4H-SiC GTO thyristor and p-n diode loss models for HVDC converter

The increase in use of power electronics in transmission and distribution applications is the driving force for development of high power devices. Utility applications like FACTS and HVDC require cost effective and highly efficient converters with high power ratings. SiC power devices have some exceptional physical properties that make them highly reliable at high power, high temperature, and high frequencies. This paper presents the modeling of temperature dependent 4H-SiC GTO thyristor and p-n diode loss models. The conduction and switching losses of the devices for various operating conditions have been simulated and compared for SiC and Si devices. These loss models are integrated with an HVDC transmission system to study the effect of Si and SiC devices on the system in terms of system efficiency and system cost management.