Seminar on IGCT-technology

Presented by:

Sandeep Guha Niyogi

M.Tech (PED)
roll no:852010
 contents
Development of semiconductors
Comparison of GTO and IGCT 1st gen
IGCT with gate drive equipments
Applications of IGCT
--IGCTs for high power CSI
--IGCTs for VSI
--series connection of IGCTs
--100MVA intertie
Conclusion
References
Development time line of power
semiconductors
 History & development of IGCT

An IGCT is a special type of

Thyristor similar to a GTO. They
can be turned on and off by a
gate signal, have lower
conduction loss as compared to
GTOs, and withstand higher
rates of voltage rise (dv/dt), such
that no Snubber is required for
most applications

Successfully combines the best

of Thyristor and transistor
characteristics, while fulfilling
the additional requirements of
manufacturability and high
reliability.
Comparison between GTO and IGCT
IGCT with its gate driver
equipments
Gate power supply Isolation transformer

Integrated
gate signal
unit GCT

4.5kv-4kA
Applications of IGCT

--Current source inverters

--Voltage source inverters
--series connection of IGCTs
--the 100MVA intertie
--in railways
IGCT for high power CSI

 Basic CSI circuit  Test circuit

 Cross-section of a reverse blocking IGCT. The
Cathode side of the GCT wafer (with gate contact) forms the
Cathode of the whole device; the anode side of the diode
Wafer the anode. Anode of GCT wafer and cathode of diode
wafer are connected by a molybdenum disk

RB-IGCT can be realized by two ways:

-symmetric processing
-series connection of a diode with IGCT
Turn-on characteristics

The reverse blocking IGCT can either be turned on from:

 (1) the forward-biased state by a positive gate pulse
(following negative gate-bias), or from:
 (2) the reverse-biased state by current commutation
from the complimentary device (following positive
gate-bias)
 Turn-off characteristics

Test circuit to determine the Waveform of

RB-IGCT during turn off
 IGCTs for VSI
Reverse conducting IGCTs (RC-IGCT), asymmetric IGCTs (AS-IGCT) and their corresponding diodes are qualified and
tested in test circuits built according to the circuit diagram

Test circuit for IGCTs in VSI

Design criteria for inverters using IGCT
 Critical di/dt of the freewheeling diode

 Maximum device voltage VDM

VDM is not allowed to exceed rated blocking Voltage of either
IGCTs or the diode

VDM < VDRM, VRRM

Contd:

 Clamp voltage overshoot ∆V CL

∆V must be close to ZERO before next

CL

switching takes place so as to remain in SOA of

diodes and IGCTs

 Clamp diode current I DCL

I must also be zero before IGCT turns on

DCL

again.
Series connection of IGCTs

Major advantages:

-in the event that an IGCT fails the

installation continues without
interruption.

-Addition of redundant IGCTs reduces

voltage load of each individual device
 First commercial
application of series
connected IGCTs
The 100MVA inter-tie

a HIGH POWER
IGCT INVERTER
MODULE
 THE 100MVA INTERTIE
Manufactured by ABB. Installed between 3-φ
50Hz grid and 1- φ 16⅔Hz railway grid in
germany1st generation of IGCTs are used with
series connection of six-IGCTs.
 IGCT TECHNOLOGY IN TRACTION CONVERTERS
FOR ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES

Traction converters are designed for DC

motor power supply of large traction
vehicles which are supplied by following
traction systems: 25 kV AC, 50 Hz, 3000 V
DC etc. The converters are equipped by
modern power semiconductor units
especially IGCT Thyristor. Rugged design
and excellent quality of these devices are
guarantee of long lifetime as well as high
operating reliability. Converters with IGCT
Thyristor brings following advantages:
 Current ripple reduction that enables
higher operating frequency of traction
 increasing of traction motor lifetime
better driving characteristics of vehicle
 higher operating reliability
 Lower power consumption
 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
IGCT-a new solution for rail
vehicles

 The IGCT turn-off thyristor system for traction equipment has

now been in use for nearly two years on some ČD Class 560
Emus, and it is functioning well. It introduces two novelties into
ČD motive power technology - modern IGCT converter control
and compatible rectifiers. Thanks to the latter, when running off
25 kV 50 Hz a locomotive fitted with IGCT consumes a virtually
sinusoidal current, and at a power factor close to 1.
 CONCLUSION
IGCT has penetrated virtually every power electronic
application and is currently in service in equipment
ranging from 200kW to 100MW with still higher
ratings in design. Higher and lower voltages are
under consideration, but their commercialization
will depend on market demand and economics.
 references
IGCTs for high power applications-
ABB INDUSTRIES website.
optimization of IGCTs for CSI-ABB
INDUSTRIES website.
www.ABBsemiconductors.apxm
www.railvolution.htm