Baseless power modules improve aircraft electrical system efficiency, says Microchip
Developed with the Clean Sky consortium, Microchip’s BL1, BL2 and BL3 families are qualified to stringent aerospace standards for AC/DC and DC/AC power conversion
To enable next-generation aircraft electrical systems – including electrical systems that replace today’s pneumatics and hydraulics powering everything from on-board alternators to actuators and auxiliary power units (APUs) – and reduce aircraft emissions, require new power conversion technology, explained Microchip.
It has developed the baseless power modules with Clean Sky, a joint European Commission (EC) and industry consortium, and says the BL1, BL2 and BL3 are the first aerospace-qualified baseless power modules which enable higher efficiency, lighter and more compact power conversion and motor drive systems.
The BL1, BL2 and BL3 family of baseless power modules provides greater efficiency in AC/DC and DC/AC power conversion and generation through the integration of Microchip’s silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor technology. They are 40 per cent lighter than other modules due to the modified substrate, reports Microchip. The design also produces an approximate 10 per cent cost savings over standard power modules that incorporate metal baseplates. Microchip’s BL1, BL2, and BL3 devices meet all mechanical and environmental compliance guidelines in RTCA DO-160G, the “Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment,” Version G (August 2010).
The modules are available in low profile, low inductance packaging with power and signal connectors that designers can solder directly on PCBs, helping to speed development and increase reliability. According to Microchip, modules in the family have the same height which enables them to be paralleled or connected in a three-phase bridge and other topologies to achieve higher-performing power converters and inverters.
The family incorporates SiC MOSFETs and Schottky barrier diodes to maximise system efficiency. In packages delivering 100W to more than 10kW of power, the BL1, BL2, and BL3 family is available in topology options including phase leg, full bridge, asymmetric bridge, boost, buck and dual common source. The high-reliability power modules are available in voltage ranges from 600 to 1,200V in SiC MOSFETs and IGBTs to 1,600V for rectifier diodes.
Microchip’s power module technology as well as its ISO 9000- and AS9100-certified fabrication facilities provide high-quality units through flexible manufacturing alternatives.
Microchip’s baseless power modules complement its aerospace portfolio of motor drive controllers, storage ICs, FPGAs, microcontrollers, microprocessors, timing products, semiconductors and point of load (PoL) regulators for aerospace and defence applications. Microchip also provides a full portfolio of SiC technology for aerospace, automotive and industrial applications.
Microchip’s BL1, BL2 and BL3 baseless power modules are available as 75 and 145A SiC MOSFET, 50A as IGBT, and 90A as rectifier diode outputs.
