Comparison of GaN and SiC power devices in application to MW-scale quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverters

Haiyu Zhang; Baoming Ge; Yushan Liu; Sertac Bayhan; Robert S. Balog; Haitham Abu-Rub

doi:10.1109/ECCE.2016.7854940

Comparison of GaN and SiC power devices in application to MW-scale quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverters

Haiyu Zhang, Baoming Ge, Yushan Liu, Sertac Bayhan, Robert S. Balog, Haitham Abu-Rub

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors including gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) offer significant performance improvement compared with conventional silicon power devices. The quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverter (qZS-CMI) provides many advantages over the conventional CMI while applied in photovoltaic (PV) systems. In this paper, two solutions are proposed and compared to the design goal of a high efficiency and low-cost qZS-CMI based 1 MW/11 kV PV system. The first solution is based on 650 V GaN enhancement mode high-electron-mobility transistors (E-HEMT) and 650 V SiC Schottky diodes. The second solution uses 1200 V SiC power modules and 1200 V SiC Schottky diodes. The power losses and costs of the two candidate designs are compared in details. It is concluded that the first solution shows lower power losses and costs per quasi-Z-source inverter (qZSI) module. However, due to the low voltage rating of GaN E-HEMTs, more qZSI modules are needed to achieve the overall 11 kV inverter rating. Therefore, the second solution shows lower total power loss and cost in the medium-voltage, MW-scale qZS-CMI PV system.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)	9781509007370
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ECCE.2016.7854940
Publication status	Published - 2016
Externally published	Yes
Event	2016 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2016 - Milwaukee, United States Duration: 18 Sept 2016 → 22 Sept 2016

Publication series

Name	ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings

Conference

Conference	2016 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2016
Country/Territory	United States
City	Milwaukee
Period	18/09/16 → 22/09/16

Keywords

Cascaded multilevel inverter
costs
gallium nitride
photovoltaic
power losses
quasi-Z-source
silicon carbide
wide bandgap

Access to Document

10.1109/ECCE.2016.7854940

Cite this

Zhang, H., Ge, B., Liu, Y., Bayhan, S., Balog, R. S., & Abu-Rub, H. (2016). Comparison of GaN and SiC power devices in application to MW-scale quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverters. In ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings Article 7854940 (ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1109/ECCE.2016.7854940

Zhang, Haiyu ; Ge, Baoming ; Liu, Yushan et al. / Comparison of GaN and SiC power devices in application to MW-scale quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverters. ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2016. (ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings).

@inproceedings{5b8f39f70e1243ff93466045ab365567,

title = "Comparison of GaN and SiC power devices in application to MW-scale quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverters",

abstract = "Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors including gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) offer significant performance improvement compared with conventional silicon power devices. The quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverter (qZS-CMI) provides many advantages over the conventional CMI while applied in photovoltaic (PV) systems. In this paper, two solutions are proposed and compared to the design goal of a high efficiency and low-cost qZS-CMI based 1 MW/11 kV PV system. The first solution is based on 650 V GaN enhancement mode high-electron-mobility transistors (E-HEMT) and 650 V SiC Schottky diodes. The second solution uses 1200 V SiC power modules and 1200 V SiC Schottky diodes. The power losses and costs of the two candidate designs are compared in details. It is concluded that the first solution shows lower power losses and costs per quasi-Z-source inverter (qZSI) module. However, due to the low voltage rating of GaN E-HEMTs, more qZSI modules are needed to achieve the overall 11 kV inverter rating. Therefore, the second solution shows lower total power loss and cost in the medium-voltage, MW-scale qZS-CMI PV system.",

keywords = "Cascaded multilevel inverter, costs, gallium nitride, photovoltaic, power losses, quasi-Z-source, silicon carbide, wide bandgap",

author = "Haiyu Zhang and Baoming Ge and Yushan Liu and Sertac Bayhan and Balog, {Robert S.} and Haitham Abu-Rub",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 IEEE.; 2016 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2016 ; Conference date: 18-09-2016 Through 22-09-2016",

year = "2016",

doi = "10.1109/ECCE.2016.7854940",

language = "English",

series = "ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings",

publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.",

booktitle = "ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings",

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Zhang, H, Ge, B, Liu, Y, Bayhan, S, Balog, RS & Abu-Rub, H 2016, Comparison of GaN and SiC power devices in application to MW-scale quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverters. in ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings., 7854940, ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2016 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2016, Milwaukee, United States, 18/09/16. https://doi.org/10.1109/ECCE.2016.7854940

Comparison of GaN and SiC power devices in application to MW-scale quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverters. / Zhang, Haiyu; Ge, Baoming; Liu, Yushan et al.
ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2016. 7854940 (ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Comparison of GaN and SiC power devices in application to MW-scale quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverters

AU - Zhang, Haiyu

AU - Ge, Baoming

AU - Liu, Yushan

AU - Bayhan, Sertac

AU - Balog, Robert S.

AU - Abu-Rub, Haitham

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors including gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) offer significant performance improvement compared with conventional silicon power devices. The quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverter (qZS-CMI) provides many advantages over the conventional CMI while applied in photovoltaic (PV) systems. In this paper, two solutions are proposed and compared to the design goal of a high efficiency and low-cost qZS-CMI based 1 MW/11 kV PV system. The first solution is based on 650 V GaN enhancement mode high-electron-mobility transistors (E-HEMT) and 650 V SiC Schottky diodes. The second solution uses 1200 V SiC power modules and 1200 V SiC Schottky diodes. The power losses and costs of the two candidate designs are compared in details. It is concluded that the first solution shows lower power losses and costs per quasi-Z-source inverter (qZSI) module. However, due to the low voltage rating of GaN E-HEMTs, more qZSI modules are needed to achieve the overall 11 kV inverter rating. Therefore, the second solution shows lower total power loss and cost in the medium-voltage, MW-scale qZS-CMI PV system.

AB - Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors including gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) offer significant performance improvement compared with conventional silicon power devices. The quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverter (qZS-CMI) provides many advantages over the conventional CMI while applied in photovoltaic (PV) systems. In this paper, two solutions are proposed and compared to the design goal of a high efficiency and low-cost qZS-CMI based 1 MW/11 kV PV system. The first solution is based on 650 V GaN enhancement mode high-electron-mobility transistors (E-HEMT) and 650 V SiC Schottky diodes. The second solution uses 1200 V SiC power modules and 1200 V SiC Schottky diodes. The power losses and costs of the two candidate designs are compared in details. It is concluded that the first solution shows lower power losses and costs per quasi-Z-source inverter (qZSI) module. However, due to the low voltage rating of GaN E-HEMTs, more qZSI modules are needed to achieve the overall 11 kV inverter rating. Therefore, the second solution shows lower total power loss and cost in the medium-voltage, MW-scale qZS-CMI PV system.

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KW - costs

KW - gallium nitride

KW - photovoltaic

KW - power losses

KW - quasi-Z-source

KW - silicon carbide

KW - wide bandgap

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DO - 10.1109/ECCE.2016.7854940

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85015388128

T3 - ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings

BT - ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings

PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.

T2 - 2016 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2016

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ER -

Zhang H, Ge B, Liu Y, Bayhan S, Balog RS, Abu-Rub H. Comparison of GaN and SiC power devices in application to MW-scale quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverters. In ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. 2016. 7854940. (ECCE 2016 - IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Proceedings). doi: 10.1109/ECCE.2016.7854940

Comparison of GaN and SiC power devices in application to MW-scale quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverters

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