Enhanced Low-Voltage GaN FETs for e-Mobility Motor Control Improvements

Light e- Mobility plays an important role in the field of transportation. Recent studies show the advantages of adopting gallium nitride transistors (GaN FET) in low-voltage motor drive applications. This paper presents the benefits of choosing GaN FET technology for the electric powertrain. At first, GaN technology features are presented and compared to those of silicon-based (Si) transistors. Then, the typical e-powertrain layout with a GaN FET inverter is investigated through experimental tests. A focus on the DC-bus filter size and the dead-time selection is given. Advantages of using GaN FET have been found in terms of inverter output waveforms quality, system efficiency and power density, not only for the inverter but also for the filters and for the electrical motor. Finally, an overview of the emerging low-voltage motor drive applications is given. This work is useful for understanding how GaN FET operates, especially in motor drive applications in low voltage systems typically of light e-mobility.