SiC MOSFET-based avionic power supply

This presentation proposes a new-generation SiC MOSFET-based avionic power supply. Efficient use of energy and materials and a drastic reduction of greenhouse emissions and noise footprints are the key motivations behind the more electric aircraft. In one of such aircraft electrical systems, the main DC bus is generally kept at 270V and many critical and bidirectional loads require 28 V input. Hence, an efficient bidirectional DC-DC converter is required for this purpose. A dual active bridge with HF transformer isolation is one of the best choices for such applications. Another important aspect in avionic systems is to reduce the size and weight of the system. By increasing the DC-DC converter operating frequency the size of the magnetic components can be reduced. However, this is achieved with the increased switching losses and associated cooling requirements. The recent advancements in SiC device technology have helped to improve the switching performance and allowed the operation at higher temperature without degradation of its performance. Simulation and experimental evaluations of a 1-kW lab-prototype are presented.