Identification number: 101172940
Type: Horizon Europe
Project duration: 01.10.2024. – 31.09.2028.
Project manager: Dr. Xavier Perpiñá, CNM-IMB-CSIC
Partners: Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas CSIC, Power Electronics España, Swansea University, The University Of Warwick, Clas-SiC Wafer Fab Limited, Universite De Technologie De Tarbes, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique CNRS, Institute of Solid State Physics University of Latvia, Politecnico Di Milano
Responsible person from ISSP, UL: Dr. Edgars Butanovs
Total funding: 4 332 803 EUR
Project description:
Electrification coupled with renewable electricity supply is a key pathway to achieve a deep decarbonization of our society and contribute to an energy transition in a sustainable way. The electric energy demand based on distributed renewable sources is going to be even more important and a more efficient, secure, flexible and affordable energy distribution should be envisaged for the next future. If these requirements are not met, the replacement of well-established solutions based on fossil fuels will be unfeasible. Consequently, apart from the evident environmental impacts, collateral effects could occur, such as great blackouts at national and continental level. In this scenario, SAFEPOWER first explores and investigates on essential digital, enabling, and emerging technologies to achieve a new generation of power converters for solar applications: i) capable of anticipating failures to prevent downtime using effective Condition and Health Monitoring (C&HM) solutions assisted by AI strategies, ii) based on more compactlypackaged, efficient, rugged and affordable Silicon Carbide (SiC) power MOSFETs, diodes and solid-state DC breakers with a more sustainable manufacturing, and iii) prospecting on Ga2O3-based emerging power devices (MESFETs, diodes and solid-state DC breakers) especially designed for this application. Leveraging these technologies, SAFEPOWER studies and proposes new converter topologies and control schemes to enhance their compactness, sustainability, competitiveness, and security. Additionally, these technologies streamline cost-effective maintenance through AI-assisted intervention plans and AI-enabled "limp mode" operation with derating strategies, which can be extended to offshore wind energy conversion. Therefore, the adoption of SAFEPOWER's technological solutions in the EU solar sector not only will establish a competitive advantage against non-EU power converter manufacturers, but also will enable their initial deployment within the EU.
Tasks at ISSP UL:
- Metal-organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) epitaxial growth of n-type Si-doped Ga2O3 thin films
- Magnetron sputtering deposition of p-type NiO thin films
- Development of novel materials, e.g. conducting oxides, for interface/barrier layers and Schottky contacts for extending Ga2O3 figures-of-merit