Advantages of SiC and GaN Converters in the Context of Reliability of Smart Metering Based on Power Line Communication

It is widely-known that wide bandgap semiconductor (e.g. SiC and GaN) based power electronic converters are responsible for high level of conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) measured according to standards. Increased level of conducted EMI is side effect associated with shorter rise and fall times of the voltage slopes resulting from SiC and GaN transistors’ utilization. In this article the specific electromagnetic compatibility issue concerning an influence of EMI generated by SiC and GaN based converters on power line communication (PLC) reliability has been investigated. In the case of PLC communication, particularly serious problems with communication reliability, caused by conducted EMI introduced by converters could be expected, because PLC communication uses the power grid as the transmission medium. However, based on experimental results and black box analysis, it has been shown that SiC and GaN based converters, in selected circumstances, can paradoxically provide merits contributing to the improvement of PLC reliability. These merits, which have not yet been described, are, in the authors’ opinion, interesting both in cognitive and practical aspects.