IGBT Converters are Going to be Used for SBB Locos by ABB

For locomotives, which are driven by diesel or electricity, EMU and DEMU vehicles with AC Traction Motors, new microprocessor based AC-AC Traction System (MAS) offers the latest in technology combining IGBT based Traction Converter with DSP and microprocessor based embedded controls. Microprocessor based Locomotive Control system is used in conjunction with IGBT based traction converter to implement this solution. Federal Railway of Switzerland has granted ABB Switzerland an agreement valued approximately SFr 69.2m ($US 75.4m) to provide latest traction apparatuses for its convoy of 119 Re460 electric locomotives as a section of a SFr 230m middle-life renovation program. According to this contract, 202 IGBT traction converters will be supplied by ABB with an option for 38 additional units which are water-cooled. As per SSB’s opinion, it will be possible to reduce traction power consumption by 27GWh per year by converting the convoy to IGBT which is sufficient electricity to power 6750 homes.

$240m Chinese IGBT Plant Uses UK Technology

IGBTs are a crucial part in high-efficiency electrical power transformation systems used in variable-speed motor drives, uninterruptible power supplies, power grids, trains, renewable power plants and electric and hybrid electric vehicles. A $240m IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) manufacture plant has been established by Zhuzhou CSR Times Electric Co, a semiconductor maker from China. The company has done this by comprising technology enhanced by Dynex Semiconductor, its supplementary in the United Kingdom. This plant is mentioned to be the first of its category in China and the second all over the world. Using eight-inch silicon wafers, high performance IGBT modules and chips are produced in this factory which is located in Zhuzhou. Output is 120,000 wafers and 1 million IGBT modules every year in the first stage of the operation. Over two years were needed by the latest production line to be built. Technical advice, support, staff training were provided by Dynex throughout this process, both in China and in Lincoln.

Siemens to Install State-of-the-Art IGBT Technology for Indian Railways

IGBTs are state-of-the-art power electronics for the traction system of electric and diesel-electric rail vehicles. The main benefit of IGBT is that it reduces the requirement for current, minimizing heat and traction noise while also making the acceleration process efficient. Automations solutions provider Siemens Limited has bagged the contract to install state-of-the-art IGBT technology for Indian Railways. The company will be designing, supplying and installing alternating current (AC) traction systems for dual cab high horsepower diesel engine locomotive for diesel locomotive works (DLW). "The systems have been developed based on the state-of-the-art insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) technology. The AC traction systems will be produced at its factory at Nashik, Maharashtra, India" the company said.

Impact of IGBTs in our Daily Life

IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) are widely used now-a-days in the transportation, renewable power generation, consumer, aircrafts, medical, industrial and financial sectors all over the world. As a result, billions of people from around the globe are enjoying enhanced comfort, convenience, and quality of life. IGBTs are known for their fantastic efficiency and speedy switching characteristics. These qualities make IGBTs very suitable for applications where saving energy and protecting the environment are very important. What would happen if all the IGBT were removed from the applications that they serve today?” The answer is quite revealing: Our new solar and wind based renewable energy sources would not be able to deliver power to the grid because the inverters would stop functioning. Our gasoline power cars would stop running because the electronic ignition systems would no longer function. Our hybrid electric and electric cars would stop running because the inverters used to deliver power from the batteries to the motors would no longer function. Our electric mass-transit systems would come to a standstill because the inverters used to deliver power from the power-grid to the motors would no longer function. Our air-conditioning systems in homes and offices would stop working because the inverters used to deliver power from the utility company to the heat-pumps and compressors would no longer function. Our refrigerators and vending machines would no longer function making the delivery and storage of perishable products impossible. Our factories would come to a grinding halt because the numerical controls use to run the robots would cease to function. Our new low-energy compact fluorescent bulbs would stop functioning limiting our activities to the daytime. Our portable defibrillators recently deployed in emergency vehicles, on-board airplanes, and in office buildings would no longer be operational putting over 100,000 people at the risk of death from cardiac failure. In one statement, the quality of life in our society would be greatly deteriorated if the IGBT is no longer available. It is a blessing of modern science.

