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In comparison with Si-based converters, the emerging Medium Voltage (MV) SiC-based converters can achieve higher blocking voltage capability, lower on-resistance, faster switching speed with less switching related losses and run under higher temperature. Thus, theoretically, it can achieve much higher power density, which becomes very promising for future power transmission and distribution. However, in order to achieve the desired high power density, insulation system of the MV SiC-based converter must be compact. Therefore, challenges for the insulation system gradually appeared, as the insulation size becomes smaller and the Electric field (E-field) intensity significantly increases. Under such high E-field intensity, it is necessary and important to eliminate Partial Discharge (PD) for such power converters, since the converter system is vulnerable to PDs. Developing an insulation design, assessment and online monitoring method to help reach a compact and PD free insulation system for MV SiC-based converters is a goal of this work. General insulation design and assessment guidelines based on experimental PD investigation and physics-based model –Experimental PD investigation is completed for internal void discharge, surface discharge, and point discharge representative coupons under square excitations. Based on the data and the existing knowledge about PD mechanisms, widely accepted PD models are selected. Using these physics-based models, simulation results can demonstrate the major features observed in the experiments. With the experimental data and valid PD models, several general insulation design and assessment guidelines are proposed, which could be further applied during converter prototypes development. Partial Discharge elimination methodology and design examples – By using the laminated bus as the design example, internal void evaluation and analysis method is demonstrated. Then, targeting the internal PD-free design with reasonable insulation thickness, several insulation improvement methods are applied and experimentally verified by using representative coupons. After understanding the possible ways for evaluating and eliminating internal voids, a PCB-based planar bus is designed and fabricated, which shows great insulation improvement after experimental verification. In order to eliminate PDs in the air and shrink the insulation distance, three ways for managing E-field distribution in air are demonstrated by three examples. First, by using the interconnections among the power modules, Rogowski-based current-sensing board, and the laminated bus as an example, E-field distribution can be estimated by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and its management can be achieved by geometrical modifications. Second, for the one-turn inductor, a methodology is demonstrated that builds a coaxial insulation structure with proper termination technology in order to squeeze air out of the insulation system. Finally, E-field shielding technology is applied along the heatsink edges in order to make the E-field distribution uniform and to shrink the insulation distance between the heatsink and the cooling system. After improving the insulation, this work shrinks the converter unit size by around 50% while maintaining its PD-free status under normal operation conditions. Besides the significant increase in power density and weight reduction, the entire converter system has less ringing and better current-sharing performance due to reductions of the parasitic inductance. Partial Discharge online monitoring via acoustic and photon detection methods –Targeting the online monitoring and even localization of surface discharge for power converter applications, two novel types of sensors have been proposed and fabricated. In order to verify the concepts, one example with experimental results has been given for each type of sensor. The experimental data demonstrates that such sensors can be placed inside the converter and online monitoring can be realized for surface or corona discharges by capturing either the acoustic signal or the photons that are generated by discharge events. / Doctor of Philosophy / A unproper designed insulation system can take more than 50% volume of Medium Voltage (MV) SiC-based converters and have significant internal or external Partial Discharge (PD), which can not only accelerate the insulation aging but also risk to multiple aspects of the converter system. Therefore, developing an insulation design, assessment and online monitoring method to help reach a compact and PD free insulation system for MV SiC-based converters is a goal of this work. Experimental PD investigation is completed for internal void discharge, surface discharge, and point discharge representative coupons under square excitations. Several general insulation design and assessment guidelines are proposed based on the experimental PD investigation and physics-based explanations, which are further applied during converter prototypes development. Then, PD elimination methodology is developed and demonstrated by design examples. By using the laminated bus as an example, internal void evaluation and analysis method is demonstrated. Then, targeting the internal PD-free design with reasonable insulation thickness, several insulation improvement methods are applied and experimentally verified by using representative coupons. In order to eliminate PDs in air and shrink the insulation distance, three ways for managing E-field distribution in air are demonstrated by three examples. First, by using the interconnections among the power modules, Rogowski-based current-sensing board, and the laminated bus as an example, E-field distribution can be estimated by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and its management can be achieved by geometrical modifications. Second, for the one-turn inductor, a coaxial insulation structure with proper termination technology in order to squeeze air out of the insulation system is demonstrated. Finally, E-field shielding technology is applied along the heatsink edges in order to make the E-field distribution uniform and to shrink the insulation distance between the heatsink and the cooling system. After improving the insulation, this work shrinks the converter unit size by around 50% while maintaining its PD-free status under normal operation conditions. Besides the significant increase in power density and weight reduction, the entire converter system has less ringing and better current-sharing performance due to reductions of the parasitic inductance. Targeting the PD online monitoring for power converter applications, two novel types of sensors have been proposed and fabricated. In order to verify the concepts, one example with experimental results has been given for each type of sensor. The experimental data demonstrates that such sensors can be placed inside the converter and online monitoring can be realized for surface or corona discharges by capturing either the acoustic signal or the photons that are generated by discharge events.

