Abstract: Variable speed drive (VSD) systems should feature high power density and low installation costs, offer wide input and/or output voltage/motor speed ranges, and ensure low EMI without requiring shielded motor cables. Accordingly, next-generation high-switching speed / high-switching-frequency SiC/GaN PWM inverters should integrate dv/dt or LC output filters to prevent conducted or radiated EMI, reflections on long motor cables, high-frequency motor losses, motor insulation stresses, and bearing currents. Moreover, buck-boost capability should preferably be implemented. This tutorial reviews state-of-the-art filter concepts and multi-level inverter topologies and describes new three-phase buck-boost PWM inverter systems and modulation/control concepts currently under research at the Power Electronic Systems Laboratory of ETH Zurich, which are partly based on monolithic four-quadrant GaN switches. Finally, voltage and current DC-link AC/AC converter systems are comparatively evaluated, and advantageous application areas for both system types are identified.

Biography: Johann W. Kolar is a Fellow of the IEEE, a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and a Full Professor / the Head of the Power Electronic Systems Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich. He has proposed numerous novel converter concepts incl. the Vienna Rectifier and the Sparse Matrix Converter, has spearheaded the development of x-million rpm motors, and has pioneered fully automated multi-objective power electronics design procedures. He has graduated 90+ Ph.D. students, has published a large number of IEEE Transactions and conference papers, and is named as inventor in numerous granted patents. He has received 50 IEEE Transactions and Conference Prize Paper Awards, the 2016 IEEE William E. Newell Power Electronics Field Award, and 2 ETH Zurich Golden Owl Awards for excellence in teaching. The focus of his current research is on ultra-compact/efficient WBG converter systems, ANN-based design procedures, Solid-State Transformers, ultra-high speed drives, bearingless motors, and the life cycle assessments of power electronic converter systems.

Abstract: With an increasing percentage of electricity being processed by power electronic converters, optimizing efficiency and reliability is critical for affordable, secure, and sustainable energy systems. SiC MOSFETs and GaN devices share some common reliability challenges with Si IGBTs and MOSFETs, while also introducing new ones. This tutorial will focus on three key aspects: 1) the common and distinct failure mechanisms of wide bandgap power devices compared to Si devices and their implications in power electronic converters; 2) reliability testing of wide bandgap power devices and the associated new challenges; 3) condition and health monitoring of wide bandgap devices in power electronic converters

.Biography: Huai Wang is a Professor at the Department of Energy (AAU Energy), Aalborg University, Denmark. He leads the Reliability of Power Electronic Converters (ReliaPEC) group and chairs the Mission of Digital Transformation and AI at AAU Energy. His research focuses on efficient, reliable, and cognitive power electronic converters. Prof. Wang collaborates with companies across the value chain, from materials and components to systems. He has initiated five short-term industrial/PhD courses, attended by over 800 PhD students and industry engineers in the last decade, and has delivered more than 30 international conference tutorials. Prof. Wang received his PhD from the City University of Hong Kong in 2012 and B.E. degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2007. He has conducted short-term research at MIT, ETH Zurich, and ABB Corporate Research Center in Switzerland. He received the IEEE Power Electronics Society’s Richard M. Bass Outstanding Young Power Electronics Engineer Award in 2016 and the IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics 1st Prize paper award in 2021. He was elected as a member of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences in 2023.

Abstract: This tutorial will cover the common-mode EMI issues and mitigation techniques for wide bandgap-based power electronic motor drives. Wide bandgap devices are becoming critical for power electronics for many reasons, including increasing efficiency and reducing weight and volume. This tutorial will equip you with practical knowledge on how to address the high switching speeds of these new power semiconductor devices, which can lead to severe EMI issues for power electronic converters powering electric motors such as electric vehicles and appliances. Dr. Sarlioglu will cover the problems and potential solutions for EMI considerations for SiC and GaN-based power electronics.The tutorial will first cover how common mode EMI emissions occur and the definition of common voltage spectrum as a function of switching frequency. Later, it will explain how common mode emission increases in motor drives due to high dv/dt voltages. Finally, it will delve into different EMI mitigation techniques, including new power electronic inverter topologies. The tutorial will discuss practical experimental results, empowering you with the knowledge to tackle these issues effectively.