Fuji IGBT in CNC Machines

Numerical control (NC) is the mechanization of machine tools that are functioned by accurately programmed commands encoded on a storage mean, as against to run manually via hand wheels or levers, or mechanically automated via cams alone. Most NCs today are computer numerical control (CNC), in which computers play an integral part of the control. Fuji Electric delivers high-performance power semiconductors for energy, automotive, information technology, and industrial applications. IGBTs (Insulated Gate BipolarTransistor) made my Fuji is used widely in CNC plasma cutters and welding machines. Plasma cutting involves cutting a material using a plasma torch. It is commonly used to cut steel and other metals, but can be used on a variety of materials. In this process, gas (such as compressed air) is blown at high speed out of a nozzle; at the same time an electrical arc is formed through that gas from the nozzle to the surface being cut, turning some of that gas to plasma. The plasma is enough heated to melt the material being cut and moves pretty fast to blow molten metal away from the cut. Arc and tube welding machines are mostly used in industrial setting for building and repair of the infrastructure. Welding power supplies are required to create an electric arc between an electrode and the base material to melt the metals at the welding point. The arc can be created by either DC or AC current with consumable or non-consumable electrodes. The welding region is sometimes protected by some type of inert or semi-inert gas. Arc welding is popular due to low capital and running costs. For arc welding, the voltage is directly related to the length of the arc, and the current is related to the amount of heat input with typical currents of 50 to 500 amps depending on the size of weld. For arc welding with low voltages and large currents, a soft switching PWM DC-DC power converter with Fuji IGBT switches in the primary side of a high frequency transformer is considered to be the most suitable topology for the welding power supply110, 111. Power losses in the Fuji IGBTs are reduced by using soft switching resulting in a volume reduction of 59% and weight reduction of 47% compared with the hard-switching approach. Dynamic welding performance is improved due to operation at 40-kHz when compared with 13-kHz with hard-switching. We have been selling IGBT power transistor modules since 2001. Thyssen Krupp, OTIS, IXYS, SONY DADC, General Motors, Hongkong Electric Holdings Limited, Singapore Mass Rapid Transit Trains LTD, Verkehrsbetriebe Zurich, Czech Airlines, Molex, Cisco, Omron, Good Year Tires, Thai Airasia, Boeing, Xilinx, LEAR SIEGLER, and General Electric. We have a Quality Control Team like no other. This means that we know how to work hard in order to ensure to make sure that the quality of all of the parts we’re selling is high. Because we only sell new and original electronic parts, we provide our customers with a 30-day warranty. And because we have connections with IGBT power transistor modules manufacturers, OEMs and distributors, we’re able to pass any savings on to our customers, giving them a lower price while still providing them with the quality products they deserve. Our inventory is carefully managed and held to the highest standards, and stored in a controlled environment warehousing facility.

IGBT in Electric Car

Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) is a relatively new device which is noted for its high efficiency and fast switching, making it ideal for applications where saving energy and protecting the environment are important factors. Consequently, IGBTs are found in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles, in wind turbines and solar installations, as well as in smart grids and modern household appliances, such as refrigerators and air-conditioning systems. Although the automotive market is relatively small, the number of electronic components in automobiles is steadily rising. Hybrid and electric vehicles have the highest share of electronic devices. They need IGBTs for power control. The power control unit (PCU) in these cars regulates the transfer of energy between the battery and electric motor. Such PCUs can contain up to 20 IGBTs. IGBT usage in the car industry is expected to grow around 70 percent in 2015. When a hybrid-electric car is operated on highways, it operates with power delivered from both the gasoline-powered Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and the battery-powered electric motor. In this case, IGBTs are needed to operate the ignition system of the ICE and to drive the motor. The battery in the hybrid-electric car must be recharged to renew the stored energy. This is also performed using IGBT-based circuitry in the power electronics module. In conclusion, the availability of IGBTs has been crucial to the success the hybrid electric car and to the deployment of the charging infrastructure for the plug-in electric vehicles. The IGBT will continue to play an important role in the availability of cost effective technology for the entire electric vehicle industry.

Use of IGBTs in Tesla Roadster

Tesla Roadster is the first high-performance electric car in the world. It is very speedy, unprecedented; handles like a dream and goes like a bullet. But it doesn’t consume a single drop of gasoline and practically noiseless. Traditional gasoline-powered car contain hundreds of moving parts. But the Roadster is powered by just four main systems. These are: The Energy Storage System (ESS), The Power Electronics Module (PEM), an electric motor and a sequential manual transmission. We will talk about the power electronics module below. The Roadster battery, as with all batteries, stores electricity at a DC voltage. The motor uses energy in the form of an AC voltage. The Power Electronics Module functions as a bridge for energy between the charge port, battery, and motor. Every electron ever used in a Roadster, from the motor drive to the dome light, flows through the Power Electronics Module. It is a power inverter and charging system that converts AC voltage from the grid at between 90V and 265V, into DC voltages between 250V and 425V using 72 insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). This lead a significant increase in power output likened to first-generation electric cars. Under peak acceleration, the batteries can provide 200 kW of energy -- sufficient to power 2,000 incandescent light bulbs. Along with controlling charge and discharge rates, the Power Electronics Module controls voltage levels, the motor RPM (revolutions per minute), torque and the regenerative braking system.