Numerical Analysis of Distributed Inductive Parasitics in High Power Bus Bars

Abstract

In this paper, a practical methodology for extracting distributed electromagnetic parasitics and other related quantities for the analysis of bus bar structures in high power modules is presented. It is shown that in consequence of the use of fast switching semiconductor devices in high power applications only a full three-dimensional transient simulation of the entire module under realistic switching conditions can give the necessary insight in the time-dependent behaviour of the electric and magnetic fields in- and outside the interconnects. The usefullness of this methodology is demonstrated by an illustrative example of a bus bar encountered in an industrial application.