Hitachi Review Vol. 66 (2017), No.

2 155

Featured Articles III

Development of Rolling Stock Inverters Using SiC

Katsumi Ishikawa, Dr. Eng. OVERVIEW: Railway systems have a smaller impact on the environment than
Kiyoshi Terasawa other means of transportation such as automobiles and airplanes. Thanks
Toshifumi Sakai to advances in induction motors and power devices (a core technology
for power electronics), the performance, efficiency, miniaturization, and
Shinji Sugimoto
reliability of rolling stock traction systems have been enhanced. Hitachi, Ltd.
Takayoshi Nishino has developed energy-efficient traction drive systems and traction systems
through the use of compact inverters that use low-loss power devices based
on a new material, SiC, as well as induction motors designed for lower
harmonic losses, the development of PWM control techniques, and improved
running profiles. Hitachi is taking advantage of these developments to meet
the demand from railway operators for energy efficiency, while continuing
to promote global expansion, and to supply railway systems that excel in
safety, comfort, and environmental performance.

This article reports on miniaturization and energy-

INTRODUCTION
efficient technologies that address these challenges.
RISING international awareness of the environment in
recent years has increased demand for improvements
in energy efficiency, including reducing carbon dioxide COMPACT INVERTER SYSTEM THAT USES
(CO2) emissions to prevent global warming and using SiC POWER DEVICES
electric vehicles to minimize atmospheric pollution Changes in Power Devices and Features of
caused by the exhaust emissions of internal combustion SiC Devices
engines. The role of railways, which are significantly Rolling stock traction systems have been made smaller
more efficient than other forms of transportation such by advances in power devices, high-density mounting,
as automobiles and airplanes, is becoming more and better cooling performance, and smaller peripheral
more important in achieving these goals(1). components. Gate turn-off (GTO) inverters using Si-
The performance, efficiency, miniaturization, based 4.5-kV GTO thyristors first appeared in power
and reliability of rolling stock traction systems have devices in the mid-1980s, and with the subsequent
been enhanced by advances in power devices (a core development of high-voltage insulated-gate bipolar
technology for power electronics) and by the use of transistors (IGBTs) exceeding 2 kV, Hitachi led the
higher-efficiency induction motors. The use of low- world by commercializing the first inverter using
loss power devices is important for making inverters IGBTs for the Hibiya Line of what is today Tokyo
and other traction systems smaller, and this has led Metro Co., Ltd.)(2).
to greater use of low-loss power devices that use a High-voltage IGBT modules are now commercially
new material, silicon carbide (SiC), instead of power available in 3.3-kV, 4.5-kV, and 6.5-kV models(3).
devices based on silicon (Si). Advances have also been made in recent years in the
Expanding the area outputting regeneration torque development of low-loss power devices that use a new
in induction motors, designing motors that reduce material, SiC. SiC has a higher breakdown electric
harmonic losses, and using pulse width modulation field strength than Si, so diodes can be reduced to only
(PWM) also play important roles in making traction one tenth the thickness of Si diodes. As a result, in
systems more efficient. Improvements in running theory, the resistance of diodes during conduction can
profiles are also needed. be made more than two orders of magnitude smaller.

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156 Development of Rolling Stock Inverters Using SiC

TABLE 1. Measures for Reducing Inverter Volume

Together with the adoption of SiC-SBDs and the use
The inverter is made smaller by reducing the size of the SiC
modules and cooling system, and by reducing the number of
of active-gate control technologies to reduce switching
internal components. losses, improvements in IGBT performance have also
Challenge Development details
reduced inverter losses by 35% (see Fig. 1)(7), (8).
Simplification and Developed 3.3-kV SiC diode to enable two- By reducing their losses, the SiC modules have been
miniaturization of level main circuit with a 1,500-V catenary made smaller. Fig. 2 shows a comparison between a
circuit design voltage
SiC module and a conventional 3.3-kV/1,200-A IGBT
Used SiC-SBDs to reduce switching losses
Lower IGBT
Adopted active-gate control technologies
module. The mounting footprint was reduced to about
module losses
Reduced IGBT losses two-thirds, with the same output density.
Used cooling design that minimizes difference Hitachi has also developed a cooling method that
Improved cooling
efficiency
between upstream and downstream air improves the cooling efficiency of power devices, and
temperatures
Fewer internal
reduced the number of internal components to make its
Reduced the number of peripheral components
components inverters 40% smaller and lighter (see Fig. 3).
SiC: silicon carbide IGBT: insulated-gate bipolar transistor
SBD: Schottky barrier diode
DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH EFFICIENCY
DRIVE SYSTEM
This helps make power devices smaller and has the
potential to enable smaller inverters with simpler High Efficiency Drive System
cooling systems. To provide high efficiency drive systems, Hitachi
has reduced the energy consumption rate for railway
Compact SiC Inverter vehicles by expanding the area outputting regeneration
Hitachi led the world in developing a SiC Schottky torque to minimize use of the pneumatic brakes.
barrier diode (SBD) for railway applications(4)–(6).
Roughly 90% of the electrified sections of track in
Japan operate with a catenary voltage of 1.5 kV, and
this voltage is also common globally. With a catenary
voltage of 1.5 kV, a two-level main circuit design
140 mm

