DOE OSTI · 3377387
A Vertical GaN-Based Neutral-Pointless Three-Level Inverter for High-Performance Automotive Traction Applications
Abstract
Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs have emerged as a dominant solution for electric vehicle traction inverters because of their superior power density and efficiency compared to Silicon (Si) counterparts. However, SiC devices possess inherent switching speed limitations that constrain the maximum switching frequency and hinder further power density and efficiency improvements. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a vertical Gallium Nitride (vGaN) based X-type Neutral-Pointless (NPL.X) three-level (3L) inverter for an 800V, 200 kW traction system. Integrating 700V vGaN technology within the NPL.X 3L topology enables improved drive efficiency and higher switching frequencies, resulting in enhanced power density and output power quality. To evaluate the performance benefits, this work conducts a comprehensive loss characterization of the vGaNbased NPL.X topology, providing a direct comparison with a SiCbased two level (2L) inverter. The results show that the proposed vGaN-based inverter achieves superior efficiency, particularly within the low-torque regions that dominate standard automotive drive cycles. The proposed vGaN-based inverter represents a critical advancement toward high-power-density and high efficiency traction drives
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Halawa, Ali [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)], Osman, Ilham [General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)], Thushar Imran, Mohammed [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)], Matt Lee, Woongkul [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)], Alam, Khorshed [General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)], Amorim Torres, Renato [General Motors R&D, Warren, MI (United States)], Luo, Thomas [General Motors R&D, Warren, MI (United States)], Ngu, Benjamin [General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)], Simms, Audrey [General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)], Duhon, Thomas [General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)], Chowdhury, Mazharul [General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)], Momen, Faizul [General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)], Mehta, Ajay [General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)], Reinhart, Timothy [General Motors LLC, Detroit, MI (United States)], Namuduri, Chandra [General Motors R&D, Warren, MI (United States)], Prasad, Rashmi [General Motors R&D, Warren, MI (United States)], Gopalakrishnan, Suresh [General Motors R&D, Warren, MI (United States)], Pidaparthi, Subhash [Onsemi, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA], Lind, Anders [Onsemi, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA], Edwards, Andrew [Onsemi, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA]. 2026-11-12. A Vertical GaN-Based Neutral-Pointless Three-Level Inverter for High-Performance Automotive Traction Applications. https://doi.org/10.2172/3377387
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