Predictive Reliability Modelling and Characterization of Silicon Carbide Power MOS-Transistors in Grid-Connected Voltage Source Converters

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Wind Energy)
Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution)

Basic and strategic applied research

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Dr O Alatise
School of Engineering
University of Warwick

Standard

EPSRC

17 April 2013

16 August 2015

28 months

£99,765

Unknown

West Midlands

NC : ICT

Dr O Alatise, School of Engineering, University of Warwick

Project Contact, Dynex Semiconductor Ltd
Project Contact, Alstom Grid Ltd

Modern society's reliance on electrical energy is almost as critical as its reliance on food and water. In the UK, majority of the electrical energy is generated by electrical machines powered by fossil fuels. The principles of sustainability require that the energy consumption pattern changes since fuel reserves are finite. Furthermore, shifting away from fossil fuels is integral to the de-carbonisation of the economy which is critical for tackling global warming. To this end, substantial progress has been made on harnessing wind, solar and other renewable energy sources. However, change is also required in the manner in which electricity is transmitted and distributed through the grid. Renewable energy is usually intermittent and unpredictable, characteristics which make it unsuitable for direct connection with the electric grid. Renewable sources like wind and solar energy can only interface with the electrical grid through power electronics. Power electronics is required for the processing and conditioning of electrical energy so as to make it complaint with the grid. At the heart of power electronics, we have power semiconductor devices which have traditionally been fabricated out of silicon bipolar technology. However, silicon is reaching its fundamental limits in terms of energy density, hence, moving to advanced power materials like silicon carbide can give added impetus to the field of power electronics. Silicon carbide is a wide bandgap semiconductor with a higher critical electric field and higher thermal conductivity. In this project, the reliability of power converters implemented in Silicon-Carbide MOS-Transistor technology is investigated. These power converters will typically be used in off-shore wind-farms for power conversion in high voltage DC transmission (HVDC) systems. The converters can also be used in flexible AC transmission systems like STATCOMS (Static Compensators). The overall objective is to characterize the reliability of power converters implemented in silicon-carbide MOS transistors

16/08/13