140 mm
2
Approx.
can be achieved using 3.3-kV devices, resulting in a 3

simpler configuration of the main circuit because only

190 mm 130 mm
two devices are required per phase (compared to six
for a three-level design).
Fig. 2—Exterior of IGBT and SiC Modules.
Table 1 shows ways of reducing the volume of an The mounting footprint is reduced to about two-thirds, with the
inverter. same output density.

1.0
Recovery loss
Turn on loss −35%
Turn off loss
Inverter losses (a.u.)

Exterior of IGBT inverter

(conventional model)
0.5
Weight: –40%
Conduction loss Volume: –40%

0
IGBT module SiC module

Exterior of SiC inverter (new model)

a.u.: arbitrary unit

Fig. 1—Comparison of Total Losses for IGBT and SiC Modules. Fig. 3—Exterior of Conventional IGBT Inverter and New SiC
The adoption of SiC diodes, improvements in IGBT performance, Inverter.
and the adoption of active-gate control technologies reduces The new inverter is 40% smaller in terms of both weight and
losses by 35%. volume.

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 Hitachi Review Vol. 66 (2017), No. 2 157

Power consumption
Traction power supply losses Mechanical losses Regeneration energy

Gear losses

Pneumatic
INV losses
FL losses

brake
Conventional MM losses Rolling resistance Regenerative electric power
model Fig. 4—Power Consumption
Reduction Strategies (Energy
New model Consumption Rate for Railway
Vehicles).
Power consumption Regeneration energy
A high efficiency drive system
Harmonic and other induction motor losses are Wider area outputting regeneration has been achieved by using an
reduced by combined effects of optimizing induction torque minimizes use of pneumatic induction motor with reduced
motor design and PWM control. brake.
harmonic losses, PWM control
techniques, and a wider area
MM: main motor INV: inverter FL: filter reactor PWM: pulse width modulation
outputting regeneration torque.

Hitachi has also focused on the high harmonic losses Hitachi has also investigated ways of reducing
of induction motors to reduce power consumption harmonic losses by using two-dimensional
by optimizing the induction motor design and PWM electromagnetic field analysis to optimize the stator
control techniques (see Fig. 4). teeth magnetic flux density, air gap, and rotor slit
height, succeeding in reducing harmonic losses by
Reduction of Induction Motor Losses about 50% compared to past fully-enclosed induction
Induction motor losses are typically classified as motors(9) (see Fig. 5).
primary copper loss, iron loss, mechanical losses, and The next step was to reduce harmonic losses
stray load losses including harmonic losses. Primary by optimizing PWM. Fig. 6 (a) and (b) show the
copper loss and iron loss occur as the results of the relationships between output voltage and the inverter
fundamental (sine wave) component of the waveform. output fundamental wave frequency and PWM carrier
Mechanical loss occurs due to mechanical factors frequency used for PWM control. The motor switches
when the induction motor rotates. Harmonic losses between three different newly developed PWM control
include both losses due to the structure of the induction techniques depending on the speed.
motor, and losses due to distortion of the PWM voltage The harmonic losses of the induction motor have
waveform when driving the inverter. been reduced in the low and medium speed ranges
Although past induction motors have adopted open where past practice was to use a combination of
designs to bring in cooling air from the outside, the use asynchronous and synchronous PWM by expanding the
of a fully-enclosed design saves maintenance because control range for asynchronous PWM while inhibiting
it prevents dust from getting into the motor. Primary low-order harmonics through optimization of the
copper loss has also been reduced by optimizing the carrier frequency and performing PWM control based
stator and rotor designs. on the line voltage control type. Current harmonics
have been reduced by using low-distortion synchronous
PWM control to inhibit the low-order harmonics
(fifth and seventh) in the upper end of the medium
1.2
Mechanical losses
speed range. In the high-speed range, meanwhile,
1.0
Stray load losses
switching from the conventional synchronous single-
0.8
0.6
(including pulse traction system to the synchronous triple-pulse
harmonic losses)
0.4
traction system with reduced low-order harmonics
Iron loss
0.2 reduces the harmonic losses of the induction motor
Primary copper loss
0.0
Conventional model New model
while maintaining the same voltage utilization as the
synchronous single-pulse traction system.
Fig. 5—Comparison of Losses for Conventional and New Fully-
In motor trials, induction motor losses were
enclosed Induction Motors. reduced by 3.6% when using asynchronous PWM with
The harmonic losses in the new motor are roughly 50% less line-to-line voltage modulation, 8.4% when using low-
than the conventional motor. distortion synchronous PWM in the medium speed

