SBIR-STTR Award

1200 V SiC Based Extremely Compact, 500 kW, 2000 Hz Inverter for High Speed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (PMSM) Applications
Award last edited on: 2/23/2019

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOE
Total Award Amount
$847,888
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
DE-FOA-0001736
Principal Investigator
Ezana Mekonnen

Company Information

Imagen Energy LLC

115 East Reindl Way Suite 295
Milwaukee, WI 53212
   (559) 239-6387
   N/A
   www.imagenenergy.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 04
County: Milwaukee

Phase I

Contract Number: DE-AR0000909
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase I year
2018
Phase I Amount
$224,794
Imagen Energy, LLC, an innovative company which focuses on next generation SiC based power converter system, is teaming up with Wolfspeed, a division of Cree, the leading SiC power module manufacturer in the U.S, and Velicon Inc., a high speed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (PMSM) supplier for special high end applications to resolve a real application issue that exists in the High Speed PMSM motor drive systems, using Wide Band Gap (WBG) SiC power module technology. Simply, there is no economical industrial or commercial low voltage (480V?690V, three phase input) motor drive solution which can provide 1500 VDC bus operation to overcome the BEMF of high?speed PMSM and deliver 500 kW of power to the motor shaft above 500 Hz output frequency, mainly due to the lower power semiconductor voltage withstand ratings, and the limited PWM switching frequency. The team strongly believes that a solution based on SiC power module technology, supported by its ability to switch at >50 kHz switching frequency, will be able to address the existing application issues. Therefore, it is proposed to develop a 3?level motor drive with Active Front End (AFE), using 1200 V rated SiC devices allowing the DC bus to operate in excess of 1500 VDC. The controller proposed in this concept paper is based on Altera ultra?high?speed Filed Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, which has the ability to operate with a control step time <0.1 ?s.

Phase II

Contract Number: DE-AR0000909
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase II year
2018
Phase II Amount
$623,094
Imagen Energy, LLC, an innovative company which focuses on next generation SiC based power converter system, is teaming up with Wolfspeed, a division of Cree, the leading SiC power module manufacturer in the U.S, and Velicon Inc., a high speed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (PMSM) supplier for special high end applications to resolve a real application issue that exists in the High Speed PMSM motor drive systems, using Wide Band Gap (WBG) SiC power module technology. Simply, there is no economical industrial or commercial low voltage (480V?690V, three phase input) motor drive solution which can provide 1500 VDC bus operation to overcome the BEMF of high?speed PMSM and deliver 500 kW of power to the motor shaft above 500 Hz output frequency, mainly due to the lower power semiconductor voltage withstand ratings, and the limited PWM switching frequency. The team strongly believes that a solution based on SiC power module technology, supported by its ability to switch at >50 kHz switching frequency, will be able to address the existing application issues. Therefore, it is proposed to develop a 3?level motor drive with Active Front End (AFE), using 1200 V rated SiC devices allowing the DC bus to operate in excess of 1500 VDC. The controller proposed in this concept paper is based on Altera ultra?high?speed Filed Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, which has the ability to operate with a control step time <0.1 ?s.