A Megawatt-Range Electric Converter for Advanced Hybrid Aircraft

  • Anton N. VARYUKHIN
  • Vadim V. VOEVODIN
  • Aleksandr V. GELIEV
  • Andrey V. DUTOV
  • Ivan O. KISELEV
  • Andrey L. KOZLOV
  • Sergey I. MOSHKUNOV
  • Maksim A. OVDIENKO
  • Vladislav Yu. KHOMICH
  • Evgeniy V. SHAKHMATOV
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24160/0013-5380-2024-9-4-16
Keywords: active rectifier, hybrid propulsion system, modular converter, electric aircraft

Abstract

In the field of "green" aviation, various concepts of the electrical part of hybrid propulsion systems for aircraft are currently developed in order to achieve their maximum possible specific parameters. The article analyzes modern approaches to the development of high-capacity (over 1 MW) electric power converters as part of a hybrid aircraft propulsion system. The topologies used in high-capacity converters and electronic components available in the market are reviewed. In order to achieve maximum specific parameters, the choice is made in favor of the converter structure comprising several parallel-operating modules with a two-level topology based on silicon carbide field-effect transistor assemblies. A methodology for calculating losses in the assemblies of power transistors and determining their temperature operating conditions is proposed. The approaches to the selection of capacitor capacitance and the converter pulse-width modulation frequency were compared. The criterion for selecting the components and converter operation mode was the optimum combination of the efficiency, transistor temperature operating conditions and converter specific power. Based on the numerical analysis results, the optimum design versions have been elaborated for a 1500 kW converter consisting of three and four modules operating in parallel and fed from separate generator windings.

Author Biographies

Anton N. VARYUKHIN

(The Federal Autonomous Institution "Central Institute of Aviation Motors", Moscow, Russia) – Deputy General Director, Cand. Sci. (Eng.).

Vadim V. VOEVODIN

(Institute for Electrophysics and Electric Power RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia) – Senior Researcher, Cand. Sci. (Eng.).

Aleksandr V. GELIEV

(Central Institute of Aviation Motors, Moscow, Russia) – Head of the Energy Storage and Conversion Dept.

Andrey V. DUTOV

(The National Research Center "Zhukovsky Institute", Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, Russia) – General Director, Dr. Sci. (Eng.).

Ivan O. KISELEV

(Central Institute of Aviation Motors, Moscow, Russia) – Head of the Electric Machines and Power Sources Sector.

Andrey L. KOZLOV

(Central Institute of Aviation Motors, Moscow, Russia) – General Director.

Sergey I. MOSHKUNOV

(Institute for Electrophysics and Electric Power RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia) – Scientific Director, Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sci. (Eng.).

Maksim A. OVDIENKO

(Central Institute of Aviation Motors, Moscow, Russia) – Deputy Director of the Research Center.

Vladislav Yu. KHOMICH

(Institute for Electrophysics and Electric Power RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia) – Scientific Director, Academic of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sci. (Phys.-Math.).

Evgeniy V. SHAKHMATOV

(Samara University, Samara, Russia) – Scientific Director, Academic of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Sci. (Eng.).

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Результаты исследования получены при финансовой поддержке Минобрнауки России (Грант на проведение крупных научных проектов по приоритетным направлениям научно-технологического развития, соглашение № 075-15-2024-558)
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10. Sathler H.H. Optimization of GaN-Based Series-Parallel Multilevel Three-Phase Inverter for Aircraft Applications: Dissertation. Université Paris-Saclay, 2021.
11. Li Y. et al. 500 kW Forced Air-Cooled Silicon Carbide (SiC) Three-Phase DC/AC Converter with a Power Density of 1.246 MW/m 3 and Efficiency >98.5%. – IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2021, 57(5), pp. 5013–5027, DOI:10.1109/TIA.2021.3087546.
12. Modeer T. et al. Design of a GaN-Based Interleaved Nine-Level Flying Capacitor Multilevel Inverter for Electric Aircraft Applications. – IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2020, 35(11), pp. 12153–12165, DOI:10.1109/TPEL.2020.2989329.
13. Wang F. et al. MW-Class Cryogenically-Cooled Inverter for Electric-Aircraft Applications. – AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2019 Forum, 2019, DOI:10.2514/6.2019-4473.
14. Varyuhin A.N. et al. Prikladnaya fizika – in Russ. (Applied Physics), 2021, No. 1, pp. 75–81.
15. Sunbul A. et al. A Comprehensive Steady-State Analysis for Modular Multi-Parallel Rectifiers (MMR) with Shared DC-Link. – IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2023, 59(2), pp. 1969–1981, DOI:10.1109/TIA.2022.3231578.
16. Ye Z. et al. Control of Circulating Current in Two Parallel Three-Phase Boost Rectifiers. – IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2002, 17(5), pp. 609–615, DOI:10.1109/TPEL.2002.802170.
17. Graovac D., Purschel M., Kiep A. MOSFET Power Losses Calculation Using the Data-Sheet Parameters. –Application Note, 2006, 1.1.
18. Stark R. et al. Estimation of Switching Losses Using Simplified Compact Models for SiC Power MOSFETs. – IEEE Design Methodologies Conference, 2021, DOI: 10.1109/DMC51747. 2021.9529934.
19. Manos K., Antonopoulos A. Analytical Loss Modeling for MOSFET-Based Modular High Frequency Converters. – IEEE 11th International Conference on Power Electronics and ECCE Asia, 2023, pp. 1795–1804.
20. Friedli T., Hartmann M., Kolar J.W. The Essence of Three-Phase PFC Rectifier Systems – Part II. – IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2014, 29(2), pp. 543–560, DOI:10.1109/TPEL.2013.2258472.
21. Nawawi A. et al. Design and Demonstration of High-Power Density Inverter for Aircraft Applications. – IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 2017, 53(2), pp. 1168–1176, DOI:10.1109/TIA.2016.2623282.
22. Lai R. et al. A Systematic Topology Evaluation Methodology for High-Density Three-Phase PWM AC-AC Converters. – IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2008, 23(6), pp. 2665–2680, DOI: 10.1109/TPEL.2008.2005381.
23. Luckett B., He J.B. Multi-Objective Design Optimization of Electric Aircraft Propulsion Power Converters. – IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference & Expo, 2022, pp. 456–461, DOI: 10.1109/ITEC53557.2022.9814020.
24. Lim Z. et al. Design of 100 kVA SiC Power Converter for Aircraft Electric Starter Generator – IEEE 4th Southern Power Electronics Conference, 2018, DOI:10.1109/SPEC.2018.8635866.
25. Kolar J.W., Round S.D. Analytical Calculation of the RMS Current Stress on the DC-Link Capacitor of Voltage-PWM Converter Systems. – IEE Proceedings–Electric Power Applications, 2006, 153(4), pp. 535–543, DOI:10.1049/ip-epa:20050458
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The study results have been obtained with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (Grant for major scientific projects in priority areas of scientific and technological development, Agreement No. 075-15-2024-558)
Published
2024-07-31
Issue
No 9 (2024): Issue № 9
Section
Article