Biography: Bulent Sarlioglu is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Associate Director of the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium. From 2000 to 2011, he was with Honeywell International Inc.’s Aerospace Division, Torrance, CA, USA, most recently as a Staff Systems Engineer. His expertise includes electrical machines, drives, and power electronics, particularly in electrifying transportation and industrial applications. He is the inventor or co-inventor of 20 U.S. patents and many international patents. In addition, he has more than 300 technical papers that are published in conference proceedings and journals. Dr. Sarlioglu received Honeywell’s Outstanding Engineer Award in 2011 for his outstanding contribution to aerospace, the NSF CAREER Award in 2016, and the 4th Grand Nagamori Award from Nagamori Foundation, Japan, in 2018. Dr. Sarlioglu is involved in many IEEE activities. He served as the Chair of the PES Motor Subcommittee, Chair of the IAS Transportation Committee, Educational Activity Chair of the PELS TC4 Electrical Transportation Systems, and one of the co-editors of the IEEE Electrification Magazine. Dr. Sarlioglu was nominated and selected to become a Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Vehicle Technology Society (2021-Present) and IEEE Industrial Application Society (2019-2021).  Dr. Sarlioglu received the IEEE PES Cyril Veniott Award in 2021. Dr. Sarlioglu became a fellow for the National Academy of Inverters in 2021 and an IEEE Fellow in 2022.

Abstract: The benefits of wide bandgap semiconductors have been apparent for 40 years or more, a high critical field offering the chance to implement small, efficient, and fast switching power converter solutions. Yet it wasn’t until the 2010s that silicon carbide (SiC) power devices became a viable commercial proposition, the combination of a maturing, stable material platform and a killer application in the electric vehicle market. When Tesla became the first OEM to commit to integrating SiC MOSFETs into their drivetrain inverter in 2017, this triggered the rapid expansion of the industry, which Yole predicts will expand to $10bn by 2030. Yet to fulfil this promise, the price difference must narrow between SiC MOSFETs and legacy Si IGBTs, which will “price in” larger swathes of the EV market, and other applications including renewable energy, data centres and the grid. In this tutorial, we shall first review the basic MOSFET operation and the benefits of SiC, before discussing the on-going efforts in the industry to drive down costs, touching on the highly automated, modern, SiC Fabs being built to process 200mm wafers, the increased competition in the market, and the technological breakthroughs that will drive die shrinkage.

Biography: Peter Gammon is a Professor of Power Semiconductor Devices in the School of Engineering at the University of Warwick, and the founder of PGC Consultancy (www.pgcconsultancy.com). Peter leads a team of researchers and PhD students, in the development of next generation SiC power electronic devices. As well as helping improve today’s automotive grade SiC MOSFETs, his focus is on developing ultra-high voltage (10 kV+) power devices for the future power grid, and on developing radiation hard power electronics for operation in space. He is the Principal Investigator on 8 major research projects, has published over 100 journal and conference papers, with over 1000 citations, and is the author of three patents. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE, a Member of the IET, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SHEA).

Abstract: Power electronics that can handle high voltages, currents, and/or powers are finding their places into our lives from electric vehicles, fast chargers, to solar energy systems, back up battery power, mini voltage converters. With their wide bandgap, high breakdown, and exceptional mobility, GaN HEMTs provide efficient, reliable, and safe management of extremes that cannot be handled by silicon. They are poised to overcome two key issues that limit their widespread adoption: cost and transient behavior of the devices. High quality GaN on Silicon epitaxy is enabling cost reduction while making it more challenging to address the transients peculiar to GaN HEMTs. This tutorial reviews the trapping events that hide the real performance of GaN HEMTs including gate lag, drain lag, and charge injection into dielectrics. Gate lag and drain lag are delayed output response of the HEMT to inputs from the respective terminals. Charge injection into dielectrics shift output characteristics of the devices. We will review the physics and root causes, qualitative and quantitative measurement techniques, and the approaches that aim to limit or address them.

Biography: Sinan Goktepeli is the Senior Director of Device Development at IQE plc, the leading supplier of compound semiconductor wafer products and advanced material solutions to the global semiconductor industry. He leads the development of next generation compound semiconductor epitaxial wafers. He is also engaged in IQE-Cardiff University Center for High Frequency Engineering collaboration and is a visiting scholar there. Prior to IQE, Sinan managed teams at key players in global semiconductor landscape and developed cutting edge CMOS, RFCMOS, and CS technologies for compute, communications, and power applications. Innovations from his 25 years in the semiconductor industry can be found in laptops, game consoles, smartphones, printers, and cars, at earth’s orbit, and on Mars. He has more than 70 patents and is a Senior Member of the IEEE.