Experimental Validation of Design Concepts for Future EV-Traction Inverters

Numerous ideas to improve traction inverters for future electric vehicles were presented in literature. However, fair experimental comparisons of these concepts are rare. In this work, three highly-relevant concepts for traction systems are compared experimentally to a reference 2-level silicon IGBT inverter with a dc-link voltage of 400V. First, the dc-link voltage is increased from 400V to 800V. Secondly, the replacement of silicon IGBTs with silicon carbide MOSFETs. Thirdly, the usage of a three-level inverter instead of two-levels. To ensure a fair comparison, four prototypes with a nominal power of 80kW were constructed with fully use of carry-over parts and tested on two different test benches. The comparison is carried out regarding efficiency, total harmonic distortion, electromagnetic emission and technology readiness.