Solid State Transformers: New Approach and New Opportunity Shilpakala

The advancement in semiconductor technology has provided a new alternative to the hundred year old conventional transformer technology by providing an elegant solution using Solid State Transformer (SST). The SST is applied semiconductor technology for changing the voltage ratio. The SST can achieve high power density as well as operation at high frequency, thus reducing the size and the cost. This has provided a new opportunity for researchers, world over, to suggest new topologies, use of new material and experimentation in different environment and area of application. In this paper a review of the SST technology is carried out in respect of its application as distributed transformer. The comprehensive literature review is reported. Different topologies of semiconductor devices used in SST are discussed. The advantages and limitations of the technology, as reviewed, are presented.