Wolfspeed Wins 2016 R&D 100 Award
High temperature, SiC underhood inverter recognised for innovation
US power semiconductor company Wolfspeed has won a 2016 R&D 100 Award for its high temperature, wide bandgap (WBG) underhood inverter for electric vehicles.
Presented by the R&D 100 Awards Committee and R&D Magazine and elected by an independent panel of more than 50 judges, the 54th annual R&D 100 Awards honours the 100 most innovative technologies and services of the past year.
Award winners are recognised for their contributions to advancing science and technology across five primary categories: analytical/test, IT/electrical, mechanical devices/materials, processes/prototyping, and software/services, and four special recognition categories: market disrupter services, market disruptor products, corporate social responsibility, and green technology.
"It's a great accomplishment to win an R&D 100 Award, so we're very honoured to have earned recognition for one of our latest innovations in the commercial SiC device industry," said John Palmour, Wolfspeed's chief technology officer.
"Our SiC inverter is the first traction drive optimised for wide bandgap devices that utilises a commercially available SiC power module. By increasing power in a smaller footprint, Wolfspeed is enabling hybrid and electric vehicles to become more attractive to end consumers, contributing further to a reduction in the domestic use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, through our partnerships with other industry leaders, Wolfspeed ensures that our technology is readily adoptable in vehicle applications."
The inverter was developed in response to the need for smaller, lighter, and more efficient systems with higher power density in the electric vehicle market, and in collaboration with: the Toyota Research Institute of North America, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the University of Arkansas National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission, and the Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office.
Underhood inverters convert the DC power stored in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or all-electric vehicle battery packs to three-phase AC power that can be used to energise one or more electrical loads, and traditionally employ industry standard silicon semiconductors.
Using Wolfspeed's WBG semiconductor devices and advanced packaging techniques in an underhood inverter allowed engineers to achieve faster switching with reduced system-level losses during high ambient temperature operation (140degC). This WBG-based system significantly outperforms silicon technology and meaningfully extends the realm of possibility for vehicle inverters, for which it has been earned the achievement of being named one of the top technical breakthrough products released in 2015.
The core of the inverter consists of three commercial Wolfspeed CAS325M12HM2 SiC half-bridge power modules, which are rated for 1200V and 325A of continuous RMS current at high temperatures.
The inverter assembly also includes: a liquid-cooled cold plate, which provides the thermal conduction path for energy losses; low inductance power bussing, which minimises parasitic losses and maximises switching efficiencies; snubber and filter components, which dampen over-voltage and over-current spiking and dampens resonances; control and drive circuitry, which performs the dynamic switching and provides users with feedback, control signals, and high current gate drive signals; and an enclosure, which provides the unit with EMI shielding, electrical cabling, and liquid cooling inlet/outlet connections.
By using WBG materials, Wolfspeed eliminated the need for the secondary radiator and thermal management system in the vehicle. This inverter allows the onboard power electronics to be cooled by the same coolant loop as the primary radiator and combustion engine, which significantly decreases the overall mass and volume of the system. In addition to reducing the system footprint within the car, Wolfspeed's WBG technology also increases the peak power delivery of the unit by two to three times what is currently achievable, while operating at overall higher ambient temperatures.
