Component cost models for multi-objective optimizations of switched-mode power converters

Besides product differentiation, cost is a key parameter for market success and sustainable competitive advantage of industrial companies. Academic research in the field of power electronics, however, is often confined to the search for technical innovations or optimizations with focus on pure physical performance indices while the cost dimension is neglected. An explanation for the lack of such cost considerations is the generally poor availability of cost data in academia. This paper discusses the necessity of an increased awareness and sensitivity towards costs and the related opportunities for academic research. Furthermore, cost models for the power semiconductors, the passive components, the cooling systems and the printed circuit boards of switched-mode power converters with an approximate rated power between 5 and 50kW are derived. Based on manufacturer prices for large ordering quantities, numerical values for the cost model parameters are proposed. An example of a multi-objective comparison of different power converter topologies for photovoltaic applications regarding efficiency, volume and total semiconductor chip area is extended by the cost dimension to demonstrate the benefits of employing the developed cost models.