University of Illinois Gallium Nitride Inverter

Overview

Topology

• The University of Illinois is building a 200-kW, multilevel, flying capacitor topology with gallium nitride power switches that is scalable to a 1-MW system
• The topology employs nine levels and shifts the energy storage used in filtering elements from inductors, which are common to many designs, to capacitors, which have a much higher energy density
• The dc bus voltage will be 1000 V.

Performance Goal

• 19kW/kg, 99% efficiency

Validation

• Prototype power modules have been built and tested resulting in refinements.
• Additional work has been done to show viability at cryogenic temperatures in a addition to room temp.

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