON DEVICES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Wenpeng Zhou, Biao Zhao, Jiapeng Liu, Zhengyu Chen, Xueteng Tang, Zhanqing Yu, Rong Zeng
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive analysis, design, and experiment of shoot-through faults in IGCT-MMC, showing that IGCT can withstand the fault current and maintain a stable structure in the face of destructive shoot-through faults.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Fei Xue, Ruiyang Yu, Alex Huang
Summary: The paper proposes a nonisolated bidirectional fractional DC-DC topology for high power energy storage devices, which offers ultrahigh efficiency and low cost. By utilizing an extra-low voltage power source, it is possible to achieve low-cost high-power applications, leading to high system efficiency.
IEEE JOURNAL OF EMERGING AND SELECTED TOPICS IN POWER ELECTRONICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Yuan Li, Xintian Zhou, Yuanfu Zhao, Yunpeng Jia, Dongqing Hu, Yu Wu, Liqi Zhang, Zibo Chen, Alex Q. Huang
Summary: This article investigates the degradation of SiC MOSFETs under short circuit stress and develops an aging platform for experimental analysis. The study finds bidirectional VTH shift in different types of SiC MOSFETs with varying degradation rates. Device simulation reveals that the damaged region in SiC planar-gate MOSFET is near the channel area, while in SiC trench-gate MOSFET, it is at the trench corner.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRON DEVICES
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Atsushi Shimbori, Alex Q. Huang
Summary: This paper discusses the design and fabrication of a 4H-SiC RESURF SBD and proposes optimization methods for the anode and cathode edge structures. The study focuses on minimizing the impact ionization at the edge of the active area and achieving close to ideal RESURF breakdown voltage. Three-dimensional simulations were conducted to optimize the electric field distribution and enable junction isolation between neighboring devices. The findings provide guidance for the development of monolithic SiC high voltage integrated circuits.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Wei Xu, Zhicheng Guo, Adithyan Vetrivelan, Ruiyang Yu, Alex Q. Huang
Summary: As PV penetration continues to increase, the integration of PV power generation with battery energy storage is becoming more attractive. This article proposes a PV+BES solid-state transformer (PVS-SST) that eliminates the need for a step-up transformer, reducing costs and complexity. The PVS-SST utilizes a modular SST concept and SiC power MOSFET devices, achieving a high power density. The article also discusses the design challenges of the proposed PVS-SST, including medium-frequency transformer design and control architecture.
IEEE JOURNAL OF EMERGING AND SELECTED TOPICS IN POWER ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Tianxiang Chen, Ruiyang Yu, Alex Q. Huang
Summary: This article presents a novel GaN-based three-phase grid to 48-V battery energy storage system. The system utilizes a single-stage ac-dc dual-active-bridge converter with dual-phase-shift and variable-frequency control. The effectiveness of this control method is validated through experimental results.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Zhicheng Guo, Alex Q. Huang, Robert E. Hebner, Gian Carlo Montanari, Xianyong Feng
Summary: Partial discharge (PD) is a common phenomenon in insulation system defects that can affect the life and reliability of equipment. This article explores PD behavior under high frequency pulsewidth modulation (PWM) conditions and discusses the suitability of test equipment and the impact of windings and insulation materials.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Wencong Su, Alex Q. Huang, M. Abul Masrur, Anurag K. Srivastava, Tianshu Bi, Di Shi
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SMART GRID
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Zhicheng Guo, Sanjay Rajendran, Jagadeesh Tangudu, Yasmin Khakpour, Stephen Taylor, Lei Xing, Yue Xu, Xianyong Feng, Alex Q. Huang
Summary: This study proposes a novel insulation and cooling structure for high-power medium frequency transformer (MFT) design, which is successfully applied in a medium voltage solid state transformer. Experimental results demonstrate that this design achieves high power density, partial discharge inception voltage, and superior thermal performance at 100 kW output power.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Saleh Farzamkia, Houshang Salimian Rizi, Alex Q. Huang, Hossein Iman-Eini
Summary: This article proposes a shared redundancy strategy for improving the reliability and useful lifetime of the modular multilevel converter (MMC) by allowing the flexible utilization of redundant submodules (RSMs) in both upper and lower arms. Simulation and experimental results confirm the effectiveness of this strategy in enhancing the reliability and fault-tolerant capability of MMC.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Tianxiang Chen, Ruiyang Yu, Alex Q. Huang
Summary: This article introduces a new approach called single-stage series resonant dual-active-bridge (SR-DAB) for grid-connected bidirectional ac-dc energy storage applications. The SR-DAB is connected to the grid with an unfolding bridge on the ac side, and three SR-DABs are used to connect to a three-phase grid. A control scheme that combines dual-phase shifts and variable frequency is proposed to achieve zero voltage switching and power factor correction. A series of comparisons are conducted to prove the advantage of the proposed converter over traditional ones. A GaN-based hardware prototype is developed with a peak efficiency of 97.2%.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Hanning Tang, Alex Q. Huang
Summary: This paper provides a comprehensive study on adapting DAB PFC rectifier design to MV HP VFD systems, presenting a novel SiC MV 3Ph PFC rectifier and discussing control enhancement to minimize grid current THD at ultra-light load. Analysis and simulations verify the novel circuitry mechanism of the proposed topology in improving THD at ultra-light load conditions.
2021 IEEE ENERGY CONVERSION CONGRESS AND EXPOSITION (ECCE)
(2021)
Proceedings Paper
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhicheng Guo, Tianxiang Chen, Ruiyang Yu, Alex Q. Huang
Summary: This study designed and successfully implemented a high-voltage high-frequency PWM generator for studying partial discharge characteristics of insulation systems under high-frequency PWM voltage. By utilizing GaN devices and high-frequency transformers, the cost was reduced and controllable dv/dt, duty ratio, and output voltage were achieved.
2021 IEEE ENERGY CONVERSION CONGRESS AND EXPOSITION (ECCE)
(2021)
Proceedings Paper
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Qingyun Huang, Qingxuan Ma, Alex Q. Huang, Michael de Rooij
Summary: This paper introduces a GaN-based modular LLC resonant converter, which adjusts the input voltage and output current range by connecting modules in series and parallel, achieving high power density and achieving high efficiency.
2021 IEEE ENERGY CONVERSION CONGRESS AND EXPOSITION (ECCE)
(2021)
Proceedings Paper
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Qingxuan Ma, Qingyun Huang, Alex Q. Huang
Summary: ISOP converters allow the use of low voltage devices in high voltage applications, leading to modularity and increased efficiency. However, parameter mismatch between converter modules can result in input voltage and current imbalance. Analysis of resonant tank parameter mismatch in an ISOP LLC converter shows that the ratio of resonant inductor Lr and magnetizing inductor Lm significantly impacts input voltage sharing.
2021 IEEE ENERGY CONVERSION CONGRESS AND EXPOSITION (ECCE)
(2021)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Zibo Chen, Houshang Salimian Rizi, Chen Chen, Pengkun Liu, Ruiyang Yu, Alex Q. Huang
Summary: This study developed a compact 300 kW air-cooled SiC power electronics building block (PEBB) with high efficiency and power density.
IECON 2021 - 47TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS SOCIETY
(2021)
