Comparison of 3-Level and 2-Level Topologies for Energy Storage Applications with the New Generation IGBT7

Inhalt:
This paper provides a comparison between 2-level and 3-level topologies for use in energy storage systems (ESS), covering IGBTs in voltage classes between 1200 V and 2300 V. A detailed thermal simulation was performed to investigate the maximum junction temperature, Tj,max, of the devices for discussing the advantages of the new generation IGBT7. The new 1700 V IGBT7 technology in a 2- level topology can replace a 1200 V, 3-level solution based on IGBT5 in power classes below 1 MW, thereby reducing the number of modules required. Similarly, for higher output power, new 3-level topol- ogies in IGBT7 technology are available, increasing the maximum power output to beyond 1.5 MW.