Impact of 1.2kV SiC-MOSFET EV traction inverter on urban driving

Abstract

Replacement of an electric vehicle conventional Si-IGBT traction inverter with a SiC-MOSFET inverter can achieve reductions in urban driving cycle average loss by a factor of four, reduction in peak loss by a factor of three, and reduction in semiconductor die area by a factor of two. An 80 kW EV powertrain based on the Nissan LEAF is modeled in MATLAB/Simulink, and EPA standard driving cycles such as UDDS, HWFET, and US06 are simulated. Scenarios of a 600V Si-IGBT inverter based on the Nissan LEAF, a 1200V Si-IGBT inverter based on the Toyota Prius, and a 1200V SiC-MOSFET inverter are designed using currently available devices. A comprehensive loss model including switching and conduction loss is developed and the total loss of the SiC-MOSFET traction inverter over EPA standard driving cycles shows a reduction in urban driving cycle average loss by a factor of four and peak loss by a factor of three, as well as semiconductor die area by a factor of two, relative to the Si-IGBT traction inverter.