Magnetic Component Design for Medium Voltage Photovoltaic Application

In this paper, a power electronic converter concept for increased system voltage in photovoltaic plants is introduced. Therefore, with the help of novel SiC switches the voltage level is increased to AC medium voltage levels above +/-1.5 kV to reduce conduction losses within the plant. Consequently, the circuit components need to withstand voltages much higher than that used in conventional PV systems. Typically, the magnetic components are the bottleneck regarding volume, weight, losses and thus, heat generation in such systems. Therefore, the focus of this paper is on the challenges for designers of magnetic components for that novel medium voltage applications.