The first 650V three-phase GaN IPM enhances motor drives with over 99% efficiency, reducing size and cost for appliances and HVAC systems.
Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced the industry’s first 650V three-phase GaN Integrated Power Module (IPM) for 250W motor drive applications. This IPM, DRV7308, addresses challenges engineers face in designing major home appliances and HVAC systems. It achieves more than 99% inverter efficiency, improves acoustic performance, and reduces the solution size and system costs.
The company claims that the IPM increases inverter efficiency above 99% for appliances and HVAC systems using gallium nitride (GaN) technology. The DRV7308 enables enhancements in system efficiency and reliability. It meets global efficiency standards like SEER, MEPS, Energy Star, and Top Runner by using GaN technology to offer over 99% efficiency and improve thermal performance, reducing power losses by 50%. The module also features low dead time and propagation delay, both under 200ns, allowing for higher PWM switching frequencies, which reduce audible noise and system vibration. These features, along with the increased power efficiency and integrated components of the IPM, also reduce motor heating, enhancing system reliability and extending its lifespan.
The module’s integration and power density make it the smallest IPM in its class. It is suitable for 150W to 250W motor-drive applications with a compact 12mm-by-12mm footprint. Its efficiency negates the need for external heatsinks, potentially reducing the size of the motor drive inverter PCB by up to 55% compared to other IPM solutions. Integrating a current sense amplifier, protective features, and an inverter stage diminishes the solution’s size and cost.
“Designers of high-voltage home appliances and HVAC systems are striving to meet higher energy-efficiency standards to support environmental sustainability goals worldwide,” said Nicole Navinsky, Motor Drives business unit manager at TI. “They are also addressing consumer demand for reliable, quiet and compact systems. With TI’s new GaN IPM, engineers can design motor driver systems that deliver these expectations and operate at peak efficiency.”
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