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158 Development of Rolling Stock Inverters Using SiC

Asynchronous Synchronous Synchronous

PWM PWM single pulse 100 96.4 100 100
100

Induction motor losses (%)

91.6 88.9
Carrier frequency (Hz)

80

Output voltage (V)

60
Carrier frequency 40
Output voltage 20

0
Fundamental inverter output frequency (Hz) Conventional (gray) vs Conventional (gray) vs Conventional (gray) vs
energy-effcient (green) energy-effcient (green) energy-effcient (green)
Low speed Medium speed High speed (low speed) (medium speed) (high speed)

Asynchronous Synchronous Single pulse

(a) Running profile using conventional PWM control technique Fig. 7—Reduction in Induction Motor Losses Observed in
Line-to-line Motor Trials.
voltage modulation Low-distortion The new PWM control technique reduced harmonic losses at
with asynchronous synchronous Synchronous
PWM PWM triple pulse low, medium, and high speeds.
Carrier frequency (Hz)

Output voltage (V)

Carrier frequency 3 14.8% improvement

Conventional system

railway vehicle kWh/(km∙C)

Output voltage Energy consumption rate for 2.5 Developed system
2
37.1% improvement
13.6% improvement
Fundamental inverter output frequency (Hz) 1.5
Low to medium speed High speed 1

Asynchronous Synchronous Triple pulse 0.5

(b) Running profile using new energy-efficient PWM control technique 0

Traction energy Regenerative energy Energy
consumption rate consumption rate consumption rate

Fig. 6—Conventional PWM Control and Proposed Energy-

efficient PWM Control. Fig. 8—Verification of Energy Efficiency on Suburban and
The new inverter reduces harmonic losses by switching between Commuter Services.
three different PWM control techniques depending on the speed. The energy consumption rate for a railway vehicle was
approximately 40% lower than the conventional system.

range, and 11.1% when using synchronous triple-pulse

traction, which is optimal for the high-speed range(10) Less unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration (saving energy)
(see Fig. 7).
Train speed

Reduction in Losses by Using

More unnecessary acceleration
Energy-efficient Equipment and deceleration
The energy consumption rate for a railway vehicle
achieved by using SiC modules, induction motors Departure station Train location Destination station
with lower harmonic losses, and PWM control, and by
expanding the area outputting regeneration torque, was Fig. 9—Energy-efficient Running Profiles.
37.1% lower relative to conventional systems when The operation of the train between stations (time spent powering,
tested on existing rolling stock operating on suburban cruising, coasting, and braking) is determined in a way that
and commuter lines(11) (see Fig. 8). reduces energy consumption while still arriving on time.

IMPROVEMENTS IN RUNNING PROFILES an algorithm for obtaining running profiles with low
The energy consumed to achieve the arrival time energy consumption so as to achieve energy-efficient
specified in a traffic plan can vary depending on operation control(12), (13).
the running profile of the train between stations, In sections of track where the typical sequence
meaning the amount of time spent powering, cruising, involves powering, cruising, coasting, and then
coasting, and braking (see Fig. 9). Hitachi developed braking, energy consumption is reduced by lengthening

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 Hitachi Review Vol. 66 (2017), No. 2 159

REFERENCES
Sequential selection of solutions (1) Foundation for Promoting Personal Mobility and Ecological
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Search direction
(2007) in Japanese.
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constraint
(2) E. Toyota et al., “The Development of a IGBT-based 3-Level
High
Inverter,” Proceedings of 30th Symposium of Congress of
Japan Railway Cybernetics, pp. 355–359, Congress of Japan
Running
energy

Railway Cybernetics (Nov. 1993) in Japanese.

