A Smart Low-Cost Power Generator for Upcoming Isolation Material Stress Tests

Abstract

The paper presents a low-cost power generator concept for application in isolation material stress tests. The concept is based on a resonant topology which is designed to generate testing voltages up to 8kVpp in a frequency range up to 1MHz. The generator circuitry is centered on a simple self-resonating low-voltage half-bridge Si-MOSFET/GaN-FET stage, avoiding any high-voltage power electronics or power supply. The system therefore would optimally be suited for isolation material lifetime analyses running many tests in parallel. The paper presents the generator dimensioning, prototype design and manufacturing as well as initial application testings of isolation material samples. Furthermore, enhancement of the maximum operating frequency by transition from Si-MOSFETs to GaN devices is demonstrated.