This project was initiated with the goal of demonstrating a 3-phase silicon carbide based 150-kW 25 kW/L DC-AC power conversion unit capable of operation with coolant temperatures up to 90°C. The project goals were met and exceeded by first analyzing the established inverter topologies to find which one would yield the highest power density while still meeting electrical performance needs in the 150-kW range. Following topology selection, the smallest silicon carbide power module that met the electrical requirements of the system was found through experimental testing and simulation. After a power module selection was finalized, a DC link capacitor bank was designed by calculating the electrical requirements of the system and choosing the capacitor available that added the least volume to the overall system while still meeting the system’s electrical requirements. PCB-based bussing was designed around the power modules and capacitors in SolidWorks and then electrically optimized through simulations in Ansys. A custom DSP-based controller built around the Texas Instruments 28379D control card was designed and created for the control basis of the power converter. The complete system was constructed and tested at low power with great success, demonstrating the ability to operate at the desired full power of 150 kW, while achieving an overall volume of 1.35 L.
","abstract_html":"<p>This project was initiated with the goal of demonstrating a 3-phase silicon carbide based 150-kW 25 kW/L DC-AC power conversion unit capable of operation with coolant temperatures up to 90°C. The project goals were met and exceeded by first analyzing the established inverter topologies to find which one would yield the highest power density while still meeting electrical performance needs in the 150-kW range. Following topology selection, the smallest silicon carbide power module that met the electrical requirements of the system was found through experimental testing and simulation. After a power module selection was finalized, a DC link capacitor bank was designed by calculating the electrical requirements of the system and choosing the capacitor available that added the least volume to the overall system while still meeting the system’s electrical requirements. PCB-based bussing was designed around the power modules and capacitors in SolidWorks and then electrically optimized through simulations in Ansys. A custom DSP-based controller built around the Texas Instruments 28379D control card was designed and created for the control basis of the power converter. The complete system was constructed and tested at low power with great success, demonstrating the ability to operate at the desired full power of 150 kW, while achieving an overall volume of 1.35 L. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Adamson, Tyler"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Balda, Juan C.","Saunders, Robert"],"advisors":["Zhao, Yue"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2019-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:00:28Z","subjects":["inverter","power electronics","silicon carbide","traction","Electrical and Electronics","Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing","Power and Energy"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/3557","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Balda, Juan C.","Saunders, Robert"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Zhao, Yue"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Adamson, Tyler"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2019"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-02-06T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["inverter","power electronics","silicon carbide","traction","Electrical and Electronics","Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing","Power and Energy"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/3557"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This project was initiated with the goal of demonstrating a 3-phase silicon carbide based 150-kW 25 kW/L DC-AC power conversion unit capable of operation with coolant temperatures up to 90°C. The project goals were met and exceeded by first analyzing the established inverter topologies to find which one would yield the highest power density while still meeting electrical performance needs in the 150-kW range. Following topology selection, the smallest silicon carbide power module that met the electrical requirements of the system was found through experimental testing and simulation. After a power module selection was finalized, a DC link capacitor bank was designed by calculating the electrical requirements of the system and choosing the capacitor available that added the least volume to the overall system while still meeting the system’s electrical requirements. PCB-based bussing was designed around the power modules and capacitors in SolidWorks and then electrically optimized through simulations in Ansys. A custom DSP-based controller built around the Texas Instruments 28379D control card was designed and created for the control basis of the power converter. The complete system was constructed and tested at low power with great success, demonstrating the ability to operate at the desired full power of 150 kW, while achieving an overall volume of 1.35 L.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Design and Optimization of a High Power Density Silicon Carbide Traction Inverter"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Balda, Juan C.","Saunders, Robert"],"dc:contributor.advisor":["Zhao, Yue"],"dc:creator":["Adamson, Tyler"],"dc:date":["2019"],"dc:date.available":["2024-02-06T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This project was initiated with the goal of demonstrating a 3-phase silicon carbide based 150-kW 25 kW/L DC-AC power conversion unit capable of operation with coolant temperatures up to 90°C. The project goals were met and exceeded by first analyzing the established inverter topologies to find which one would yield the highest power density while still meeting electrical performance needs in the 150-kW range. Following topology selection, the smallest silicon carbide power module that met the electrical requirements of the system was found through experimental testing and simulation. After a power module selection was finalized, a DC link capacitor bank was designed by calculating the electrical requirements of the system and choosing the capacitor available that added the least volume to the overall system while still meeting the system’s electrical requirements. PCB-based bussing was designed around the power modules and capacitors in SolidWorks and then electrically optimized through simulations in Ansys. A custom DSP-based controller built around the Texas Instruments 28379D control card was designed and created for the control basis of the power converter. The complete system was constructed and tested at low power with great success, demonstrating the ability to operate at the desired full power of 150 kW, while achieving an overall volume of 1.35 L.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/3557"],"dc:subject":["inverter","power electronics","silicon carbide","traction","Electrical and Electronics","Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing","Power and Energy"],"dc:title":["Design and Optimization of a High Power Density Silicon Carbide Traction Inverter"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:00:28Z"}