A Comparative Evaluation of the Surge Current Robustness of Modern Power Transistors

Inverter surge current capability has become increasingly more important in today's grid infrastructure as synchronous generation is being replaced by inverter-based resources. Grid strength challenges such as limited voltage support and control instabilities have risen due to the surge current boundaries imposed by the thermal limitations of the conventional semiconductors used in inverters. The goal of this paper is to investigate and compare the surge current robustness of various discrete power transistor technologies, such that the capabilities of commercial inverters can be pushed further to facilitate a seamless transition to increased integration of renewable energy sources.