Rad Hard MOSFETs Enable Easy Upgrade Of Flight-Proven DC-DC Converter

Focus:

This article looks at how the latest-generation, rad hard silicon MOSFETs (IR HiRel’s R9 superjunction MOSFETs) enable efficiency and power density improvements in space-grade dc- dc converters. It demonstrates how the use of the R9 MOSFETs in place of the older, R5 planar MOSFETs enables an increase in efficiency and power output in a flight-proven dc-dc converter with minimal changes to the rest of the circuitry. Power output of the design example increases from 195 W to 260 W at 24-V output. Project motivation and various dc-dc converter design choices are discussed. Both modeled and measured results for dc-dc converter efficiency are presented.

What you’ll learn:

• How to improve efficiency and/or power output capability of rad hard dc-dc converters by upgrading to the newer R9 MOSFETs
• How to design a rad hard 48-V to 24-V, 260-W dc-dc converter

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Author & Publication:

Andrew Popp and Bjarne Soderberg, International Rectifier HiRel Products (IR HiRel), an Infineon Technologies Company, El Segundo, Calif., How2Power Today, Mar 15 2021

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