  Although the adverse effects of using power electronic conversion on the
insulation systems used in different apparatuses have been investigated, they
are limited to low slew rates and repetitions. These results cannot be used for
next-generation wide bandgap (WBG) based conversion systems targeted to be fast
(with a slew rate up to 100 kV/us) and operate at a high switching frequency up
to 500 kHz. Frequency and slew rate are two of the most important factors of a
voltage pulse, influencing the level of degradation of the insulation systems
that are exposed to such voltage pulses. The paper reviews challenges
concerning insulation degradation when benefitting from WBG-based conversion
systems with the mentioned slew rate and switching frequency values and
identifies technical gaps and future research needs. The paper provides a
framework for future research in dielectrics and electrical insulation design
for systems under fast, repetitive voltage pluses originated by WBG-based
conversion systems.
