Characterization of 1.2kV Silicon Carbide (SiC) semiconductors in hard switching mode for three-phase Current Source Inverter (CSI) prototyping in solar applications
Conference: PCIM Europe 2015 - International Exhibition and Conference for Power Electronics, Intelligent Motion, Renewable Energy and Energy Management
05/19/2015 - 05/20/2015 at Nürnberg, Deutschland
Proceedings: PCIM Europe 2015
Pages: 8Language: englishTyp: PDF
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Authors:
Catellani, Stephane; Bier, Anthony; Martin, Jeremy; Gabriel, Luis; Barruel, Franck (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Département des technologies solaires, Laboratoire des systèmes photovoltaïques, 50 avenue du Lac Léman, 73375 Le Bourget-du-Lac, France)
Abstract:
The market brings SiC MOSFET and Schottky diode in the 1.2kV range [1], [2]; this technology can improve AC-400V grid connected solar systems. In the scientific literature, SiC switches have been evaluated for a voltage source inverter operation [3], but there is a lack of studies that address the implementation of SiC components running in a current source inverter. A test bench is built at the Dept. of Solar Technologies (DTS) of the CEA. It allows to characterize SiC power semiconductors TO-220/247 packaged at fixed current and variable voltage. Paper highlights the SiC Schottky diode capacitive charge which influences the transistor switching energies and the commutation last. Two different diodes sizes are evaluated to be implemented in a CSI and the selected diode depends on the switching frequency target.