A Current Vector based Open Circuit Fault Detection Technique for Industrial dc-ac Power Converters

Research on power converters has been an important focus in the field of power electronics over the past many decades. In recent years, two-level, as well as three-level converters, have garnered a lot of attention due to their simple structure and control for a wide variety of applications. From the initial stage of idea development all the way to manufacturing, the reliability of the converter is an essential performance measure that needs to be taken into account. The 2L and 3L converters are vulnerable to a variety of failure modes and processes due to the large number of interdependent components and subassemblies that make it up. Fault detection of the topologies is very crucial for the reliable operation of the overall system. This paper provides a simplified method for the detection of open-circuit fault (OCF) in the converter. The adopted method is based on the park’s transformation and it can detect the gate driver as well as wire breakdown faults. Simulation results have been provided for 2L converter.