The Potential of SiC Semiconductors for High Power Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

The share of electric vehicles has been growing considerable over the last years and is expected to continue to develop into a significant market share due to initiatives such as ”fit for 55”. The performance of DC chargers and their power capabilities are becoming an area of increasing interest. A promising approach to improve the efficiency and power density of converters are wide bandgap semiconductors. Therefore, this work investigates the potential of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors compared to silicon (Si) for 800kW DC chargers. Semiconductor losses and dedicated thermal resistance for a reliable cooling concept are determined. Further key factors that are evaluated are the switching frequency and the potential of semiconductors connected in parallel.