A 200 kW (62 kW/L) Traction Inverter for Next Generation Electric Vehicles

This paper presents a high-power-density traction inverter for next generation electric vehicles using 800-V technology. The developed 200-kW inverter uses only off-the-shelf components and a simple and robust low-inductance sectional dc busbar which enables snubberless operation of the inverter. The power density of 62 kW/L is achieved by using low-profile commercial SiC power modules, the power-dense high-temperature ceramic capacitors integrated with the dc busbar structure and a compact low-profile design of the high-temperature gate driver board and the control board. The inverter prototype is built and its operation is experimentally validated at 900 V dc bus voltage, achieving maximum power of 211 kW at 65°C coolant temperature.