Power electronics design for a direct-driven turbo compressor used as advanced high-lift system in future aircraft

This paper presents the 100 kW air-cooled inverter design of a power train used for advanced high-lift systems in future aircrafts. To achieve additional high-lift during take-off and landing of a plane, air is blown out at the back flap of the wings using a turbo compressor directly driven by an electrical machine. Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices promise large savings in volume, weight and losses of the inverter, which results in a highly-integrated system. Furthermore, the intake air is used as coolant for the power electronics. Such a system with a high power density of 10.8 kW/l has been designed and implemented, and first tests were performed on a laboratory prototype.