Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced that it will begin developing a prototype to demonstrate a junction-temperature estimation technology for power modules. The company is pursuing this technology as a partner in the European Union's Horizon Europe project, which aims to develop advanced power modules and improve the cost efficiency of renewable energy power generation.
The company is participating through its European subsidiary Mitsubishi Electric R&D Centre Europe B.V., which has joined the project, called Flagship Advanced Solutions for Condition and Health Monitoring in Power Electronics (FLAGCHIP).
reliability and maintenance
The need to upgrade the reliability and maintenance of electronic devices for power conversion has become increasingly important in the global effort to expand the introduction of renewable energy to support carbon neutrality.
Attention is being focused on technological innovations that aim to strengthen power module reliability and improve data acquisition and analysis methods. These innovations aim to accurately determine degradation conditions and facilitate more timely maintenance.
cost efficiency
Wind-power and solar-power generation systems will be demonstrated using these technologies
The FLAGCHIP project currently involves 11 companies and academic institutions from nine European countries engaged in developing advanced power modules, condition and health monitoring technologies, and devising methods for calculating the cost efficiency of renewable-energy power-generation systems and reducing associated costs.
Wind-power and solar-power generation systems will be demonstrated using these technologies and methods at test facilities owned by project partners in Norway and France.
estimating module degradation
Mitsubishi Electric will be in charge of demonstrating a technology that estimates the junction temperature of silicon carbide metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (SiC-MOSFET) semiconductor chips inside the power module, which will provide necessary data for accurately estimating module degradation.
Starting in October 2026, the demonstration will use the newly developed prototype at a test facility in France where direct current (DC) voltage is converted to a specific DC voltage for a wind-power generation system.
