Thermal Power Density Barriers of Converter Systems

With the desire to integrate power converters into larger systems, high power density became a very important issue. In this paper we discuss the thermal limits of the power density of converter systems. It is shown that these limits are partly given by today’s technology and partly given by physics. Employing the given equations, one can quickly estimate the maximum possible power density of a converter design. Considering the limitations discussed in the paper will be helpful in setting up roadmaps related to future trends in converter power density.