Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

High-power converters in the megawatt range are widely used in industry, such as steel, mining, power utility, renewable energy and petrochemical industries. With the technological advancement, a new type of semiconductor switching devices, the silicon carbide (SiC) switches, have emerged. They are more efficient and fast than the other switching devices currently used in the high-power conversion systems, and their voltage and current handling capability starts to reach a level that can be practically used in high-power converters. The main objective of the proposed research program is to develop SiC device based high-power converters and their control schemes for next generation medium voltage (MV, 2.3kV 13.8kV) motor drives for higher energy efficiency and better system performance. The research program is expected to generate a number of leading-edge technologies and innovative designs for the high-power MV drives, which include novel SiC voltage source and current source converters, next generation 10kV-class transformerless drives, and advanced modulation and control algorithms for the MV drives. The developed technologies are expected to be utilized in the Canadian drive industry to enhance the performance of their products, reduce the manufacturing cost, and increase the productivity, making contributions to the Canada's economic growth.