New SiC diodes make converters more efficient
Wednesday, October 2, 2013 - 08:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Using new silicon carbide (SiC) diodes, Siemens and its research partners have succeeded in increasing the power of frequency converters by almost ten percent. In the recently ended project MV-SiC, these diodes were tested in the sort of commercial converters used for large drives. SiC diodes reduce the complexity of the system, and because they have lower losses, they also increase energy efficiency. Another result is that the switching frequency of converters can be increased by approximately a third, which boosts the performance and speed range of the drives. Siemens managed the project, and it was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the program Power Electronics for Raising Energy Efficiency.