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Railroads

Breakthrough in Nanocrystal Research: High-Efficiency Converter for Railway Battery Charging

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Scientists at Istanbul Technical University have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of nanocrystals, designing a high-efficiency converter for NiCd battery charging applications in railway systems. The converter utilizes silicon carbide (SiC) devices and nanocrystalline-cored center-tapped transformers to achieve significant efficiency improvements and a wide adjustable output voltage range. The research, led by Fatih Enes Gocen, has been published in the journal Energies and demonstrates a maximum efficiency of 97% and a high power density of 2.23 kW/L.

Key Takeaways:

  • The researchers designed a high-efficiency, full silicon carbide (SiC)-based center-tapped phase-shifted full-bridge (PSFB) converter for NiCd battery charging applications in railway systems.
  • The converter utilizes SiC MOSFET modules on the primary side and SiC diodes on the secondary side, resulting in significant efficiency improvements due to superior switching characteristics and high-temperature tolerance.
  • The nanocrystalline-cored center-tapped transformer is optimized to minimize voltage stress on the rectifier diodes and provides high saturation flux density, low core loss, and excellent permeability at high frequencies.
  • The converter achieves a maximum efficiency of 97% and demonstrates a high power density of 2.23 kW/L, validating the effectiveness of the proposed design for railway battery charging applications.
  • The research team includes Fatih Enes Gocen, Salih Baris Ozturk, Mehmet Hakan Aksit, Gurkan Dugan, Benay Cakmak, and Caner Demir.
  • The study highlights the potential of nanocrystalline-cored magnetics in improving the efficiency of DC-DC converters in various applications.

Statistics:

  • 97%: Maximum efficiency of the devised converter
  • 2.23 kW/L: High power density demonstrated by the converter
  • 10 kW: Power rating of the prototype converter
  • 50 kHz: Operating frequency of the converter
  • 700-750 V: Input voltage range of the converter
  • 77-138 V: Output voltage range of the converter

Sources:

  • Energies, 2025, 18(15): 3945. (Energies - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/energies)
  • NewsRx, LLC. Researchers from Istanbul Technical University Publish Findings in Nanocrystals (Design and Implementation of a Full SiC-Based Phase-Shifted Full-Bridge DC-DC Converter with Nanocrystalline-Cored Magnetics for Railway Battery Charging ...). Journal of Engineering. August 25, 2025; p 3113.

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