Power Electronics

PicoCell replaces traditional electromagnetic design concepts with high voltage silicon and patented adaptive firmware. This drives a dramatic reduction in size and complexity. One small device now incorporates and integrates the functionality of an inverter, VFD, MPPT controller, phase initiator and voltage boost in a form factor the size of a tissue box.

S&C’s IntelliRupter PulseCloser Fault Interrupter uses PulseClosing® Technology to dramatically reduce the amount of force used during fault testing and to significantly lessen momentary outages for customers on the main feeder.

Eaton Corporation and its project team will develop and validate a wireless-power-based computer server supply that enables distribution of medium voltage (AC or DC) throughout a data center and converts it to the 48 VDC used by computer servers. The Eaton team has targeted the data center sector, as it is quickly becoming a major consumer of electricity in the United States. If successful, project developments will reduce U.S. data center energy consumption and operating cost while creating a high-volume commercial market for SiC-based power converters.

Cree Fayetteville (operating as Wolfspeed, A Cree Company) and its project team will build a DC fast charger for electric vehicles using a solid-state transformer based on silicon carbide (SiC). Such a device would offer significant improvements: efficiency (greater than 60% less power losses), size/weight (greater than 75% smaller size, 85% less weight), and cost (40% lower materials costs) over the state-of-the-art. If successful, the team will construct a 500 kW building block for a DC fast charger that is at least four times the power density of today's installed units.

Opcondys will develop a high voltage (800 VDC to 14.5 kVAC), 60 kW power converter design for energy storage systems connected directly to the power grid. The team seeks to achieve significant efficiency gains over existing systems while also dramatically reducing the system size and cost. The converter will rely on a high-speed, optically switched, SiC-based power electronics device to produce extremely high-efficiencies of 99% while eliminating complexity. If successful, project developments could open the door to increased integration of grid-level energy storage at much lower cost.

United Technologies Research Center and its project team will develop an extremely efficient, high-power power converter capable of handling kilowatts of electricity at ultra-high power densities. The team will leverage the superior performance of SiC and GaN devices to achieve its efficiency and power density goals while eliminating electromagnetic “noise” in the circuit. If successful, the UTRC team will achieve landmark power densities in its converter while reducing cooling requirements, useful for applications such as aircraft starter motors.

The University of Arkansas and its project team will develop a 2 by 250 kW power inverter system for use in the electrification of heavy equipment and other higher volume transportation applications (e.g., trucks, buses, cars). The team will leverage SiC power electronics devices to achieve high levels of efficiency while greatly increasing the volumetric and gravimetric power density of its system over existing ones. If successful, the team will achieve an improvement of four times the power density and reduce converter cost by 50% compared to today’s technology.