The United States’ electric grid faces numerous challenges, including aging infrastructure, an increasing frequency of severe weather events, emerging cyber and physical threats, and the goal of achieving Net Zero Emissions (NZE) by 2050. Traditional electromechanical gear, low-frequency transformers, and protection equipment hinder the grid’s ability to quickly control, absorb, reroute, and isolate power flow, leading to cascading power failures. Solid-state substations utilizing power electronics-based conversion can address these limitations, enhancing grid resilience and reliability while providing superior control and protection capabilities.
A new $3.23 million research project, “A 3.3kV/200A 70kHz Half Bridge SiC Power Module with Low EMI, Low Power Loss, Good Thermal Management, and High Reliability,” funded by the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) ULTRAFAST program, aims to address the many challenges and limitations facing today’s electric grid. Led by ECE researcher Dr. Shuo Wang, a team of researchers will develop highly energy-efficient, ultrafast, and reliable SiC power modules. These modules will serve as the building blocks for the future grid, enhancing control and protection capabilities.
The developed power modules will leverage the high switching speeds of wide bandgap (WBG) devices, specifically SiC devices in this project. They will integrate novel electromagnetic interference (EMI) self-containing solutions, innovative thermal solutions based on nanoscale energy transport physics, optical power and protection solutions, and advanced high voltage, high current packaging solutions. These SiC power modules will offer higher speeds, better EMI immunity, and greater efficiency compared to legacy silicon-based power electronics modules. The successful development of these modules will enable high-reliability building blocks for a new generation of power electronics converters.
The project also includes a technology-to-market plan to help commercialize the developed technologies and broaden their impact. The research team comprises researchers from the University of Florida, Virginia Tech, and the University of Texas at Dallas.