On the feasibility of a 1 MW inverter in less than a cubic meter volume for vehicle applications
- Army Research Lab., For Monmouth, NJ (United States). Pulse Power Components Branch
The Army Tank-Automotive Command (TACOM) which is committed to an All-Electric Tank, commissioned a study of the feasibility of 1 MW inverter in less than a cubic meter volume. TACOM has the constraint of very limited available volume, in that this volume is protected by armor and is thus at a premium. The study strategy was to evaluate a series of general inverter topologies, utilizing various power semiconductors. The first inverter evaluated was a standard, hard switched DC link with Gate Turnoff Thyristors (GTOs) as the power semiconductors. Since four quadrant operation is a requirement, two antiparallel GTOs are required at each of the twelve switches, yielding a total of twenty-four GTOs. Even with the large auxiliaries required by the GTOs, the inverter volume easily meets the specified volume. The next case was a quasi-resonant DC link circuit using Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs). The ratings on the IGBTs surveyed were much less than that of comparable size GTOs, particularly in voltage, resulting in higher operating currents and therefore larger conduction losses, these being approximately twice that of the GTOs. The next case was a similar inverter using advanced MOS Controlled Thyristors (MCTs). These are devices currently under development, to be rated at 3 kV. They have minimal driver and snubber requirements and the least conduction losses, being approximately a third of those calculated for the GTOs. Inverter volume is less than half that associated with baseline GTO inverter. The added complexity of four quadrant operation favors the next topology, the matrix inverter. The often discussed liability of two antiparallel semiconductors at each switch position is negated by a similar need in the DC topologies. The study concludes with an assessment of foreseeable advanced technologies that may favorably impact the reduction of the size of the inverter.
- OSTI ID:
- 163395
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950729-; TRN: IM9604%%500
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 30. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, Orlando, FL (United States), 30 Jul - 5 Aug 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 30. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference. Volume 1; Goswami, D.Y. [ed.] [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)]; Kannberg, L.D.; Somasundaram, S. [eds.] [Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)]; Mancini, T.R. [ed.] [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)]; PB: 798 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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