Hardware-in-the-Loop Development of a 30 kV / 100 kW / ≥150 kHz SiCBased Resonant Converter

Plasma generation often requires medium voltage (MV) for ignition. For this purpose, a resonance converter converter topology is investigated, switching at frequencies between 150 kHz and 250 kHz. Testing the controller for such a converter is challenging because of the high voltages and switching frequencies. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing is a standard approach for pre-testing of the controller in a laboratory setup. Due to the high switching frequency, software based HIL simulators can’t be used. In this paper the authors summarize their experience with using an FPGA based off the shelf HIL simulator and provide inputs for selecting simulators for a specific application.