Wide-bandgap technologies are not the only key to enhancing power electronics efficiencies in space. “Wide-bandgap devices have three electron volts, and it has to do with how well-defined the transition is from conduction to non-conduction.” Wide-bandgap technologies have to do with voltage, Meade explains. Although GaN and SiC technologies still are relatively new, “I do see a lot of interest in the space community to get away from standard silicon and take advantage of these wide-bandgap devices,” Meade says. “The challenge is how much you can extract from that environment.”Ĭrucial to achieving the kinds of power efficiencies necessary for new generations of space-based energy harvesting are wide-bandgap technologies like gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor technologies. These have the potential for energy harvesting,” Meade says. “In space, even more exciting, is the prospect of extracting the energy from antennas through RF, and from electromagnetic fields like the Earth’s polar spheres. The benefit is you can achieve better power density because you can switch the device more quickly and keep it regulated at the target voltage. Wide-bandgap devices like GaN have smaller gate capacitance and lower gate charge than silicon, Meade explains. On Earth, harvesting power from wind power and the kinetic motion of moving waves are obvious applications for energy harvesting, but in space the challenge is more tricky. Solar arrays and photovoltaics are examples. To get there we need to be increasing power density, increasing efficiency, getting smart power, and energy harvesting.” Energy harvestingĮnergy harvesting refers to extracting electrical energy from the environment. “Size, weight, power, and cost: all those attributes are critical for satellites and this small-sats revolution. “Wide-bandgap technology is a fundamental enabler to achieving that,” explains Tim Meade, staff applications engineer at Cobham Semiconductor.
The switch only turns on or off at zero current to produce nearly a lossless switch.”Ĭobham Semiconductor Solutions in Colorado Springs, Colo., specializes in power products for manned space and satellite applications - an environment where power efficiency is a crucial consideration. Still, switching is something that can cause noise and loss, and we focused on zero voltage and current switching to ensure there is zero current going through the device.
“Originally with our brick products, we took advantage of a frequency modulation technique using a switching element - a MOSFET - that chops current. This is different from the company’s older power brick designs. That translates into much smaller size and weight than our competitors.” “We can switch our converters at a much higher frequency, and it enables us to reduce the size of our magnetic components. “What Vicor does differently is our switching topology,” Sturm says. Milpower Source is producing power electronics packaged in the VPX form factor to enhance design flexibility and help bring down costs.
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