Three-phase Inverter for Formula SAE Electric with Online Junction Temperature Estimation of all SiC MOSFETs

The ability to monitor the junction temperature of power devices during the operation of a power converter will be the key enabler towards combined higher performance and higher reliability of power electronics. Starting from the well-known dependency of the RON with the junction temperature of SiC power MOSFETs, an innovative solution is proposed to obtain the high-dynamic estimation of the junction temperature of all the power devices. This work focuses on the commissioning stage of a three-phase, 2-level voltage source inverter, enabling the real-time temperature feedback of all six power devices of the bridge during operation. A selection of experimental results is reported.