Compact universal bidirectional efficient DC-to-DC converter for high capacity alternative energy systems
A high power density DC-to-DC converter has a high efficiency and a bidirectional or a unidirectional universal configuration. The high power density DC-to-DC converter can be housed in a compactly-arranged converter enclosure. A plurality of the high power density DC-to-DC converters can be configured with converter input connections to a plurality of high power renewable energy sources. The converter outputs for all of the plurality of the high power density DC-to-DC converters can be connected to a DC inverter input of one or more DC-to-AC inverters with each of the inverters having an AC inverter output connected to an electrical grid.
1 . A high power density DC-to-DC converter, comprising:
a converter enclosure;
a converter input and a converter output housed in the converter enclosure, the converter input configured to connect to a DC output of a high power renewable energy source, and the converter output configured to connect to a DC inverter input of a DC-to-AC inverter having an AC inverter output connected to an electrical grid;
an arrangement of high switching frequency Silicon-Carbide power MOSFET semiconductor power modules forming a selectable converter half-bridge or full-bridge in the converter enclosure by reconnection of a converter bus bar within the converter enclosure; and
a converter forced fluid closed cooling system disposed within the converter enclosure, the converter forced fluid closed cooling system including an interconnecting fluid cooled hollow copper tubing and one or more chill plates configured to cool the arrangement of high switching frequency Silicon-Carbide power MOSFET semiconductor power modules.
2 . The high power density DC-to-DC converter of claim 1 , wherein the high power density DC-to-DC converter further comprises a compact energy storing inductor forming a converter power inductor in the converter enclosure.
3 . The high power density DC-to-DC converter of claim 1 , further comprising a single converter circuitry board disposed within the converter enclosure for mounting a converter control circuitry, the single converter circuitry board configured for a mounting and an integration of the arrangement of high switching frequency Silicon-Carbide power MOSFET semiconductor power modules and the converter control circuitry disposed on the single converter circuitry board.
4 . A high power density DC-to-DC converter, comprising:
a converter enclosure;
a converter input and a converter output housed in the converter enclosure, the converter input configured to connect to a DC output of a high power renewable energy source, and the converter output configured to connect to a DC inverter input of a DC-to-AC inverter having an AC inverter output connected to an electrical grid;
a converter bus bar within the converter enclosure
an arrangement of high switching frequency Silicon-Carbide power MOSFET semiconductor power modules forming a selectable converter half-bridge or full-bridge in the converter enclosure by reconnection of the converter bus bar; and
a converter forced fluid closed cooling system disposed within the converter enclosure and having one or more chill plates configured to cool the arrangement of high switching frequency Silicon-Carbide power MOSFET semiconductor power modules, wherein the converter forced fluid closed cooling system further comprises:
a fluid-to-air plated heat exchanger disposed within the converter enclosure for a heated air transfer from the converter enclosure to ambient air;
a closed-system cooling fluid circulating pump disposed within the converter enclosure for circulating a cooling fluid in the converter forced fluid closed cooling system;
an expansion tank disposed within the converter enclosure for accumulating heat-expanded cooling fluid within the converter forced fluid closed cooling system; and
an energy storing compact inductor comprising a hollow tube wound inductor for circulation of the cooling fluid within the hollow tube wound inductor.
5 . The high power density DC-to-DC converter of claim 2 , wherein the compact energy storing inductor comprises a Brooks coil having a potting material mixed with a plurality of ferromagnetic granules.
6 . The high power density DC-to-DC converter of claim 4 , wherein the converter forced fluid closed cooling system further includes an interconnecting fluid cooled hollow copper tubing.
7 . The high power density DC-to-DC converter of claim 4 , wherein the fluid-to-air plated heat exchanger, the closed-system cooling fluid circulating pump, the expansion tank, the one or more chill plates, and the hollow tube wound inductor are interconnected with an electrically non-conductive tubing.
8 . The high power density DC-to-DC converter of claim 7 , wherein the fluid-to-air plated heat exchanger is chilled by a flow of the ambient air through the converter enclosure by one or more ambient air supply fans disposed in the converter enclosure.
9 . The high power density DC-to-DC converter of claim 1 , wherein the converter enclosure has an interior volume no greater than 6.2 cubic feet containing a conversion high power density of at least 80 kilowatts per cubic foot for the high power density DC-to-DC converter.
10 . A method of forming an electric power supply system from a renewable energy source having a DC power output, the method comprising:
converting the DC power output of the renewable energy source with a high power density DC-to-DC converter, the high power density DC-to-DC converter having a converter input and a converter output housed in a converter enclosure, the converter input of the high power density DC-to-DC converter connected to the DC power output of the renewable energy source, and the converter output of the high power density DC-to-DC converter connected to a DC inverter input of a DC-to-AC inverter having an AC inverter output connected to an electrical grid;
forming a selectable converter half-bridge or full-bridge in the converter enclosure by reconnection of a converter bus bar within the converter enclosure using an arrangement of high switching frequency Silicon-Carbide power MOSFET semiconductor power modules; and
cooling the arrangement of high switching frequency Silicon-Carbide power MOSFET semiconductor power modules using a converter forced fluid closed cooling system disposed within the converter enclosure, the converter forced fluid closed cooling system including an interconnecting fluid cooled hollow copper tubing and one or more chill plates.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming the high power density DC-to-DC converter with a compact converter energy storing inductor.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more chill plates are disposed adjacent to the high switching frequency Silicon-Carbide power MOSFET semiconductor power modules for cooling the high switching frequency Silicon-Carbide power MOSFET semiconductor power modules.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the high power density DC-to-DC converter contains a single converter assembly printed circuit board, the high switching frequency Silicon-Carbide power MOSFET semiconductor power modules and a converter assembly circuitry disposed on the single converter assembly printed circuit board.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the compact converter energy storing inductor is formed from a Brooks coil having a potting material mixed with a plurality of ferromagnetic granules.
15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising forming the converter forced fluid closed cooling system with a fluid-to-air plated heat exchanger chilled by a flow of an ambient air through the converter enclosure of each of the high power density DC-to-DC converters by one or more ambient air supply fans disposed in the enclosure.
16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the converter enclosure has an interior volume no greater than 6.2 cubic feet for a containment of a conversion power density of at least 80 kilowatts per cubic foot.
17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the converter forced fluid closed cooling system further comprises a cooling fluid circulating pump disposed within the converter enclosure and configured to circulate a cooling fluid in the converter forced fluid closed cooling system.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the converter forced fluid closed cooling system further comprises an expansion tank disposed within the converter enclosure for accumulating heat-expanded cooling fluid within the converter forced fluid closed cooling system.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the converter forced fluid closed cooling system further comprises an energy storing inductor comprising a hollow tube wound inductor for circulation of the cooling fluid within the hollow tube wound inductor.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein a fluid-to-air plated heat exchanger, the cooling fluid circulating pump, the expansion tank, the one or more chill plates, and the hollow tube wound inductor are interconnected with an electrically non-conductive tubing.