Advancements in power semiconductor and power converter technology have enabled new low-voltage (LV) and medium-voltage (MV) direct current (DC) distribution systems for a variety of applications. Power electronics converters and DC circuit breakers (DCCBs) are the key components of a DC system and are hence the focus of this work. The combination of growing power density requirements and higher voltages can result in enhanced electric field (E-field) intensities, leaving the system vulnerable to partial discharges (PDs). The manifestation of such PD events gradually degrades the insulation system of the equipment, reducing its lifetime and ultimately leading to total insulation failure. Therefore, inception E-field based insulation design guidelines are developed to help achieve zero-PD operation of power electronics systems with considerations for internal as well as external (surface) E-field distribution. Additionally, surface E-field mitigation methods are experimentally investigated using representative PCB coupons to provide suitable solutions for low air pressure applications. Consequently, E-field management methods consisting of geometry-based techniques are proposed for PCB-based systems to mitigate E-field magnitudes in areas of the system that are prone to peak stresses (e.g. surface interconnections and triple junctions, conductor discontinuities, critical airgaps etc.). Successful design examples are provided including that of a 16 kV rated PCB-based DC bus and a 540 V, 100 kW aircraft generator rectifier unit operating at up to 50,000 ft cruising altitudes. DC circuit breaker (DCCB) technology, though crucial to ensure the safety of DC systems, is still in the early stages of development. As protection devices, their reliable operation is paramount and the selection and sizing of their components are not trivial. In this regard, comprehensive design guidelines are developed for the DC solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) to ensure that its functional requirements can be met. System analyses and modeling are performed to understand the interactions between the various components, i.e. solid-state device, metal oxide varistor (MOV), and their impact on the breaker operation. A 2.5 kV, 400 A SSCB prototype is designed and verified with experimental results to validate the design approach. Traditional MOV based voltage clamping circuits (VCC) used in solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs) impose a high interruption voltage on the main solid-state device. The voltage burden arises from the material properties of the MOV which fixes its clamping voltage at a value more than twice its maximum continuous dc voltage rating. A novel and reliable VCC termed as the electronic MOV (eMOV) is proposed to decouple the peak clamping voltage of the MOV from the nominal dc voltage of the system aiming to improve the voltage suppression index (V SI = Vpk/Vdc) of the VCC, thereby reducing the peak system voltage and allowing easier insulation design. By virtue of the proposed circuit, a lower voltage rated device can be used for the main switch enabling higher system efficiency and power density. In all, this work aims to address insulation system design for power electronics converters and systems, ultimately to eliminate PD under specified working voltage conditions for improved electrical safety and insulation lifetime. The implications of high-density integration, unsuitable ambient conditions and higher system voltages are considered to develop a suitable design and assessment methodology for practicing engineers. Techniques to mitigate/ manage E-Field inside and outside (surface) solid dielectric are proposed to attain the above goal. Additionally, design guidelines are formulated for DC SSCBs which are essential to the safety of DC distribution systems and an enhanced VCC is proposed for the same to limit its clamping voltage for easier insulation design. / Doctor of Philosophy / The recent advancements in power conversion technology have promoted the development and use of DC distribution networks for a variety of applications (e.g. electric ships, aircrafts, electric vehicle charging stations etc.). The insulation system of typical power electronics equipment consists of multiple solid insulating media (e.g. PCB dielectric, potting material, conformal coat etc.) separated by air gaps in the assembly. The combination of higher operating voltages, power density targets and unfavorable ambient conditions (e.g. low air pressure) can pose a risk to the insulation system of the equipment, if not addressed. The electric field (E-Field) stresses at certain vulnerable areas can exceed breakdown values of the corresponding media, initiating localized electrical discharge events also called as partial discharges (PD). Internal discharges generally occur in the vicinity of material defects, conductor discontinuities or sharp geometric features, while surface discharges may occur along exposed conductor metallizations on insulator surfaces (at the interface of multiple media) or critical air gaps in the assembly. PD events, while not posing any imminent threat, can degrade the surrounding area over time to reduce the operating life of the system and in some cases may cause catastrophic failures. Therefore, irrespective of location, such PD events must be eliminated to improve the overall system lifetime and reliability. Therefore, the main focus of this work is to develop insulation design guidelines and methodologies to achieve zero-PD operation of power converters and DC circuit breakers (DCCBs), both of which are key components of DC systems. A generalized design guideline is proposed to help with the insulation design of power electronics systems. Design techniques are developed to reduce E-field magnitude at critical areas to avoid over-designing the