This project will develop new materials technologies, packaging, and assembly techniques, to reduce the cost and improve the useful life of power electronics used in advanced hybrid vehicles, non-polluting power generation, and a host of military applications. Technology leadership currently resides in Japan and Europe for these products, and the Nation's industrial competitiveness, as well as a reduction in the need for imported oil, are at stake Electric and Hybrid vehicles, fuel cell generators, static energy storage systems, photovoltaic farms and a host of emerging alternative power technologies could reduce our need for foreign oil imports, and reduce global pollution. These technologies are not presently cost effective, in large part due to the cost and reliability of the power electronics required to convert DC power to AC power for interfacing to the utility grid. This project will develop a family of general purpose inverters for DC-AC and AC-DC power conversion that are cost effective from 30kW 500kW. These inverters will be assembled along with advanced-composite-material heat exchangers with integral liquid-cooling features. The design will reduce costs through the use of cheaper materials and improved assembly yield. In Phase I, the thermal characteristics of the packaging approach were validated, with measured data matching computer design simulations to better than 5%; the electrical characteristics of the inverter power circuit and bus structure were examined, individual switches were pulse tested; the inverter was operated at low voltage and load to produce a 60Hz output; and the assembly concept was demonstrated. Phase II will: (1) determine scalability boundaries for the technology; (2) generate full power inverter performance/specification data; (3) perform initial reliability testing; (4) investigate various approaches to optimize the cost/performance tradeoff of the heat exchanger base; (5) develop a closed-loop heat exchanger; (6) investigate alternate heat exchanger fluids for the best cost/performance/reliability solution; and (7) develop workable manufacturing strategies, to assemble finished inverters in full scale production; and (8) build, deploy, and test initial pilot units. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by awardee: Potential applications include traditional and hybrid automobiles, where improvements in cost and reliability will assist the U.S. automakers in competing with foreign producers; static energy storage systems, where these inverters will enable improved system packaging and reliability; micro-turbine, fuel cell, photovoltaic, variable speed wind and hydro power generation systems, for both backup generation and peak load shaving applications; and military land and marine vehicle traction, propulsion, and weapons systems
