Assessing Performance Of A 10-kW String Inverter Based On GaN FETs

Focus:

GaN power devices enable lower switching losses and higher switching frequencies, leading to improved efficiency and smaller size for string inverters in photovoltaic systems. This article describes a low-cost 10-kW single-phase string inverter based on GaN power devices. The inverter consists of two nonisolated power stages—a dc-dc converter comprised of two interleaved boost converters and a dc-ac converter. The design’s high efficiency enables the addition of nonisolated dc-dc converter that connects directly to an energy storage system (ESS), and installed on the same heat sink as the other power converters. Interesting aspects of this design discussed here include the bidirectional operation of the dc-dc stage that manages power flow to and from the battery, the use of the HERIC topology in the dc-ac stage, and digital control of all three power stages using a single MCU. Experimental efficiency and thermal performance results are presented for each of the power stages.

What you’ll learn:

• How to implement a low-cost 10-kW single-phase string inverter
• How to increase power density for string inverters using GaN devices
• How to understand the operation and benefits of the HERIC topology in inverter power stages

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Author & Publication:

Riccardo Ruffo and Vedatroyee Ghosh, Texas Instruments, Freising, Germany, How2Power Today, Jan 15 2025

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