insulation system. Successful converter-level design examples are provided to validate the proposed approaches. DCCB technology is still in the early stages of development. As a protection device, its reliable operation is paramount and the selection and sizing of its components are not trivial. Therefore, in addition to the above insulation design methodology, comprehensive design guidelines are developed for the solid-state device and voltage clamping circuit (VCC) of the DC solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB), to ensure that its functional requirements can be met. Additionally, a novel VCC is proposed for the same to limit its fault interruption voltage for easier insulation design. Both SSCB and VCC prototypes are built and successfully demonstrated in a fault current breaking application. Overall, this dissertation provides a reference for the design and assessment of next generation power electronics converters and DC circuit breakers, to address, specifically, the challenges to their insulation systems.

Dans un contexte de forte compétitivité économique et de respect de l’environnement, de nombreuses actions sont entreprises chaque année dans le but d’améliorer la performance énergétique des bâtiments. En phase de conception, le recours à la simulation permet d’évaluer les différentes alternatives au regard de la performance énergétique et du confort des occupants et constitue ainsi un outil d’aide à la décision incontournable. Toutefois, il est courant d’observer des écarts entre les performances énergétiques réelles et celles prévues lors de la conception. Cette thèse porte sur l’amélioration du processus de conception de l’isolation dans le but de limiter les déviations des consommations réelles par rapport à celles prévues lors des simulations. Dans un premier temps, nous situons le contexte énergétique actuel puis nous présentons les différentes sources d’incertitudes qui affectent les résultats des simulations. Dans ce travail, nous nous intéressons particulièrement à la variabilité des propriétés thermophysiques des isolants, au caractère variable de la mise en œuvre et à l’impact du changement climatique. Des études expérimentales ont permis de quantifier l’incertitude associée à la performance des matériaux sains d’une part, et celle associée à des isolants défectueux d’autre part. Un couplage entre des techniques de thermographie infrarouge et des modèles éléments finis ont permis de proposer des modèles paramétriques permettant d’évaluer la performance effective d’un isolant défectueux, en fonction du type et de la taille du défaut dans l’isolant. Pour une bonne estimation à long terme de la performance de l’isolation, il est nécessaire d’intégrer les prévisions météorologiques. Ces dernières sont généralement estimées sur la base des données historiques de la région. Toutefois, il est encore difficile de prévoir avec exactitude l’évolution climatique car elle dépend de nombreux facteurs socio-économiques, démographiques et environnementaux. Dans ce travail, nous proposons de considérer les différents scénarios climatiques proposés par les climatologues et de prendre en compte leur variabilité de manière à vérifier la fiabilité de l’isolation. Enfin, nous proposons d’utiliser des approches probabilistes pour intégrer ces différents types d’incertitudes dans le processus de simulation. Pour optimiser le dimensionnement de l’isolation, nous proposons une méthodologie de conception basée sur la fiabilité. Un nouveau modèle de coût est également proposé dans le but d’améliorer l’aide à la décision, en considérant les pertes indirectes, jusqu’à présent négligées dans la conception. / In the context of growing world energy demand and environmental degradation, many actions are undertaken each year to improve the energy performance of buildings. During the design stage, the use of building energy simulations remains a valuable tool as it evaluates the possible options in terms of energy performance and comfort. However, as precision requirements increase, it becomes essential to assess the uncertainties associated with input data in simulation. This thesis focuses on the insulation design process under uncertainty, in order to limit gaps between real and predicted performance for better control of energy consumptions. This work firstly presents the current alarming energy context. We consider the main uncertainties that affect the insulation, mainly the variability of the thermophysical properties, the uncertainty on climate and the uncertainties due to workmanship defects. Experimental studies were carried out to evaluate the uncertainty associated to the intrinsic performance of healthy insulation materials on one hand, and those associated to defects in insulations on the other hand. A coupling between thermography techniques and finite element models was used to provide analytical models that assess the effective thermal performance of a defective insulation, according to the type and size of the defect. As the performance of insulation also depends on climate, it is necessary to integrate future weather data to evaluate the energy consumption. These weather data are generally estimated based on the historical climatic data of the region. However, it is still difficult to predict climate change as it depends on many uncontrollable factors. In this work, we consider the different climate scenarios proposed by climate expert groups, and the uncertainty associated to each scenario to evaluate the reliability of the insulation and to improve the decision making process. Finally, we propose a probabilistic approach to integrate uncertainties in simulation and an optimization methodology based on reliability. A new cost formulation is also proposed to improve the decision-making, through indirect losses related to comfort, pollution and living space losses.

