Roberts, Graham John (2010) Evaluation of emerging unipolar devices in the motor drive of a hybrid electric vehicle. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) is seen as a potential replacement power semiconductor material
because it can operate at high temperatures, with reduced losses leading to high efficiency
in power converter applications. The SiC Schottky diode and metal oxide field effect
transistor (MOSFET) are two devices which offer improved efficiency in power conversion,
with the former commercially available for a number of years and the latter currently
emerging as a commercially available device. The original contribution of this thesis is
the integration of models of the SiC Schottky diode and SiC MOSFET into a fast inverter
simulation framework, giving a method of evaluating the benefits offered by these emerging
devices to a hybrid vehicle inverter.
Fast models of the SiC Schottky diode and SiC MOSFET based on device physics were
implemented. These models used device design parameters and material temperature dependencies
to determine device behaviour where possible, rather than relying completely
on empirically determined parameters, such that a user could evaluate the benefits offered
by a new SiC device design to a whole system. On-state and switching data were gathered
from commercially available diodes and a prototype MOSFET to allow validation of the
models. Parameter extraction methods were developed and applied to measurements of
existing devices to provide an initial estimate of model parameters, then these parameters
were adjusted to give a good match between measured and simulated on-state and
switching data.
Following validation, the models were integrated into a fast inverter simulation framework,
allowing the simulation of a hybrid vehicle inverter undergoing a 35 minute load
cycle, taking approximately seven minutes to complete. This is approximately five times
faster than real time. The output of this simulation was a temperature profile for the
Schottky diode an MOSFET, giving information that can assist in investigation of an
inverter and cooling system design for a particular load cycle.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Silicon carbide -- Electric properties -- Mathematical models, Electric inverters -- Mathematical models, Diodes, Semiconductor -- Mathematical models, Metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors -- Mathematical models
Official Date:	September 2010
Dates:	Date Event September 2010 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	School of Engineering
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Mawby, Philip
Extent:	xviii, 219 leaves : ill., charts
Language:	eng

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