Applications
Transportation: Automotive and Rail
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The properties of Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices are perfect for next generation electric cars and trains. This is the largest market potential for SiC devices. The use of high voltage electronics is a necessity in future automobiles as the use of electric drives lessens our dependency on fossil fuels. SiC devices will be used in all applications in these vehicles and this market alone will grow to over $400M in the coming years.
Specific automotive application examples are in the Boost Converters for AC motors used to propel the vehicle. In the Boost Converter, SiC can improve the efficiency, reduce the size of passive components, and reduce weight by up to 50%.
Using SiC in the DC-AC Inverter application allows the manufacturer to eliminate the secondary cooling systems needed when using other non-SiC components. This reduces a significant amount of cost, additional weight, and space in the vehicle.
The electrical requirements for trains are a great fit for SiC devices. The performance of SiC at high voltage is well suited to improve the electronic systems for rail transportation.
