A Review and Comparison of Medium/High Voltage Wide-Bandgap Devices Applications in Wind Energy Conversion Systems

This paper presents a comprehensive review of Medium Voltage (MV) Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS) with the integration of Wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductor devices. With the growing demand for high-power offshore wind applications and the limitations of conventional Si-based power electronics, WBG devices offer significant advantages, including higher efficiency, reduced filter size, improved dynamic response, and enhanced thermal performance. This review evaluates MV WECS from system architecture to turbine converter design, highlighting how MV WBG devices enable advanced electrical architectures such as DC collection systems and Solid-State Transformers (SSTs). Additionally, the impact of ripple currents on generator losses - particularly in superconducting generators - is investigated. Simulation-based comparisons of various converter topologies with silicon- (Si) and silicon-carbide- (SiC) based devices validate the improvements in power quality and efficiency enabled by WBG technology. The review addresses the current research gap in MV WBG applications for WECS and provides insights into future trends and design considerations for high-efficiency, high-power WECS.