Design of a Fast Switching 200 kVA SiC Drive Inverter for Aviation Application

The efficiency and power density of drive inverters are critical for the electrification of aviation. Widebandgap semiconductors are beneficial in this regard as they allow high switching speeds ultimately reducing switching losses and the size of associated passive components. In this paper, the design of a 200 kVA drive inverter based on a B6 topology with low-inductive half-bridge power modules comprising of 1200 V SiC MOSFETs is presented. High-performance gate drivers provide sufficient current capability as well as ultra-fast overcurrent protection. An optimized two-stage DC-link reduces the switching overvoltage and oscillations. A power density of approximately 89 kW/dm3 and 79 kW/kg excluding the cooling system and a peak efficiency of over 98.8% are achieved.