Model-Based Design and Analysis of a Navy Integrated Power Electronics Building Block (NiPEBB)

A model-based design process is presented for a generic power converter supporting power-corridor-based electrification of Navy ships. The converter topology is a bidirectional resonant CLLC, utilizing a split-core planar transformer and 1.7-kV Gen3 SiC MOSFETs. The components are integrated on connectorless multilayer common substrates for manufacturability, thermal management, and power density. Full-order electrical models are developed in LTSpice for device-level studies, and reduced-order electrical models are developed in PLECS for converter- and system-level studies. The PLECS model is validated by establishing alignment with LTSpice and physical hardware, including a close approximation of switching behaviors. The PLECS model is leveraged for a design space study. Tradeoffs are identified, including soft-switching, frequency, converter power rating, transformer parameters, thermal management, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) mitigation. The chosen design point is validated by a model-based design space study.