Overview of recent progress in condition monitoring for insulated gate bipolar transistor modules: Detection, estimation, and prediction

Abstract

The insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is one of the most fragile components in power electronics converters. In order to improve the reliability of IGBTs, various measurements are taken according to the condition monitoring (CM) technique. Traditional CM techniques include the measurement and estimation of the device operation conditions. Recently, emerging techniques have been developed, not only for the detection and estimation but also for the prognostics of IGBTs with the condition data. In this paper, a review is performed on the recent progress in the CM techniques for IGBTs. First, some emerging electrical and thermal measurements are reviewed. Based on the sensed data, the health indicator estimation techniques are summarised. Moreover, for the emerging prognostics and health management applications, some remaining using lifetime (RUL) prediction methods are reviewed. Finally, the research gaps and directions are discussed for the CM in IGBT applications.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

A direct bonding copper degradation monitoring method for insulated gate bipolar transistor modules: Boundary‐dependent thermal network combined with feedback control

“…The failure of the converters could lead to serious impact on the safe operation of power grid. Since IGBT modules are the core elements of converters, their reliability has received extensive attention in emerging applications [8][9][10][11]. Direct bonding copper (DBC) substrates, which are produced by directly depositing copper on both sides of the ceramic layer, are key components in IGBT modules due to its excellent characteristics of current conduction, electrical insulation, heat dissipation and mechanical support.…”

Behaviour and mechanisms of molecular vibrations induced by a pulsed voltage in a silicone elastomer used for device encapsulation

“…High-voltage power electronic devices, such as insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) benefit from a high power density, small size, and convenient operation; hence, they are widely used in modern power systems in applications such as direct-current (DC) transmissions and energy-grid connections [1,2]. Silicone elastomers are good insulators and, once cured, they are suitably elastic and viscose to support and bond to the internal structures of electronic devices.…”