Design of a Modular GaN-based Three-Phase Three-Level ANPC Inverter

TL;DR

This paper details the design of a modular GaN-based three-phase three-level inverter for electric traction, including its architecture, gate driver, thermal management, and parasitic analysis, demonstrating its feasibility and modular advantages.

Contribution

It introduces a novel modular design of a GaN-based three-level inverter with detailed analysis and practical implementation aspects for electric traction applications.

Findings

Successful thermal and parasitic analysis using ANSYS Q3D.

Design of a 800 V, 11 kVA inverter with GaN transistors.

Feasibility demonstrated for electric traction systems.

Abstract

This paper presents the design of an 800 V 11 kVA three-level three-phase active neutral point clamped inverter, utilizing 650 V gallium nitride enhancement-mode high-electron-mobility transistors, to evaluate its feasibility in electric traction systems. The modular approach of the presented power converter design is detailed discussed and the different printed circuit boards composing the power converter are presented, together with critical design issues. The paper includes the gate driver design, as well as the thermal analysis and parasitics extraction using ANSYS Q3D. Extractor.