Design and manufacture of press-pack IGBT for the hybrid DC circuit breaker

Enquiries should be addressed to Dr Xiaoze Pei ([Email Address Removed])

Project:

Medium voltage direct current (MVDC) distribution networks can improve the reliability and quality of the power supply. They are being considered for land-based distribution networks and transportation electrification. Hybrid DC circuit breakers are a key enabling technology for fault management in MVDC distribution networks. The press-pack Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (PP-IGBT) is an attractive semiconductor device which can be used as the solid-state breaker element of the hybrid DC circuit breaker. The project aims to study and design optimised PPIGBTs for the application. Existing commercial PP-IGBT devices will be experimentally tested and bench marked. The PhD candidate will optimise the design of the PP-IGBT, considering such factors as the ratio between the IGBT and
diode in the PP-IGBT, the gate drive voltage and so on, developing an in-depth understanding of the specification and design of the PP-IGBT for hybrid DC circuit breaker applications. The bidirectional DC circuit breaker topology using PP-IGBT will also be evaluated. The project will lead to an in-depth understanding in the specification and design of the press pack IGBT for application in hybrid DC circuit breakers. The testing will be carried out at Bath’s Applied Superconductivity Laboratory and Power Electronics Laboratory.

Candidate:

Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, an undergraduate first class degree or MSc distinction (or non-UK equivalent). English language entry requirements must be met at the time of application to be considered for funding, see https://www.bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/postgraduate-english-language-requirements/


Application:

Applications should be submitted marking clearly both the title of the project and the name of the project supervisor.


Start date 4th October 2021