£9.5m initiative to use SiC to modernise UK power grid
Anvil Semiconductors has announced its participation in a £9.5 million government initiative to modernise the UK energy infrastructure to cope with the unprecedented change in energy consumption, generation and distribution. Innovate UK, the UK technology strategy board, is funding projects that drive innovative ways in how energy is supplied and used to address the energy challenges of sustainability, security of supply and affordability.
This project, trialled on Western Power Distribution's residential network will use Anvil's SiC-on-silicon power devices to look to increase the UK's energy network capacity to tackle residential and commercial needs. The team comprises Western Power Distribution, Anvil Semiconductors, Turbo Power Systems, Aston University, Exception EMS and Schneider Electric in the design and delivery of this project.
By 2020 the UK is expected to have 10 million homes with solar panels and the number of electric vehicles sold will increase to 6.4 million by 2023. As a result the existing energy infrastructure, designed for a one way flow of energy, will have to deal with unprecendented patterns in network load.
The challenge of integrating distributed power generation, with traditional larger scale energy generation presents new risks in terms of voltage control and predicting load and demand. Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) are facing significant challenges in modernising existing infrastructure, and investing in smart technologies, to cope with this transformation.
The trial aims to deliver a dramatic increase in the capacity of our existing residential energy infrastructure, by increasing the local network voltage. This approach will allow the grid to simultaneously deliver different voltages for different requirements (i.e. charging an electric car and simultaniously providing a constant 240V for a residential building).
This project will trial the installation of high-performance power electronic converters (PECs) into the meter-box of individual properties and a local substation converter for distributing at 400V. In order to achieve the required level of performance, efficiency, stability and sustainability at the cost demanded, these PECs will use innovative low cost SiC switching devices built using Anvil's SiC-on-silicon technology.
Anvil Semiconductors, which is backed by Business Angels and early stage VCs, was established in August 2010 to develop SiC power devices for the power electronics industry. Anvil's approach enables the growth of device quality 3C-SiC epitaxy on 100mm diameter silicon wafers to thicknesses that permit the fabrication of vertical power devices. The proprietary process overcomes mismatches in lattice parameter and thermal coefficient of expansion and can be readily migrated onto 150mm wafers and potentially beyond.
The company has offices in Coventry and Cambridge and has a small experienced team and a network of industrial and academic partners.
