Power Loss Model and Efficiency Analysis of Three-phase Inverter Based on SiC MOSFETs for PV Applications A 60-KW T-type SiC photovoltaic inverter is presented in [7], and it is found
This paper presents the power loss model analysis and efficiency of three-level neutral-point-clamped (3L-NPC) inverter that is widely employed in solar photovoltaic energy conversion
F. M. Almasoudi, K. S. Alatawi and M. Matin, "High efficiency three level transformerless inverter based on SiC MOSFETs for PV applications," 2017 IEEE International Conference on Electro
The application of SiC-based power conversion in utilities, including the FACTS devices, power electronic interfaces for distributed energy resources, and energy storage systems, can significantly improve the
PV applications are good options for helping with the transition of the global energy map towards renewables to meet the modern energy challenges that are unsolvable by traditional methods [].PV solar modules and
String inverters used in residential, commercial and utility-scale installations will generate single- or alternatively three-phase AC power at higher levels. Panel voltages may be 600 V followed
SiC devices are the preferred devices to replace Si devices in these converters. Some demonstrations of SiC PV inverters have revealed that the application of SiC devices is a double-edged sword. Many technical challenges should be overcome to benefit from the excellent performances of SiC device.
Recently, silicon carbide (SiC)-based devices are used to improve the performance of PV inverters . The prices of SiC diode and metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFETs) decrease by 10% per year. These SiC devices are replacing Si devices for PV inverter applications.
This photovoltaic inverter is optimized for SiC devices. It integrates a DC-AC converter and a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller into a single module (Lauria and Coppola, 2014). The capacity of handling power was set at 150 W to enable portability.
For PV inverter application, the SiC power module is challenged by high-temperature package and multi-chip package. High-temperature package material, new interconnect technologies, and novel package structures are emerging. Advanced thermal management is required to achieve higher power density.
The peak efficiency of the SiC inverter is 86.8%. This value is comparable to the conventional SiC inverter (86.5%) and 3% higher than the Si inverter (83.7%). We are currently engaged in analyzing power losses in the present inverter.
The usual peak efficiency is 94–98%. The power loss of a PV inverter is mainly caused by the switching and conduction loss of Si devices. To further increase the efficiency of PV inverters, the performance of Si devices is limited, and the emerging SiC devices with less loss should be employed. Fig. 1.
