High-Power-Density, Rad-hard, SiC Based, Intelligent Multi Module DC/DC Converter PMAD System For Optimal Energy Utilization

Recognizing the mission strategic importance of a compact, rad-hard, highly efficient battery management system, Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc. (APEI, Inc.) is proposing to develop the next generation of rad-hard battery management power converters. This new generation of battery management converters will harness the extreme radiation-hardness of silicon carbide (SiC) junction field effect transistors (JFETs) and incorporate it into the first truly modular, scalable, fault-tolerant, switched-mode power converter topology. By the end of Phase II, APEI, Inc. will have a fully tested, truly modular, 300 krad SiC-based battery management converter hardware prototype. The demonstration prototypes to be developed under this MDA SBIR Phase II will deliver significant performance gains over current state-of-the-art Si approaches. The rad hard SiC JFETs will enable unprecedented power converter efficiencies of>5% increase over what is currently achievable with Si technology while simultaneously allowing converter size reductions of 2 to 3 times that of a comparable Si based converter. The new truly modular operation will unlock enhanced battery energy extraction through equally distributed load current sharing without compromising redundancy. Up to 4% increase in battery effective energy density will be achievable when interfacing with a redundant Li-ion battery bank.