The emergence of wide bandgap (WBG) power semiconductors promises to revolutionize next-generation power electronics converters due to their increased junction operating temperature, lower specific on-resistance, and higher switching-speed capability as compared to their silicon counterparts.
This talk starts with the WBG semiconductor characterization to better understand the inherent properties of these emerging power devices. Next, challenges of maximizing WBG performance in power converters and solutions using gate drive integrated circuits (IC) will be presented. Third, for power electronics-intensive energy and power systems, modeling and simulation issues due to high-frequency WBG and high-performance computing (HPC)-empowered faster-than-real-time solutions will be discussed. Finally, several showcases are given on the development of high-efficiency high-density WBG-based converters in aircraft and energy storage applications.
Zheyu Zhang received the B.S. and M.S. degrees from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, and the Ph.D. degree from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, in 2008, 2011, and 2015, respectively, all in electrical engineering.
Dr. Zheyu Zhang is the Warren H. Owen – Duke Energy Assistant Professor of Engineering at Clemson University. He was a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville from 2015 to 2018. Afterward, he joined General Electric Research as the Lead Power Electronics Engineer at Niskayuna, NY, USA from 2018 to 2019. He has published 100+ papers in the most prestigious journals and conference proceedings, filed 10+ patent applications, authored one book and one book chapter, and presented 10 IEEE tutorial seminars and webinars. His research interests include wide bandgap-based power electronics characterization and applications for renewables, energy storage, electrified transportation, and space power.
Dr. Zhang is currently the Standard Vice-Chair of the IEEE IAS Power Electronics Devices and Components Committee, Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, and IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications. He was the recipient of three prize paper awards from the IEEE Industry Applications Society and IEEE Power Electronics Society, the 2021 IEEE IAS Andrew W. Smith Outstanding Young Member Achievement Award, and the 2022 NASA Early Career Faculty Award. He is a senior member of IEEE.