PowerUP Energy 2023

(RS10) Easy-to-Scale Power Module Drivers for Renewable Energy Applications Deliver Optimized Paralleling

Presented by Thorsten Schmidt, High Power Product Marketing Engineer, Power Integrations

Using power modules in parallel (“paralleling”) is becoming increasingly popular in renewable energy applications, such as offshore wind turbines in the 8 to 12 MW range, because they can increase the output power of a single power converter by using multiple easy-to-source systems – such as the popular EconoDUAL IGBT module. This is more cost effective than using a single, difficult to source high-power module. However, direct paralleling can create current sharing issues between the power modules and can result in common mode disturbance caused by the parallel gate loops.

SCALE-iFlex LT gate drivers support up to six EconoDUAL or four XHP modules in parallel, guaranteeing less than 20 ns of variance in turn-on and turn-off commands among modules, and less than 20 A of current imbalance when operating at 600 A. SCALE-iFlex LT NTC gate drivers can also provide an Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) signal to the controller to monitor the health status of IGBTs. These features, plus common mode suppression, ensure that the power modules operate reliably without current derating, which is obligatory with less advanced driver solutions.