NSF funding for Khaligh, Han will further traction inverter development

Professor Alireza Khaligh (ECE/ISR) is the principal investigator for a new three-year, $500K National Science Foundation award, “Electro-Thermally Integrated Traction Inverter,” to design and develop an innovative and high power-density traction inverter for next generation of electric vehicles. Professor Bongtae Han (ME) is the project’s co-PI.

The research will change the ways traction inverters currently are designed. Wide bandgap (WBG) bare-die Silicon Carbide (SiC) power semiconductor devices will be incorporated into an electro-thermally integrated design framework to achieve extreme power density. Developments also will include an innovative switch module assembly, electro-thermo-mechanical co-design framework and multi-objective parameter optimization.

The transformative solutions will help to overcome current limitations in power module designs and lead to theoretical advancements and generic methodologies for obtaining electro-thermo-mechanically optimal switch module designs. The research will incorporate advances in power electronics, control, packaging, and thermal management, and realize design for reliability in a holistic co-design approach.

Published August 25, 2022