Regresar

Multi-Objective Design Optimization of SiC-Based Electric Vehicle Drive-train Inverter

Abstract:

Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs are used in state-of-the-art drive-train inverter designs for electrical vehicle (EV). Due to a lack of comprehensive multi-objective inverter design framework, such inverters designed through trials would result in sub-optimal designs. The optimal inverter design framework proposed in this paper, involves the objectives of maximizing efficiency (η) and power density (ρ). An analytical approach based algorithm is used to simulate the total power loss and volume parameters required to calculate η and ρ respectively, and iterated over two loops: (i) across a range of switching frequency (γsw) to plot the η-p pareto curve and find the optimal designs of one SiC device category, (ii) across different SiC device categories (having various blocking voltages, Vb) to plot all η-ρ pareto curves in different categories of inverter design, and finally store as optimal design datasets. The datasets will be analyzed to identify the globally η-p optimal inverter design with superior η-ρ performance and corresponding Vb and operating fsw. The global-optimal designs for both 300 kW and 80 kW drive-train inverters involve utilizing the 1200 V half-bridge module at fsw of 40 kHz and 35 kHz respectively.