The rail traction inverter system is now dominated by Silicon-based Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) power modules. A new generation inverter system made of Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices are expected to reduce weight and size, increase the efficiency of this power equipment due to the excellent characteristics of Silicon Carbide materials.

From recent news release, the SiC-based traction inverter system's switching loss is approximately 55% less than the conventional inverter system incorporating IGBT power modules. The SiC-based system also increases regenerated energy through the use of regenerative brakes in all speed ranges. Thanks to these solutions, total energy consumption of railcar systems, including their motors, is reduced by about 30% compared to conventional systems. Size and weight are reduced by about 65% compared to conventional inverter systems with IGBT power modules and about 30% compared to existing hybrid inverter systems with SiC diodes