Short
Energy efficiency (3) IGBT, Hitachi Power Semiconductor Device, Ltd. http://

ng ng
Low
www.hitachi-power-semiconductor-device.co.jp/en/product/

le asti
th
Co
High
Maximum Low Long igbt/index.html
speed
(4) Hitachi News Release, “Developing Power Module with
3-kV SiC Diodes,” (Apr. 2009), http://www.hitachi.co.jp/
Fig. 10—Algorithm Developed by Hitachi to Search for Energy- New/cnews/month/2009/04/0421b.pdf in Japanese.
efficient Running Profiles. (5) K. Ishikawa et al., “Rolling Stock Inverter Using SiC
The algorithm obtains a running profile that uses less energy Diodes,” Proceedings of 46th Symposium of Congress of
while still arriving on time by progressively decreasing the Japan Railway Cybernetics, 506, Congress of Japan Railway
maximum speed and lengthening the time spent coasting. Cybernetics (Nov. 2009) in Japanese.
(6) K. Ishikawa et al., “Traction Inverter that Applies Hybrid
Module Using 3kV SiC-SBDs and High-speed Drive Circuit,”
IEEJ Transactions on Industry Applications, 135, No. 5,
the travel time (reducing the maximum speed and pp. 531–538 (May 2015) in Japanese.
spending more time coasting). The developed (7) K. Ishikawa et al., “Traction Inverter that Applies Compact
algorithm takes advantage of this, starting with a 3.3 kV / 1200 A SiC Hybrid Module,” 2014 International
top-speed running profile for the section of track and Power Electronics Conference (IPEC-Hiroshima 2014-ECCE-
then progressively reducing the maximum speed and ASIA), pp. 2140–2144 (2014).
lengthening the coasting time by small increments to (8) Nikkei Electronics, “Making Railway Inverters Smaller
and Lighter with 3.3-kV SiC Diodes,” NE Selection Power
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Semiconductors No. 5, July 22, 2013, pp. 70–74 (Jul. 2013)
arrives on time (see Fig. 10). The search process of in Japanese.
the developed algorithm also includes a way to update (9) S. Sugimoto et al., “Study on Decreasing Time and Space
a running profile so that gravitational energy can be Harmonic Losses of Induction Motor,” IEEJ Transactions on
used to accelerate the train (when traveling down a Industry Applications, 135, No. 10, pp. 993–998 (Oct. 2015)
gradient). This feature means that using the running in Japanese.
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energy-efficient operation control according to the PWM Control,” Proceedings of 50th Symposium of Congress
of Japan Railway Cybernetics, 502, Congress of Japan
topography of each railway line.
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(11) Y. Okahara et al., “Traction Main Circuit System for Keio
CONCLUSIONS Corporation Updated Series 8000 Trains: 2-level Snubberless
VVVF Inverter for SiC Hybrid Modules,” Proceedings of
Hitachi has developed compact energy-efficient 52nd Symposium of Congress of Japan Railway Cybernetics,
traction drive systems by adopting individual advanced 505, Congress of Japan Railway Cybernetics (Nov. 2015) in
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efficient induction motors, and combining these with (12) S. Murata et al., “Method to Calculate Energy-saving Running
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operators for energy efficiency, while continuing IEEJ Annual Meeting (Mar. 2016) in Japanese.
to promote global expansion, and to supply
railway systems that excel in safety, comfort, and
environmental performance.

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160 Development of Rolling Stock Inverters Using SiC

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Katsumi Ishikawa, Dr. Eng. Kiyoshi Terasawa

Process Designing Department, Mito Rail Systems Rolling Stock Electrical Systems Design Department,
Product Division, Railway Systems Business Mito Rail Systems Product Division, Railway Systems
Unit, Hitachi, Ltd. He is currently engaged in the Business Unit, Hitachi, Ltd. He is currently engaged
coordination of the development of power converters in the coordination of the development and design of
for railway vehicles. Dr. Ishikawa is a senior member power converters for railway vehicles. Mr. Terasawa is
of the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ). a member of the IEEJ.

Toshifumi Sakai Shinji Sugimoto

Process Designing Department, Mito Rail Systems Motor Systems Research Department, Center for
Product Division, Railway Systems Business Technology Innovation – Controls, Research &
Unit, Hitachi, Ltd. He is currently engaged in Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd. He is currently
the development of the control systems of power engaged in the research and development of main
converters for railway vehicles. Mr. Sakai is a member electric motors for railway vehicles. Mr. Sugimoto is a
of the IEEJ. member of the IEEJ.

Takayoshi Nishino
Transportation Systems Research Department, Center
for Technology Innovation – Mechanical Engineering,
Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd. He is
currently engaged in the research of safe and energy-
efficient railway systems. Mr. Nishino is a member of
the Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ).

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