High Power Semiconductor Control Systems
Mission
IAP, working together with our customers, are leading innovators in the application of
power semi-conductor circuit breakers, inverters and converters, and motor drives to the
transportation and marine industries.
Description
Our High Power Semiconductor Control work involves the application of solid state
technology to high power distribution systems. By high power, we are referring to currents
of 100 - 5000 amps, and voltages of 450V - to 27,000V. The power distributions systems are
for the marine (like navy ships) and transportation (like electric subway trains)
industries. The technology can also be applied to power distribution for utility
companies.
Why Solid State?
Solid state technology in power distribution systems is used to improve power quality.
For example, mechanical systems (like mechanical circuit breakers and switches) allow
power spikes, surges, sags, and interruptions that can disrupt electrical devices. For
example, in the 60 milliseconds that mechanical switches take to react to a power
disruption, computers and digital clocks reset. Solid state switches can react in less
than a millisecond, preventing electrical devices like computers from being reset or
damaged.
Accomplishments
IAP has applied solid-state technology for use in medium and high-voltage circuit
breakers, greatly reducing parts count and assembly cost. For an example of this work,
check out our Case Study: The 900A Solid State Circuit Breaker.
In the power electronics area, IAP works on solid state variable speed motor
controllers. Many motors have just two speeds: full speed and zero. A solid state
controller can let you run the same motor at varied speeds, increasing the life expectancy
of the motor and the efficiency of the system the motor is in.
Another project was the creation of a variable speed controller for a cooling fan. The
fan runs only fast enough to keep the unit, that the fan is enclosed in, cool enough. To
run the fan any faster than necessary only reduces fan life, wastes power, and increases
noise.
With these accomplishments, IAP has become one of industries first to research and
develop such products.
Case Study: 900A Solid
State Circuit Breaker
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One IAP partner came to us asking for help in the design of
a solid state circuit breaker that would be suitable for high-power applications such as
ships and trains. The breaker would have to be plug-compatible with today's mechanical
breakers so that customers could easily replace their mechanical breakers with the new
solid state breaker. No such circuit breaker had ever been made with solid state
technology before. The team wanted to use solid state technology because it could
deliver superior power conditioning performance at a reduced manufacturing cost.
There was a critical question early on: could the solid state components handle the
power surges effectively? To handle the required power levels, the components would have
to be combined in series and in parallel. The question was whether the components would
"share" the power surge and survive, or would they be destroyed by the power
surge one-by-one in a chain reaction? Experts were not sure.
IAP's first task, therefore, was to build a test module and prove that the components
would share the load. We tried it, and it worked! With this critical question answered,
the team could move on.
IAP worked closely with our partner, pooling our respective engineering talents to
design a prototype circuit breaker. We developed a project plan, established detailed
product requirements, designed and built prototypes, and rigorously tested them. Daily
communication between IAP and our partner's team leaders kept the project on track, and
technical sessions involving engineers from both companies helped us to attack problems as
soon as they arose. This was a high-risk development effort for a novel new product, but
IAP was able to help its partner overcome the engineering challenges and deliver a
successful design that was ready to qualify for manufacturing. |
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