Design of an inverter for flywheel energy storage systems in space applications
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- Flywheel Energy Storage Systems are a promising alternative to chemical batteries for low Earth orbit satellites, offering higher efficiency, longer lifetime, and tolerance to deep discharges. This master’s thesis addresses the design and experimental validation of the inverter at the heart of such a system, with a focus on the trade-offs between semiconductor technology, switching frequency, bus voltage, and modulation strategy under the constraints defined by the European Cooperation for Space Standardization. A datasheet-based analytical loss model is developed for a single inverter leg and applied to ten candidate switches spanning Si, SiC, and GaN technologies. The IGOT65R025D2 GaN High-Electron-Mobility Transistor from Infineon is selected for its performance, radiation tolerance, and space qualification and is analyzed in greater depth. The full inverter design is carried out, encompassing the gate driver, input filter, thermal budget, and LTspice simulations. A single-leg prototype on a four-layer PCB confirms the simulation results: measured switching waveforms and power losses are in good agreement with the model, validating it as a reliable basis for scaling to a complete three-phase inverter.