Power module design for modular multilevel converter (MMC) for future energy system

Abstract

The most advanced power converter topology for high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission is the Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC). As MMC is a converter that cascaded connection of many sub-modules or cells usually made of half bridges that stacked up to make a MMC. The Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET technology is proposed to build the sub-modules of MMC which contribute to decrease power losses in power converters and able to reduce the converter size. As efficiency of the converters will be affect by the high frequency switching, thus the Double Pulse Test (DPT) is conducted to test the switching characteristic of the SiC MOSFET. A Code Composer Studio (CCS) software program is needed to generate a double pulse signal with 3.3V in one complete cycle to test the switching results of the SiC MOSFET. With the connection of the hardware devices and air-coil inductor, a desired waveform of the switching characteristic of the SiC MOSFET are obtained by using the oscilloscope.