Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) and Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) have jointly opened a new power electronics research laboratory in Graz, Austria. Named PERL, the lab is dedicated to advancing fundamental research in high frequency switched power converters.
The increase of the operating switching frequencies of power electronic converters allows building them with higher performance and power densities with respect to traditional silicon-based solutions. The fundamental research activities of PERL aim at exploring the limitations when pushing the switching frequency of power electronic converters and to work on solutions to overcome these limitations.
In high-frequency power converters, magnetics components such as inductors and transformers typically play a critical role in energy storage, voltage transformation and isolation. While offering potential benefits like smaller size and improved efficiency, high-frequency operation also presents challenges like increased core losses and thermal management issues.
The researchers aim to study wide bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), by proposing and studying new power conversion topologies — with a strong focus on soft switching ones, optimal usage and design of passive components, novel gate driving solutions, and smart packaging and integration techniques.
The main objective is to push the operating frequency of the converters and to explore and understand the associated limitations, also considering electromagnetic interference in the analysis. Targeted applications span various industrial fields where low size and weight, as well as very high efficiency are beneficial, including automotive, data centers, telecom, portable devices and avionics/space.
The lab is led by Roberto Petrella, staff scientist in power electronics at SAL and professor at the University of Udine in Italy, and Michael Hartmann, professor and head of the Electric Drives & Power Electronic Systems Institute at TU Graz. Researchers from both organizations will work together, including four dedicated PhD students. The lab is initially planned to run for three years.
For more info, see www.silicon-austria-labs.com and www.tugraz.at.
