Solid-State Switchgear
SiC MOSFET Solid-State Power Controllers
Solid-state switchgear comprises silicon-carbide MOSFET-based power controllers that provide fast switching, active current limiting, and electronic protection across 32 channels rated at 600 V and 50 A. Lunar power distribution faces unshielded radiation and severe thermal extremes; to operate without magnetospheric protection, the unit integrates wide-bandgap SiC semiconductors and driver ICs radiation-hardened to 100 krad. By eliminating moving parts prone to mechanical failure, the 5 kg assembly with an aluminum heatsink achieves 1 µs switching speeds, drawing 5 W of operational power across a 25-year service lifetime.
Silicon-carbide (SiC) MOSFET-based solid-state power controllers for fast switching, current limiting, and electronic protection in a single device.
Purpose
Silicon-carbide (SiC) MOSFET-based solid-state power controllers for fast switching, current limiting, and electronic protection in a single device.
Context
Child of L2-PDM-SWGR within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸SiC MOSFETs offer wide bandgap with high-temperature stability
- ▸Sub-microsecond switching enables active current limiting
- ▸Built-in over-current/over-temp protection
- ▸Status telemetry via digital interface
- ▸Heat dissipation lower than equivalent Si MOSFETs
Typical implementations
- ▸Renesas rad-hard 100V/200V GaN/SiC FETs
- ▸VPT SSPC family
- ▸Aerospace SiC power modules (Cree/Wolfspeed)
- ▸ST Microelectronics rad-hard SiC SSPC
Lunar considerations
- ▸Rad-hard SiC parts qualified to 100 krad
- ▸No moving parts — high reliability
- ▸Coordinated with thermal limit of L1-TCS interface
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Silicon-carbide (SiC) MOSFET-based solid-state power controllers for fast switching, current limiting, and electronic protection in a single device. |
| voltage v | 600 |
| current a | 50 |
| switching time us | 1 |
| channels | 32 |
Physical
| mass kg | 5 |
| materials | SiC MOSFETs, Rad-hard driver ICs, Aluminum heatsink |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 5 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 25 |
| mtbf hours | 300000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Switched output to loads
- SSPC status telemetry
Requires
- Bus input
- Heat dissipation
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Solid-State Switchgear" (L3-PDM-SWGR-SOLID). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-PDM-SWGR-SOLID
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.