Wolfspeed silicon carbide meets efficiency standards while enabling smaller, lighter, more efficient industrial low voltage motor drives.
Electric motors, including industrial low voltage drives, account for more than 50% of all electricity used in industry globally. Traditionally, industrial low voltage motor drives were designed with the motor and drive in separate housings and connected by a long cable, resulting in poor motor reliability or increased cost from needing output filters, wasted power and lower overall system efficiency.
Today silicon carbide is enabling a shift to embedded motor drives where the drive and motor are combined into one smaller unit. Combining motors and drives can reduce overall system cost by 20-40% and improve drive efficiency by up to 2.6% so motor manufacturers can achieve IE3 and IE4 efficiency standards.
Achieve IE4 efficiency standards with Wolfspeed’s 650 V MOSFETs. For example, in an 11 kW, 8 kHz system upgrading to a semi-bridgeless Totem Pole-PFC and replacing IGBTs in the inverter with drop-in silicon carbide MOSFETS yields:
Redesigning the PFC using a bridgeless totem pole topology and upgrading the inverter with silicon carbide MOSFETs improves efficiency even more to 2.4% while maintaining IE4 standards.
When compared to high-speed, soft-switched IGBTs, Wolfspeed 650 V MOSFETs offer drastically lower conduction losses and almost no switching losses, significantly improving the performance of embedded industrial motor drives.
Six-pack Wolfspeed WolfPACK™ power modules enable superior performance and system efficiency. When compared to leading IGBT solutions in a 25 kW inverter system, the WolfPACK™ achieves 1.1% higher efficiency with a 77% smaller heat sink (0.31 L vs 1.37 L).
Conversely, the WolfPACK can run at higher loads with smaller heat sinks, allowing designers to design embedded drive systems that are smaller and lighter and require up to 77% smaller heat sinks. Even at a higher 16 kHz switching frequency with the same heat sink, silicon carbide remains thermally stable and outperforms silicon IGBTs.
25 kW inverter, Fsw = 8 kHz, 77% reduced SiC MOSFET Heat Sink: 0.31L (1.6°C/W) vs. 1.37 L (0.73°C/W)
The graphs above demonstrate an improvement in efficiency with the silicon carbide six-pack WolfPACK modules vs IGBT modules in a 25 kW inverter with an 0.8 L heat sink. As the power level increases, the junction temperature of 50 A and 100 A rated silicon IGBTs increases, causing them to fail, while Wolfspeed 32 A silicon carbide MOSFET remains stable and well below the failure threshold.
25 kW inverter, Fsw = 16 kHz, Larger Si IGBT Heat Sink: 1.37 L (0.7°C/W) , smaller SiC Heat Sink 0.8 L (0.99°C/W)
At 16kHz switching frequency, we see 100 A and 50 A rated silicon IGBTs fail thermally beyond 10 kW and 15 kW respectively, despite using a 41% larger heat sink size than 32 A Wolfspeed silicon carbide MOSFETs.
Maximize industrial low voltage motor drive efficiency when you simulate with SpeedFit Design Simulator, the first step to selecting the right devices for your design. Our online simulation tool offers an easy-to-use interface for evaluating Wolfspeed’s silicon carbide MOSFETs, diodes and power modules many power topologies. Start simulating today and harness the power of Wolfspeed silicon carbide in your industrial motor drives.
Wolfspeed’s products represent the culmination of years of experience and expertise, where quality meets innovation to help bring your design forward.
Product SKU | Buy Online | Request Sample | Data Sheet | CAD Model | Blocking Voltage | RDS(ON) at 25°C | Generation | Current Rating | Gate Charge Total | Output Capacitance | Total Power Dissipation (PTOT) | Maximum Junction Temperature | Package | Recommended For New Design? | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1200 V | 75 mΩ | Gen 3 | 32 A | 51 nC | 58 pF | 113.6 W | 150 °C | TO-247-4 | Yes | Industrial | |||||
1200 V | 75 mΩ | Gen 3 | 30 A | 51 nC | 58 pF | 113.6 W | 150 °C | TO-263-7 | Yes | Industrial | |||||
1200 V | 40 mΩ | Gen 3 | 64 A | 61 nC | 94 pF | 272 W | 150 °C | TO-263-7 | Yes | Industrial | |||||
650 V | 15 mΩ | Gen 3 | 120 A | 188 nC | 289 pF | 416 W | 175 °C | TO-247-4 | Yes | Industrial | |||||
650 V | 45 mΩ | Gen 3 | 47 A | 61 nC | 101 pF | 147 W | 150 °C | TO-263-7 | Yes | Industrial | |||||
650 V | 60 mΩ | Gen 3 | 36 A | 46 nC | 80 pF | 136 W | 175 °C | TO-263-7 | Yes | Industrial | |||||
1200 V | 32 mΩ | Gen 3 | 68 A | 111 nC | 133 pF | 277 W | 150 °C | TO-263-7 | Yes | Industrial |
Product SKU | Buy Online | Request Sample | Data Sheet | CAD Model | Blocking Voltage | Current Rating | Generation | Forward Voltage(VF(type)) | Maximum Continuous Current (IF) | Total Capacitive Charge (QC (typ)) | Total Power Dissipation (PTOT) | Package | Qualification | Recommended For New Design? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1200 V | 10 A | Gen 4 | 1.5 V | 10 A | 52 nC per leg | 170 W | TO-252-2 | Industrial | Yes | |||||
650 V | 16 A | Gen 3 | 1.5 V | 16 A | 44 nC | 150 W | TO-220-2 | Industrial | Yes | |||||
650 V | 16 A | Gen 6 | 1.27 V | 16 A | 29 nC | 100 W | TO-247-3 | Industrial | Yes |
Product SKU | Buy Online | Request Sample | Data Sheet | CAD Model | Package | Configuration | Blocking Voltage | Current Rating | RDS(ON) at 25°C | Generation | Maximum Junction Temperature | Module Size | Recommended For New Design? | Qualification | View Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FM3 | Six-pack (three-phase) | 1200 V | 30 A | 32 mΩ | Gen 3 MOS | 150 °C | 62.8 mm x 33.8 mm | Yes | Industrial |
Name | Buy Online | Topology | Status | Package | Designed By | Product SKU | View Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Three-Phase, 2-Level | Available for Purchase | FM3 | Wolfspeed | CRD25DA12N-FMC | |||
Three-Phase, 2-Level | Paper Design Only | TO-247-4 | Wolfspeed | CRD-22AD12N |
