Electric and magnetic emission in near field region and thermal behaviour of power module for photovoltaic application

Abstract

The new power module, characterized by high power density, miniaturization of packages and layout and high frequency switching, are increasingly used in the field of in automotive, aircraft industry and for Distributed Generation (DG) connected to smart grid. To guarantee the reliability and safety of these systems, the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and thermal behavior, have to be carefully considered for these appliances. This paper describes a measurement methodology to characterize the electromagnetic emissions in near field zone produced by a PM prototype and its thermal behavior. In particular, the electric and magnetic fields, in the near field region in the frequency range 9kHz-3GHz is evaluated and an analysis of the temperature values achieved by the module during its operation in different load conditions is presented. The proposed methodology involve the evaluation of the PM electromagnetic and thermal emissions in standalone configuration, i.e. without its control and supply boards, because the aim is to characterize behavior of only the PM and to identify the EMI source and thermal hot-spots inside the power section.