High-Density, High-Power Converters Using Paralleled 3.3 kV All-Silicon Carbide Power Modules

Abstract:
Power module paralleling is a common practice for megawatt (MW) scale high-power converter applications such as renewable energy systems, energy storage converters, electric propulsion, etc. With increasing demand for higher power ratings, higher performance, and higher power density, it becomes more difficult to rely on a single power module to carry the rated current in those applications. The newly introduced Wolfspeed All-Silicon Carbide (SiC) 3.3 kV power module, in the 100 mm × 140 mm package, offers an attractive solution due to its excellent current-sharing performance and low stray inductance supporting the high-speed SiC MOSFET chips inside. In this work, the current-sharing performance of the module is investigated and first reported through comprehensive switching tests. A case study using two paralleled Wolfspeed 3.3 kV SiC modules per phase to realize a three-phase, high power railway traction inverter is benchmarked against an existing Si IGBT solution.