Jonathan Anderson

GAMMA is a microinverter for high power solar applications. The enclosure needed to be corrosion resistant, waterproof, and low profile enough as to not disrupt our panel partner's packing configuration.

The intended service lifetime of the GAMMA is 25 years at ambient temperatures ranging from -40°C to 60°C.

The enclosure is made from die cast A383 aluminum. A polyester powder coat is used to ensure that the enclosure does not corrode, even in the most adverse marine environments (IEC 61701, Severity Level 3). To ensure an IP66 seal, the enclosure is equipped with a LSR O-Ring gasket and two die cut silicone ring gaskets.

In addition to serving as a protective barrier from the elements, the GAMMA enclosure also serves as a heat sink for several IGBT's and diodes on the PCB. I thermally profiled the board using thick film resistors to simulate the heat load and K-type thermocouples in conjunction with a DAQ to ascertain temperature data.