Called the IPAM01210C10, “the power supply module was designed specifically to enable SSCBs to provide very low transmission losses while operating faster than conventional electromechanical switches,” said Dan Brdar, CEO of Ideal Power, adding that they are parallel useful, industrial. railway and military applications. “We look forward to our first commercial sale later in 2023.”
Bipolar technology is branded “B-Tran” and its main parameter is a low primary voltage drop, which is below enough volts.
The company claims 600 mV (200 mV wire, 400 mV internal resistance) compared to 2.75 V for IGBTs with anti-parallel diodes, for example 1.2 kV bidirectional applications, and goes on to say that 12 kV 50 A will be the losses in the circuit breaker. 360W compared to the 1.5kW IGBT version.
Being fully bidirectional, only nine are needed in three-phase to three-phase matrix converters, compared to, for example, 18 IGBTs and 18 diodes.
However, unlike IGBTs, the bases of the bipolar structure (correct) require current-based driving, and both bases must move relative to their own emitter.
“For the power module, under 120 A discharge current, the main motor current is 24 A [β=5]Brdar told Electronics Weekly. “For a discharge current of 60 A, the main motor current is 8.5 A [β=7]”.
In the module, the bipolar device, which is normally on (conducts without applying a motor), is packaged with two low-voltage mosfets, through which several cascode drivers can be inserted, which turn the device normally off; used in many silicon carbide power “modfets” that actually combine a conventional switched SiC JFET with a low-voltage silicon mosfet.
“The MOSFETs are also used to tune the power supply module to the correct operating mode,” Brdar said. “They are low-voltage mosfets with an impedance below 2mΩ. The B-Tran is the bi-directional high voltage device, not these mosfets. For a B-Tran chip with 0.6V Von 30A, with a cascode mosfet this will be below 0.61V.
According to the IPAM01210C10 data brief provided to Electronics Weekly, typical end-to-end saturation is 560mV (800mV max) at 100A with a matching base of 1.5V. Where will it come from?
“For 100A 0.56V common mode, the total drive current is 20A at 1.5V,” Brdar said. We have a “bidirectional floating driver with a buck converter that converts a 24V supply to ~20A at 1.5V. We are further improving the B-Tran chip design to improve the beta version, thus reducing driving to 10A.”
The 44 x 54 x 5.6 mm module uses a double sided high voltage matrix structure (left) and offers dual cooling and a built-in temperature display. “Heat is dissipated from both the top and bottom surfaces without connecting wires,” says the company.
Dissipation is rated at 1.6kW at 25°C (400W at 100°C). Zero capacity operation ranges from -40 to +125°C.
In terms of speed, the module is recommended to switch at 30kHz.
At 600V 100A at 1.5V, the timers are: 250s on delay, 100s rise, 450s off delay, and 200s fall. Energy is 2 mJ on and 7.2 mJ off.
Other applications are envisioned in vehicle battery disconnects, renewable energy microgrids, V2X, and bidirectional T-type inverters.
Ideal Power is based in Austin Texas
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