Author ORCID Identifier:
Date of Graduation
5-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (PhD)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Electrical Engineering
Advisor/Mentor
Zhao, Yue
Committee Member
Farnell, Chris
Second Committee Member
Hu, Han
Third Committee Member
Song, Xiaoqing
Keywords
Silicon Carbide Modules; 10 kV SiC MOSFET; medium-voltage power conversion applications
Abstract
The commercial availability of the first 10 kV silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET removes the principal semiconductor barrier to medium-voltage power conversion, enabling converter topologies that are structurally inaccessible to silicon IGBT solutions at this voltage class. This dissertation presents the characterization infrastructure, device-level data, and preliminary system-level validation needed to advance the deployment of the third-generation 10 kV SiC MOSFET in converter applications. A custom-built 10 kV double-pulse test platform is developed with a fully documented component-sizing methodology, custom medium-voltage magnetics, and a measurement infrastructure capable of high bandwidth waveform capture at kilovolt common-mode potentials. On this platform, the third-generation 10 kV SiC MOSFET and its freewheeling diode are characterized across the full rated temperature range, yielding switching energy maps directly applicable to converter loss models. At the system level, a medium-voltage inverter constructed from the 10 kV SiC device demonstrates stable operation at 6 kV dc link, 5 kHz switching frequency, and 550 Hz output frequency—a performance envelope inaccessible to silicon solutions at this voltage class. A multidevice interleaved PWM strategy is demonstrated in the inverter context, doubling the effective ripple frequency without increasing the per-device switching rate and achieving sub- 1% output current THD. A validated thermal model and electro-thermal simulation quantify the output power capability of the device in a three-phase 4.16 kV inverter and establish the package thermal resistance as the dominant design constraint for continuous power capability. Collectively, these results provide the characterization foundation and preliminary system-level evidence needed to guide deployment-oriented development of 10 kV SiC converters for solid-state transformers, direct-drive motor systems, and other emerging medium-voltage power conversion applications.
Citation
Ismail, A. (2026). Design and Optimization to Advance Silicon Carbide Modules for Medium Voltage High Power Applications. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/6157