The trend towards more and all-electric apparatuses and more electrification will lead to higher electrical demand. Increases in electrical power demand can be provided by either higher currents or higher voltages. Due to "weight" and "voltage" drop, a raise in the current is not preferred; so, "higher voltages" are being considered. Another trend is to reduce the size and weight of apparatuses. Combined, these two trends result in the high voltage, high power density concept. It is expected that by 2030, 80% of all electric power will flow through "power electronics systems". In regards to the high voltage, high power density concept described above, "wide bandgap (WBG) power modules" made from materials such as "SiC and GaN (and, soon, Ga2O3 and diamond)", which can endure "higher voltages" and "currents" rather than "Si-based modules", are considered to be the most promising solution to reducing the size and weight of "power conversion systems". In addition to the trend towards higher "blocking voltage", volume reduction has been targeted for WBG devices. The blocking voltage is the breakdown voltage capability of the device, and volume reduction translates into power density increase. This leads to extremely high electric field stress, E, of extremely nonuniform type within the module, leading to a higher possibility of "partial discharge (PD)" and, in turn, insulation degradation and, eventually, breakdown of the module. Unless the discussed high E issue is satisfactorily addressed and solved, realizing next-generation high power density WBG power modules that can properly operate will not be possible. Contributions and innovations of this Ph.D. work are as follows. i) Novel electric field grading techniques including (a) various geometrical techniques, (b) applying "nonlinear field-dependent conductivity (FDC) materials" to high E regions, and (c) combination of (a) and (b), are developed; ii) A criterion for the electric stress intensity based upon accurate dimensions of a power device package and its "PD measurement" is presented; iii) Guidelines for the electrical insulation design of next-generation high voltage (up to 30 kV), high power density "WBG power modules" as both the "one-minute insulation" and PD tests according to the standard IEC 61287-1 are introduced; iv) Influence of temperature up to 250°C and frequency up to 1 MHz on E distribution and electric field grading methods mentioned in i) is studied; and v) A coupled thermal and electrical (electrothermal) model is developed to obtain thermal distribution within the module precisely. All models and simulations are developed and carried out in COMSOL Multiphysics. / Doctor of Philosophy / In power engineering, power conversion term means converting electric energy from one form to another such as converting between AC and DC, changing the magnitude or frequency of AC or DC voltage or current, or some combination of these. The main components of a power electronic conversion system are power semiconductor devices acted as switches. A power module provides the physical containment and package for several power semiconductor devices. There is a trend towards the manufacturing of electrification apparatuses with higher power density, which means handling higher power per unit volume, leading to less weight and size of apparatuses for a given power. This is the case for power modules as well. Conventional "silicon (Si)-based semiconductor technology" cannot handle the power levels and switching frequencies required by "next-generation" utility applications. In this regard, "wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor materials", such as "silicon carbide (SiC)"," gallium nitride (GaN)", and, soon, "gallium oxide" and "diamond" are capable of higher switching frequencies and higher voltages, while providing for lower switching losses, better thermal conductivities, and the ability to withstand higher operating temperatures. Regarding the high power density concept mentioned above, the challenge here, now and in the future, is to design compact WBG-based modules. To this end, the extremely nonuniform high electric field stress within the power module caused by the aforementioned trend and emerging WBG semiconductor switches should be graded and mitigated to prevent partial discharges that can eventually lead to breakdown of the module. In this Ph.D. work, new electric field grading methods including various geometrical techniques combined with applying nonlinear field-dependent conductivity (FDC) materials to high field regions are introduced and developed through simulation results obtained from the models developed in this thesis.