Publication

Power and Mobility (P&M)
2011

HIGH TEMPERATURE POWER CONVERTERS FOR MILITARY HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES

by John Kajs; Scott Castagno; Michel Ingrim; Brandon Dixon; John Mendoza; Daniel Szenasi

Abstract

Multiple high temperature liquid cooled power converters are being developed for use in future military applications under several TARDEC funded efforts. All of these converters utilize multiple silicon carbide devices packaged into larger modules. This paper presents performance (volume, mass, efficiency, etc) and test results for four different converters where the inlet coolant temperatures range up to 100 C. The first converter provides 28 Volt isolated power at 30 kW from a nominal 300 volt DC bus. The second converter provides isolated exportable (AC) power at 30 kW from a nominal 300 volt DC bus. The exportable power converter provides 50 or 60 Hz power at 120 Volts as well as either single phase 240 Volts or three phase 208 Volts. The third converter is a simple motor drive inverter rated for operation from a 650 V DC bus and rated to continuously provide over 90 Arms with intermittent higher power levels. The fourth converter is a 180 kW, bi-directional, non-isolated 300 to 600 volt converter typically described as a ‘battery to bus converter’. Based on close attention to detail of the overall converter designs plus the use of silicon carbide devices, it is possible to increase switching frequencies without excessive switching losses and thereby reduce the size of the passive components. The capability of the silicon carbide power devices to operate at temperatures exceeding those of silicon reduces the thermal management burden. The close attention to converter architecture, packaging, and subcomponent design facilitates effective heat removal with resulting significant thermal margins in most subcomponents.