Electrets: A Novel Solution for Dielectric Challenges

OTT1796

Applications

Wide Bandgap (WBG) Power Electronics and Ultra-Wide Bandgap Power Electronics (UWBG)

Target Problems

Advances in WBG power semiconductors provide numerous benefits, including high power density, high efficiency, and the dynamic control of energy, however, such advancements also accelerate electrical aging and increase the risk of premature system failure.

Key Features

  • More Effective – help reduce the undesired material aging and eventual failure of WBG & UWBG
  • Reducing Partial Discharge (PD) – impressive performance reducing PD magnitude and rate
  • High Temperature Performance – using inorganic materials with extremely high melting points

Technology

An Inventor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has developed a novel inorganic material to better solve the issue of partial discharge in power electronics systems today. This new solution using an electret-based PD mitigation approach neutralizes high electric fields through electric field cancellation. Electrets are dielectric materials embedded with net positive or negative free charge or those with dipoles orientated. As the electrical equivalent of permanent magnets, electrets generate electric fields independently without a voltage source.

About the Inventor

Chanyeop Park, PhD, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering, Lab Director, Dielectric Resiliency & Electrical Aging Mitigation (DREAM) Lab

Dr. Chanyeop Park

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