| To reduce constraints on the design of lunar systems it is desired that electronics capable of operating in extreme environments be developed. With ultra-wide temperature range electronics, the typical thermal management systems previously used could be minimized or omitted from the design. Such developments will result in some combination of reduced system weight, reduced launch costs, or increased vehicle payload. This thesis details the design process followed to create a 20 W DC motor drive capable of operating over a temperature range of -180 to +130°C using commercially available Si MOSFETs, Si Schottky diodes, monolithic gate driver ICs, and a thick film substrate.;This report also includes test results from two prototype modules over the application temperature range. One module (P1) was successfully demonstrated over the range +130 to -178°C and the other module (PO) was successfully demonstrated over the range of +130 to -180°C. Module efficiency was lower than desired (75-85% over the temperature range) due to non-optimized conductor sizing in the module; performance was otherwise very good. Functional failures of the motor drive observed at low temperatures were attributed to functional failures of the gate driver ICs and were not catastrophic; partial function was demonstrated to as low as -200°C. No issues were observed when operating at +130°C for either prototype. |
