Development of technologies for design of integrated power electronic converters

The principal objective of the project is to develop know-how for design of future-oriented compact power eleetronie converters, by exploiting advanccs within essential key technologies like power electronics, material technology, cooling technology and d esign methodology. The developed know-how is to be used to demonstrate a minimum of 25 % total cost saving potential of investment and operational cost related to medium and high power electronic converters (10kW to 15MW). Research tasks will be related to design of heat sinks, liquid cooling systems, material studies, joining methods, integrated bus-bars, compacting methods and design methodology and system integration. The market for medium and high power electronic converters is growing and is now a lso entering power production and distribution (including distributed production, renewable energy sources). New technology for converter design and production wiIl give competitive products for this growing marked. Experience from past have shown that th e Norwegian industry is capable producing competitive power electronic based products for the world marked. An interesting future aspect is that competence on power electronic converter design can be expected to be important in the development of new prod ucts in other industries (e.g. new products for offshore applications).