Submodule Design of a 2 kV 1 MW Integrated Modular Motor Drive for Aviation Applications

This paper presents a submodule design for a 2 kV, 1 MW integrated modular motor drive (IMMD) for aviation applications. IMMD system and submodule structures are illustrated and the design challenges are introduced. The gate drive design, busbar design and partial disharge (PD) related studies for the submodule are discussed in detail. The submodule testing results are presented at the end. Double-pulse, short-circuit, and H-bridge test results validated the electrical performance of the sub-module. Preliminary PD tests show that the submodule is free of PD at low pressure of 87 Torr, which is the air pressure at 50,000 feet above the sealevel. The full scale inverter formed by these submodules is expected to achieve an efficiency over 99% with a power density of 35.36 kW/kg.