Demonstration of 25 W/cm3 class all-SiC three phase inverter

Silicon-carbide power devices are expected as next generation power devices due to their superior performances. This paper focuses on a performance evaluation of an all-SiC power converter in terms of high power density. A forced air-cooling type all-SiC three phase inverter has been built with currently available normally-on SiC-JFETs and SiC-SBDs and the feasible power density has been derived. The inverter consists of an all-SiC module, heat sink, cooling fans, dc-link capacitor bank, and gate drive unit. The volume of the inverter is 864 cm³. The power loss of the all-SiC module is measured in continuous operation tests. The experimental results and theoretical loss calculations show that high power density of 25 W/cm³ could be achieved.