A power electronics converter is generally designed for a specific load condition. However, depending on the applications and its mission profiles, the operating load conditions can be distinctly lower than the specified ones (PV cell under shading conditions, etc.). During this light load condition, the efficiency diminishes considerably, especially if Si–IGBT devices are considered within the power circuit. This study explains a light-load circuit extension based on wide-bandgap (WBG, silicon carbide and gallium nitride) material, which can improve the light-load efficiency and transient response of the conventional IGBT-based active rectifiers and inverter. Such an additional circuit extension is, in general, associated with additional cost. Numerous factors, such as the power electronics application itself, mission profiles, converter power rating and sizing of passive components, etc., can shift the break-even point of the upgraded power electronics system in terms of time. Therefore, a profound investigation of the relevant areas of interest is required in advance to ensure the most efficient amortization of the additional incurred costs of the applied circuitry. A 125 kW 3-phase six-switch inverter is discussed to highlight relevant effects in light-load operation that must be considered for final product design.
The increasing installation of distributed energy resources results in massive challenges related to the planning and operation of the power systems. Through intelligent control on system but also on component level with advanced functions the existing electricity supply infrastructure can be more efficiently used without the need to install additional distribution lines. Such a Smart Gird allows a higher penetration level of distributed generators but needs inverter-based devices with remote control possibilities. The design, development as well as validation of such smart inverter systems becomes more complex and time consuming. An integrated development approach covering the inverter hardware, advanced control functions and the necessary communication interface is missing up to now. The main aim of this paper therefore is to present and discuss a rapid prototyping approach for distributed energy resource device design addressing these issues. A corresponding work flow is suggested as well as a possible tool framework introduced which is validated on a selected example.
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