SLLA498A October 2020 – December 2024
String inverters and power conversion systems for Energy Storage are driving the process of decarbonization. Cost, design size and efficiency are the most important metric to drive these end equipments to the next level. Introduction of Wide bandgap technologies like SiC and GaN allows operation at higher switching frequencies, which improves the power densities and form factor, and enables size reduction of passive components, thus bringing the cost of the system down. With a large portfolio of GaN devices, TI is prepared to support this trend with leading edge products. More information is available on TI's Gallium nitride (GaN) power stages application page.
Another trend that can be observed is to increase DC bus rating towards 1500V-2000V. By doing this higher power levels can be achieved with lower current levels, thus influencing the losses in the system. This however, drives the isolation requirements and the device ratings of system components which need to be selected appropriately.
Moving from two level converters to multi-level converters supports the increase in DC bus voltage and effectively improves common mode rejection which results in smaller EMI filter design. Implementing flying cap topologies multiplies with each level the ripple frequency seen by the boost inductors which can be in turn dimensioned with smaller values.
All of the above drives design size and cost down at same or even better efficiency for power converters in solar and battery storage systems.