S7C-16

Keywords

Y2

deviceZ4

electricity

traffic system

E29

electrical machinery
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

SiC Applied Inverter Drive System for Railway CarsFeatures
First in industry to develop railway traction inverter that applies SiC*1 (silicon carbide) power semiconductor module
Power loss of power semiconductor module is reduced by approximately 30%*2
Cubic volume and installation area of inverter control unit has been reduced by approximately 40% compared toconventional models
Boosts performance of electric brakes and increases regenerative ratio*3 by 51%
High-frequency switching drive reduces higher harmonic wave loss of motor
Silicon Carbide: 1:1 compound of carbon and siliconCompared to power semiconductor made using Si (silicon)*3
Regenerative power ratio during deceleration with respect to power consumed during acceleration*1*2

Basic Concept or Summary
Developed 1700V/1200A 2-in-1 power semiconductor module using latest generation Si-IGBT and SiC-SBD*4 , andapplied to railway traction inverter used to drive railway cars.
Application of SiC-SBD to a flywheel diode reduces IGBT diode loss and diode recovery loss. Changing to highfrequency with inverter switching reduces higher harmonic wave loss of motors.
Large current characteristics of latest generation Si-IGBT and SiC-SBD are utilized, boosting regenerative brake
performance in high-speed range in combination with electric loading motors. This achieves a regenerative ratio of51% (design value).
*4

Schottky Barrier Diode: Diode using Schottky barrier in connection between semiconductor and metal

SiC Applied Main Circuit System for Railway Cars
World’s first* commercial operation (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line) achieves 38.6% reduction in power
consumption. Next generation railway propulsion and control system will change the future of railway
infrastructure.
* For commercial operation of railway cars. Source: Mitsubishi Electric as of September 2012.

SiC Power Module(1700V/1200A x 2 elements)

SiC Applied Inverter Unit for Railway Cars

High-Efficiency Totally-Enclosed
Induction MotorEffects or Remarks
Low-loss of inverters, reduced higher harmonic wave loss of motors and increase in regenerative brake performanceachieved 38.6%*5 reduction in power consumption compared to conventional inverter system.
This work was partially supported by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization)
project "Novel Semiconductor Power Electronics Project Realizing Low Carbon-emission Society".
*5

Average value actually measured on operating railway car

Installation in Practice or Schedule
DomesticMar.2013 Tokyo Metro Ginza Line 01 Series
Apr.2014 Odakyu Electric Railway 1000 Series
Jun.2015 Shinkansen Bullet Train N700 Series

Overseas

July 2014: Kiev, Ukraine, operation of updated train cars started
2016: USA, shipment of MNR M9 train cars began
2016: Taiwan, shipment of train cars for Taichung Subway began
2016: Singapore, shipment of train cars for Thomson Line began
2016: Boston, USA, shipment of train cars for MBTA began

Contact:

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Traffic Business Group
Tel: +81-3-3218-1293 Fax: +81-3-3218-2641
http://www.mitsubishielectric.co.jp/society/traffic/

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