Half-bridge resonant inverter for domestic induction heating based on silicon carbide technology

This paper presents a half-bridge SiC resonant inverter applied to induction heating for domestic appliances. The main objective of this work is to evaluate a SiC normally-ON VJFET as this device is commercially available. Two different references of this nO-JFET have been tested. This design is focused in the extension of the usable frequency range and efficiency over the parameters typically achieved in traditional Si-IGBT domestic induction heating inverters. The paper describes the design methodology to obtain the optimal switching conditions at higher frequency limits, considering SiC technology. Fundamental aspects to be taken into account are switching losses, the choice and convenience of snubber capacitors and the driver design. Comparative results for output power delivered to an induction heating coil and load are presented, verifying the advantages of SiC technology in improved efficiency at low output power range.