Design, Operation, and Loss Characterization of a 1-kW GaN-Based Three-Level Converter at Cryogenic Temperatures

Christopher B. Barth; Thomas Foulkes; Oscar Azofeifa; Juan Colmenares; Keith Coulson; Nenad Miljkovic; Robert Carl Nikolai Pilawa Podgurski

doi:10.1109/TPEL.2020.2989310

Design, Operation, and Loss Characterization of a 1-kW GaN-Based Three-Level Converter at Cryogenic Temperatures

Christopher B. Barth, Thomas Foulkes, Oscar Azofeifa, Juan Colmenares, Keith Coulson, Nenad Miljkovic, Robert Carl Nikolai Pilawa Podgurski

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This article investigates the potential for high power density, high-efficiency power conversion using GaN-based flying capacitor multilevel power converters at low temperature. Specific focus is given to the application of hybrid aircraft powered by liquefied natural gas. Building off of prior characterization of GaN switches over temperature, this article outlines the impact of near-cryogenic operation on the losses of a complete 1-kW inverter. Specific focus has been given to the characterization of the losses in ceramic capacitors and inductors at near-cryogenic operation. A 1-kW GaN-based three-level power converter was designed and successfully tested from room temperature down to-140°C. Along with the first demonstration of a flying capacitor multilevel converter and associated components at such low temperature, a breakdown of losses over temperature is included to facilitate a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges introduced by this article.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	9075366
Pages (from-to)	12040-12052
Number of pages	13
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics
Volume	35
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TPEL.2020.2989310
State	Published - Nov 2020

Keywords

Capacitor
cryogenic
dynamic rdson
electrified aircraft
FCML
flying capacitor multilevel converter
gallium nitride (GaN)
hybrid
inverter
liquefied natural gas (LNG)
MLCC

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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10.1109/TPEL.2020.2989310

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Design, Operation, and Loss Characterization of a 1-kW GaN-Based Three-Level Converter at Cryogenic Temperatures. / Barth, Christopher B.; Foulkes, Thomas; Azofeifa, Oscar; Colmenares, Juan; Coulson, Keith; Miljkovic, Nenad; Pilawa Podgurski, Robert Carl Nikolai.

In: IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, Vol. 35, No. 11, 9075366, 11.2020, p. 12040-12052.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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title = "Design, Operation, and Loss Characterization of a 1-kW GaN-Based Three-Level Converter at Cryogenic Temperatures",

abstract = "This article investigates the potential for high power density, high-efficiency power conversion using GaN-based flying capacitor multilevel power converters at low temperature. Specific focus is given to the application of hybrid aircraft powered by liquefied natural gas. Building off of prior characterization of GaN switches over temperature, this article outlines the impact of near-cryogenic operation on the losses of a complete 1-kW inverter. Specific focus has been given to the characterization of the losses in ceramic capacitors and inductors at near-cryogenic operation. A 1-kW GaN-based three-level power converter was designed and successfully tested from room temperature down to-140°C. Along with the first demonstration of a flying capacitor multilevel converter and associated components at such low temperature, a breakdown of losses over temperature is included to facilitate a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges introduced by this article.",

keywords = "Capacitor, cryogenic, dynamic rdson, electrified aircraft, FCML, flying capacitor multilevel converter, gallium nitride (GaN), hybrid, inverter, liquefied natural gas (LNG), MLCC",

author = "Barth, {Christopher B.} and Thomas Foulkes and Oscar Azofeifa and Juan Colmenares and Keith Coulson and Nenad Miljkovic and {Pilawa Podgurski}, {Robert Carl Nikolai}",

note = "Funding Information: Manuscript received September 27, 2019; revised February 3, 2020; accepted March 13, 2020. Date of publication April 20, 2020; date of current version July 20, 2020. This work was supported in part by the NASA Fixed Wing research program through NASA cooperative agreement NASA NNX14AL79A and in part by the Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems, an NSF sponsored ERC. This article was presented in part at the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, Tampa, FL, USA, March 2017, and the IEEE Power and Energy Conference at Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA, February 2018. Recommended for publication by Associate Editor Z. Zhang. (Corresponding author: Robert C. N. Pilawa-Podgurski.) Christopher B. Barth, Thomas Foulkes, and Oscar Azofeifa are with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA (e-mail: cbarth2@illinois.edu; foulkes2@illinois.edu; ora2@illinois.edu).",

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AU - Colmenares, Juan

AU - Coulson, Keith

AU - Miljkovic, Nenad

AU - Pilawa Podgurski, Robert Carl Nikolai

N1 - Funding Information: Manuscript received September 27, 2019; revised February 3, 2020; accepted March 13, 2020. Date of publication April 20, 2020; date of current version July 20, 2020. This work was supported in part by the NASA Fixed Wing research program through NASA cooperative agreement NASA NNX14AL79A and in part by the Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems, an NSF sponsored ERC. This article was presented in part at the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, Tampa, FL, USA, March 2017, and the IEEE Power and Energy Conference at Illinois, Champaign, IL, USA, February 2018. Recommended for publication by Associate Editor Z. Zhang. (Corresponding author: Robert C. N. Pilawa-Podgurski.) Christopher B. Barth, Thomas Foulkes, and Oscar Azofeifa are with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA (e-mail: cbarth2@illinois.edu; foulkes2@illinois.edu; ora2@illinois.edu).

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KW - dynamic rdson

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KW - liquefied natural gas (LNG)

KW - MLCC

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