A 16 kV PV Inverter Using Series-Connected 10 kV SiC MOSFET Devices

This paper presents the design, construction and testing of a photovoltaic (PV) three-phase inverter capable of direct-to-line (transformer-less) operation, rated for 200 W, 11 kV ac, and 16 kV dc, featuring a simple two-level inverter topology using series-connected 10 kV Silicon-Carbide (SiC) MOSFET de-vices operating as an equivalent `20 kV switch,' and using printed-circuit-board (PCB) based ac and dc distributed capacitor arrays to achieve zero-partial-discharge operation. Experimental results demonstrate the excellent performance achieved, including an efficiency of 99 % and a specific power of 5 kW/kg.