A Novel Detachable Gate Driver Unit With Ultralow Inductance for Integrated Gate Commutated Thyristor

Under the background of clean energy connected to the grid, the high-capacity power electronics device integrated gate commutated thyristor (IGCT) has a bright future. In order to increase the convenience of replacement and longevity of service, a novel detachable gate driver unit (DGDU) concept for IGCT is proposed in this letter. To ensure the turn-OFF capability, both connection scheme and board optimization on DGDU are applied to minimize the stray inductance. Besides, the effects because of the detachable connecter on the structure and thermal characteristics are analyzed. Afterward, an overlapping scheme of DGDU with ultralow inductance is proposed for IGCT. Finally, a 4-inch prototype and a single-phase full-bridge platform are developed for the test. The turn-OFF capability of DGDU is verified by pulse experiment, which could turn-OFF a 5 kA current successfully. The stray inductance of DGDU is calculated based on the experimental result and is only 4% larger than conventional GDU, which means the commutation capability has little decrease. Furthermore, the continuous running reliability is verified by 2200 V-dc-voltage, 1300 A-effective-current power cycling experiments.

Automated summary

Under the background of clean energy connected to the grid, a novel detachable gate driver unit (DGDU) concept is proposed for high-capacity power electronics device integrated gate commutated thyristor (IGCT). By optimizing the connection scheme and board design, the stray inductance is minimized, and the effects of the detachable connector on the structure and thermal characteristics are analyzed. The turn-OFF capability and continuous running reliability of DGDU are verified through experiments.