Optimal Current Control Strategy for Reliable Power Electronics Converters: Frequency-Domain Approach

TL;DR

This paper introduces a frequency-domain based current control strategy for power electronics converters that enhances reliability by minimizing semiconductor damage and extending component lifetime.

Contribution

It presents a novel control approach that incorporates reliability considerations directly into the design process using a frequency-domain damage model.

Findings

The proposed control strategy effectively reduces semiconductor damage.

Reliability is improved through active current management.

The method demonstrates potential for extending converter lifespan.

Abstract

Power electronics converters are key enablers in the global energy transition for power generation, industrial and mobility applications; they convert electrical power in a controlled, reliable and efficient manner. The semiconductor switching devices, at the core of power converters, are the most likely component to fail due to the damage caused by the current-induced temperature cycling. Damage models of semiconductors have been developed and employed to study their reliability, improve their design and to estimate the lifetime of the converter in various power applications. However, those models can offer more if employed in the design of strategies to actively operate the converter. Specifically, properly controlling the current, and hence the temperature cycling, can effectively contribute to reducing the accumulated damage in the semiconductor and increase its reliability and lifetime. In this paper we propose a novel current control approach that integrates reliability requirements into the design framework, based on a frequency-domain model of the semiconductor damage.