Semikron IGBT module SKiiPX

The IGBT module SKiiPX is designed for extreme climatic conditions and allows condensation during operation. It meets the requirements specifically for wind turbines in a power range of 1-6 MW in a claimed outstanding way.

Under harsh climatic conditions, secondary damages caused by moisture rank among the most common causes of failure of power electronics modules. Therefore, a classification of a module for a higher pollution degree implies a significant increase in the lifetime of that module.

The internal construction of the SKiiPX is based on the SKiN-technology. The technology enables a doubling of the power density within the module. Consequently, the total volume of the inverter can be decreased by up to 50%, inverter costs may be reduced by up to 15%. SKiiPX allows, for the first time, the integration of a 3 MW wind inverter into a single cabinet. Due to the high integration level, the probability of an inverter failure - expressed by the failure-in-time (FIT) rate - is reduced by 30%.

The newly designed integrated liquid cooling system allows for a constant operating temperature of the coolant of up to 70°C. The hermetically sealed system requires less numbers of gaskets as compared to conventional systems, which is said to ensure higher reliability. As a result, the SKiiPX is claimed to be the most reliable module available to be operated under extreme climatic conditions.

The module is supplied as a fully tested subsystem (IPM) with integrated gate driver electronics, cooling and protection functions, thus reducing the design and integration effort for the complete system for the user.