New Industry Products

EMC Filters from SMP for Modern SiC and GaN Applications

April 28, 2019 by Paul Shepard

SMP Sintermetalle Prometheus GmbH & Co KG (SMP) presents All Mode EMC filters at PCIM 2019 in Nuremberg, Germany, from 7 to 9 May 2019: Hall 6 Stand 306. The All Mode filters have a high frequency stability. The materials developed by SMP specifically for these filters are effective for frequencies up to the gigaHertz range.

The All Mode design simultaneously damps both differential mode and common mode noise. The High Frequency Composite Materials (HFCM) from SMP satisfy all of the requirements of modern SiC and GaN applications. By combining HFCM and All Mode technologies it is possible to reduce the filter components required in a system by about 50 percent, so for example no additional common mode chokes or filters are needed.

EMC filters reduce interference currents and voltage spikes in power converter systems which are generated by parasitic effects and cyclic elements of the system. The material plays an important part in this, as SMP's Managing Director Johannes Gemenetzis, an engineer with a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, explains: "The target is to achieve a stable inductance at the working point over the entire frequency spectrum in order to maximize the interference suppression. Compared to the standard technologies which use materials such as ferrite, electrical steel sheets and nanocrystalline ribbon, the All Mode EMC filters are up to 40 percent lighter and reduce interference levels by as much as 40 dB[µV]."

Because they are made from magnetostriction-free materials, the All Mode filters are noiseless. "Due to the stability of their inductance, we realize our EMC filters with a smaller inductance, whereby a high dynamic of the system is achieved. The voltage spikes which occur periodically with the switching frequency of the inverter are immensely reduced. So the life-time of the electric motors is much longer. The efficiency of the entire system is further improved due to very low losses of the materials.

"Moreover, fewer filter components are needed, so volume is reduced and the cost effectiveness of the power electronic system as a whole is increased substantially. The fast switching SiC and GaN semiconductors place high demands on the magnetic materials. Decisions are based on materials! With the development and production of our own materials, we have solutions for every application," added Gemenetzis.

The family-owned company with headquarters in Graben-Neudorf in Germany specialises in the development and manufacture of filter systems, inductive components and magnetically soft moulded parts. The portfolio of components produced by the company is designed to handle currents up to 2000A, for special applications up to 3000A, and frequencies up to the gigaHertz range. The materials have high saturation induction of up to 2 Tesla.

The components are produced with dimensions from 19mm to 300mm and weights from 0.05kg to 130kg. The filter systems and inductive components are used in power electronics, automation and drive technology applications for industries such as electromobility, railway and marine engineering, medical technology, aerospace and renewable as well as conventional power generation.