SBIR/STTR Award attributes
In this work we willnbsp; develop and prototype a SiC integrated power conversion modular platform for electronics that can operate at very high temperature (500C). The platform is for NASA to use in its space vehicles and rovers to provide power to a set a different instruments and actuators from a single main DCnbsp; bus line and convert it to the various other DC levels that are required by the different instruments in the vehicle. In addition, the DC-DC power converter platform will be built so that its constituent electronics are able to operate at temperature up to 500C. To enable such high temperature operation, instead of using standard silicon, which fails at approximately 250C, we are using the nascent wide bandgap semiconductor silicon-carbide (SiC) technology. CoolCAD Electronics has developed and patented fabrication methods for SiC that are enabling the construction of electronics that can operate at these high temperatures. In addition, in collaboration with the Power Electronics Group at Arizona State University, we are building entire DC-DC converter systems that can of function in these extreme environments. This requires not only building the high temperature chips and transistors, but we are also building the printed circuit boards with appropriate chip packaging, as well as novel inductors and capacitors that can reliably withstand these temperatures. In addition, we are designing the electronic circuits to be modular and scalable so that the components can be cost effectively used in a variety of applications by paralleling individual power half-bridges as well as complete half bridge modules. Finally, special circuit topologies are being developed that will allow for use of inductive and capacitive components that are realizable for very high temperature operation. In Phase 1, we developed some of these high temperature capabilities; in Phase 2, we will extend this work to develop a complete high temperature DC-DC modular power converter system.
