10kV-rated Power Electronics Building Block with Series-Connected 3.3kV SiC MOS-FETs

The wider use of single-stage topologies in medium-voltage applications is hindered by the unavailability of high-voltage semiconductors. Series connecting power semiconductors is therefore the only method to achieve needed blocking voltages and engineering efforts are needed to achieve this safely and reliably, especially when dealing with fast switching devices, such as SiC MOSFETs. In this work, with the aim of developing a medium-voltage dual-active bridge converter, a 10 kV half- bridge power electronics building block (PEBB) based on series-connected 3.3 kV SiC MOSFET modules has been designed and tested extensively. The design choices are presented in details, including advanced protection functions integrated into gate drivers, with an emphasis on the static and dynamic voltage balancing strategies, and the experimental results are provided at nominal operating conditions, demonstrating the PEBB operational performances.