Reference design provides a several-kilowatt three-phase inverter platform using a silicon carbide power module for high-power conversion applications.
ROHM Semiconductor has developed a reference design for evaluating a several-kilowatt three-phase inverter using a silicon carbide power module. The design is intended to help engineers develop and assess high-power inverter systems while reducing the effort required for power-device evaluation and circuit development. It is suitable for applications including AC servo drives, motor drives, electric compressors, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, photovoltaic systems, energy storage systems, pumps and electric vehicle chargers.
The reference design uses a three-phase full-bridge topology with a DC input voltage range of 400 V to 600 V. It supports an output current of up to 14 A RMS and a switching frequency of approximately 70 kHz. The power module uses silicon carbide technology and is designed to support power levels ranging from several kilowatts to tens of kilowatts, making it suitable for evaluating high-power switching performance.
The evaluation platform includes an isolated gate-drive circuit along with current-sensing capabilities. It provides a 12 V DC gate-drive supply and supports 0–5 V signal inputs for controlling and evaluating the switching devices under different operating conditions. The combination of the three-phase structure, silicon carbide power module and peripheral circuits provides a practical platform for assessing inverter operation and power-conversion performance.
The design has been created to simplify inverter development by providing engineers with the necessary hardware information for evaluating the circuit. It is suitable for high-efficiency, high-power applications such as industrial motor drives, renewable-energy conversion, energy storage, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, pumps and electric vehicle charging. The evaluation platform can also help engineers assess the suitability of silicon carbide power devices for their system designs.
ROHM provides the reference design with resources including a Quick Start Guide, User’s Guide, schematic, bill of materials and PCB layout information. These resources help engineers understand the circuit configuration, evaluate the hardware and use the available design information as a basis for developing customised three-phase inverter systems.
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