IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 6
©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ KAPTNALI
By Dilder Chowdhury
Power Gallium
Nitride Technology
The need for efficient power conversion.
HE BIGGEST MOTIVATION AND DRIVER
for semiconductor power device innovation
is improved efficiency in power conversion.
Power gallium nitride (GaN) technology
shows the greatest performance benefits
against other incumbent technologies, including silicon (Si)
technology. A reduction in power losses is the key challenge industries are facing. Pressure from society and government legislation for reduced CO2 emission are all
trending toward more efficient power conversion and
electrification. Automotive electrification, telecom infrastructure, server storage, and industrial automation using
power electronics are the biggest trends in the technology
sector. GaN field-effect transistors (FETs) can enable us to
achieve the best efficiency with lower system costs while
making systems lighter, smaller, and cooler. Electrification
in the automotive sector can be the biggest beneficiary of
this new power GaN FET technology.
To make all-electric vehicles (xEVs) a real replacement for
vehicles that have fossil-fueled internal combustion engines,
T
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MELE.2020.2985480
Date of current version: 8 June 2020
6
I E E E E l e c t r i f i cati o n M agaz ine / J UN E 2020
efficient power conversion is key. There are many challenges,
such as range anxiety, harmful emission, power losses, heat
dissipation, cooling systems, system weight, and power densities. On this journey, industry is working in many ways to
address these major issues to reduce range anxiety and
harmful emissions. These are integral parts to make the xEV
platforms a commercial and social reality. Application areas
in which there is a drive for significant improvement include:
x improved and more efficient power conversion
■ ac/dc onboard charging
■ dc/dc power conversion
■ a dc/ac inverter to drive the traction motors
■ improved power density
■ a simpler driver and control scheme
x improved traction motors
■ improved efficiency
■ better torque and power
■ lower losses
■ higher dv/dt handling
x improved batteries, storage, and battery-management
systems.
Efficient power conversion helps significantly in
many ways. An example is a 200-kW inverter with 95%
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IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020
Contents
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - Cover1
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - Cover2
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - Contents
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 2
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 3
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 4
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 5
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 6
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 7
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 8
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 9
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 10
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 11
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 12
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IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 20
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 21
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 22
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IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - 27
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IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - Cover3
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2020 - Cover4
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