Design of 400V class inverter drive using SiC 6-in-1 power module

SiC devices are considered to be the next generation power device. This paper discusses thedesign of a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) using a 6-in-1 power module that employs SiC-DMOSFETs and SiC Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs). A 400V class 11kW prototype drive is designed using a 1200V/50A SiC module by Cree. In this paper, power losses of SiC 6-in-1 module are measured and results are compared with an IGBT-based VFD. Analysis shows that SiC drive does not require current derating up to 60 kHz of PWM switching frequency while standard IGBT drive needs significant derating. High dv/dt and voltage reflection effects are important when fast switching devices like SiC are used. This paper explains the design of an optimal output filter.