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ABB is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization with two clear value propositions: bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner of Formula E, the fully electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 135,000 employees.

Traction

Today the vast majority of locomotives, trains including metros and tramways feature electric propulsion. This means the wheels are driven by electric motors independent whether the electricity is provided by overhead lines, a 3rd rail, batteries or even an on-board diesel engine.
The motors in turn are controlled by so called traction converters that supply an AC current with variable frequency to adjust the motor speed. The heart of such a traction converter is the power semiconductor that switches the motor current on- and off to generate the desired voltage and current shape for the motor. Originally gate turn-off thyristors (GTO) have been used for traction converters but new built converters are now mostly based on IGBT modules. As a market leader for both GTO and IGBT modules for traction converters ABB offers the latest generation of HiPak IGBT modules.

With the revolutionary LinPak IGBT module ABB provides a flexible and in current scalable solution especially suited for light rail vehicles (LRV), metro trains and (diesel-) electrical multiple unit train coaches (EMU/DMU).

Examples of traction applications benefitting from ABB’s IGBT modules and GTOs:
- High speed trains
- Electric and diesel-electric locomotives
- Region trains (EMU / DMU)
- Metro
- Light rail vehicles / tramways
- Coaches (auxiliary power for air conditioning and lighting)
- Commercial, construction and agricultural hybrid vehicles (CAHVs) 

Renewables

In today’s power grids a greater degree of sophistication is required to ensure that stable, reliable power is delivered on demand despite the intermittent nature of the renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, wave and tidal power. To facilitate the new demands placed on the power grid, power semiconductor technologies are used.

High power semiconductors are key components to control the power generation and connection of the network from renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and photovoltaic cells. To achieve highest efficiency of the energy source it is essential to select the right device for the given conditions. The semiconductors are used for two main tasks in the chain of renewable energy sources, one is the conversion of power in the plant, such as in wind turbines, and second is the transmission of power to the grid. As example, on an offshore wind farm the produced energy is converted up to four times by means of power semiconductors before it enters the distribution network. 

More benefits:
- Increasing energy efficiency
- Higher power capacity
- No emissions in the generation process
- Flexibility to produce energy where it is needed

Industry

Power semiconductors are used in many industrial applications to control voltages and currents. Almost all process lines in the metal and paper industry feature variable speed drives. Pumps and fans equipped with drives result in energy savings of up to 50 percent. Additional applications for drives are ships and harbor cranes.

In recitifiers power semiconductors are also used for welding and metal smelting. An example of a power semiconductors application is one of the world’s largest aluminum plant, located in Sohar in Oman. ABB has installed 5 high current rectifiers rated at 103 kilo-ampere (kA), 1650 volt (V) each which provide approximately 650 MW total power.

In summary power semiconductors are applied in

- Medium voltage drives (MVD)
- Welding
- Softstarters
- Excitation systems
- Uninterruptable power supplies (UPS)
- Rectifiers 

Transmission and distribution

Power semiconductors are a key element in an increasing number of ABB products and systems taking a lead role in almost all electrical applications. Built into systems that allow higher power in existing grids and enable transmission with lower losses, they contribute to an efficient distribution of electrical energy. ABB’s semiconductors enable electrical energy up to 6 gigawatt (GW) to be transmitted through HVDC (high-voltage direct current) lines at 800 kilovolt (kV). 

In FACTS (flexible alternating current transmission systems) power semiconductors help ensure stable grids and minimize reactive power. 

For systems where better control possibilities are required, ABB has developed HVDC LightTM based on IGBT press-pack technology (StakPak modules). One example is the offshore wind farm Borwin1, in the North Sea. Featuring HVDC Light the offshore wind farm is capable to transmit 400 MW into the German grid. 

ABB presents the first IGCT-based multilevel static frequency converter available on the rail market – Rail SFC Light provides following benefits:

- Maximum energy efficiency 
- Real redundancy in the power-electronics part makes it possible to design highly available systems
- Robust converter design for maximum safety in case of failure
- Excellent reaction to events in the railway and utility networks 
- Quick and very easy maintenance