Evaluation of switching losses in magnetic amplifiers as an alternative to IGBT switching technologies

In future more electric aircraft (MEA) applications increased requirements of power levels stress the importance of low losses in converters and switching elements. In this work the losses of transistor switches are analysed and compared with the losses in magnetic amplifiers (Magamp) where amorphous alloy properties allows design of competitive devices. More Electric Aircraft technology can take advantage of this to accomplish compact, robust and reliable systems with low losses. Magamps are already used in the power supply of the Electronic Flight Control System in the Swedish "Gripen" fighter-aircraft. This paper presents a comparison between Magamp technology and an alternative Insulated Gate Bi-polar Transistor (IGBT) design. The study is concentrated on the power losses in a proposed 10 kW converter with plusmn 270 VDC (540 VDC) regulated output, where the fundamental difference between the switching elements is that the magnetic switch handles AC and the IGBT handles DC. To allow comparison, the copper and magnetic losses in the magnetic switch of the magnetic amplifier are considered as equivalent to the switching and conduction losses in the IGBT. The comparison is based on the sum of losses in power converters comprising six switching elements.