Session
Session 12: Advanced Technologies II
Abstract
Key characteristics of wide band-gap semiconductor devices are high dielectric strength, high operating temperature, high current density, high switching-speed and low on-resistance. This set of advantages in comparison to conventional Si-based semiconductors render wide band-gap devices considerably attractive, especially in applications that would gain significant benefits from higher efficiencies and smaller sizes. A CubeSat is a typical example where the available power, volume and mass resources are limited and an overall miniaturization of the avionics is required in order to enable the spacecraft to host multiple and more complex payloads. High-speed brushless DC motors such as those used in modern reaction wheel modules require higher inverter switching frequencies than Si-based inverters can achieve, in the range of 40 kHz to 100 kHz, to minimize losses and torque ripple within the motor and/or to avoid electromagnetic interference with other spacecraft sensors and subsystems. In this paper, we present an initial investigation of a high speed drive based on Gallium-Nitride (GaN) mosfets. The future objective of this setup is to drive an integrated miniature high speed Reaction Wheel system. An initial laboratory prototype is developed to test and validate the performance of the drive.
Design of Reaction Wheel Drive Based on Gallium Nitride MOSFETs
Key characteristics of wide band-gap semiconductor devices are high dielectric strength, high operating temperature, high current density, high switching-speed and low on-resistance. This set of advantages in comparison to conventional Si-based semiconductors render wide band-gap devices considerably attractive, especially in applications that would gain significant benefits from higher efficiencies and smaller sizes. A CubeSat is a typical example where the available power, volume and mass resources are limited and an overall miniaturization of the avionics is required in order to enable the spacecraft to host multiple and more complex payloads. High-speed brushless DC motors such as those used in modern reaction wheel modules require higher inverter switching frequencies than Si-based inverters can achieve, in the range of 40 kHz to 100 kHz, to minimize losses and torque ripple within the motor and/or to avoid electromagnetic interference with other spacecraft sensors and subsystems. In this paper, we present an initial investigation of a high speed drive based on Gallium-Nitride (GaN) mosfets. The future objective of this setup is to drive an integrated miniature high speed Reaction Wheel system. An initial laboratory prototype is developed to test and validate the performance of the drive.
