SILICON CARBIDE POWER CONVERTERS
APEI, Inc. is currently developing high temperature (up to 300 °C) high frequency power
supplies for numerous military aerospace, down-hole, and electric vehicle platforms. The
utilization of the silicon carbide (SiC) power devices allows for a number of key benefits, in particular:
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Very high efficiencies |
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High-temperature operation (allowing for either high power density or operation in high ambient environments) |
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Reduced thermal management system size and weight |
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Improved modularity (flexible systems which can be rapidly scaled to meet a number power requirements) |
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Reduced filter size and volumes through high frequency operation |
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Power electronic converters are essential in every commercial, military, and exploratory aerospace vehicle, with use in
critical systems ranging from electric power management applications, to power distribution, to on-board servo motor/actuator
drivers. Advancing state-of-the-art power electronics technologies through the use of SiC semiconductors will produce
significant savings across the board in almost all areas of the Air Force and NASA power management and distribution
operations: particularly for those systems that must be launched into orbit or deep space. By utilizing the high efficiency
and high-temperature potential of SiC power switches, future power electronics systems will be reduced in size and weight by
a factor of ten over today’s state-of-the-art converters. Reduction in size and weight means dollar savings in cost to launch
and greater capacity for on-board payload systems.
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