This presentation will discuss the design optimization and practical system-level considerations for an ultra-high-density motor drive aimed at 36 to 48 V battery-powered applications, with a focus on e-mobility and drones. The maximum power of the system has been shown to exceed 2 kW, resulting in a power density of 3.2 kW/in3 (200 W/cm3), including all supporting system components such as control, sensing, external communication, auxiliary supply, and inrush limiting. Critical design topics will be reviewed, such as PCB architecture and layout, thermal design, and EMI. The use of 100 V GaN HEMTs enables operation at ≥100 kHz, minimizing the required bulk capacitance without significant penalty in switching loss that would otherwise degrade the inverter efficiency.
