Analysis of the Fault-Tolerance Capacity of the Multilevel Active-Clamped Converter

Thanks to the inherent redundancy to generate the different output voltage levels, the multilevel active-clamped (MAC) topology presents an important fault-tolerance ability which makes it interesting for several applications. This paper presents an analysis of the fault-tolerance capacity of the MAC converter. Both open-circuit and short-circuit faults are considered, and the analysis is carried out under single-device and two simultaneous device faults. Switching strategies and different hardware modifications to overcome the limitations caused by faults are proposed. Experimental tests with a four-level MAC prototype are presented to validate the analysis.

[1]  Dawei Xiang,et al.  An Industry-Based Survey of Reliability in Power Electronic Converters , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[2]  Alex Q. Huang,et al.  Three-Level Active Neutral-Point-Clamped (ANPC) Converter with Fault Tolerant Ability , 2009, 2009 Twenty-Fourth Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition.

[3]  S. Busquets-Monge,et al.  Design issues of the multilevel active-clamped converter , 2011, IECON 2011 - 37th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society.

[4]  Philippe Baudesson,et al.  Fault management of multicell converters , 2002, IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron..

[5]  L.G. Franquelo,et al.  The age of multilevel converters arrives , 2008, IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine.

[6]  Sergio Busquets-Monge,et al.  A Multilevel Active-Clamped Converter Topology—Operating Principle , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[7]  S. Busquets-Monge,et al.  Fault-tolerance capacity of the multilevel active clamped topology , 2011, 2011 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition.

[9]  Longya Xu,et al.  Strategies of fault tolerant operation for three-level PWM inverters , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[10]  Bin Wu,et al.  Multilevel Voltage-Source-Converter Topologies for Industrial Medium-Voltage Drives , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[11]  Fang Zheng Peng,et al.  A generalized multilevel inverter topology with self voltage balancing , 2000, Conference Record of the 2000 IEEE Industry Applications Conference. Thirty-Fifth IAS Annual Meeting and World Conference on Industrial Applications of Electrical Energy (Cat. No.00CH37129).

[12]  A. Bourennane,et al.  High temperature wafer bonding technique for the realization of a voltage and current bidirectional IGBT , 2011, 2011 IEEE 23rd International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs.

[13]  Josep Pou,et al.  Performance Evaluation of Fault-Tolerant Neutral-Point-Clamped Converters , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[14]  Yan Deng,et al.  A multilevel converter topology with fault-tolerant ability , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[15]  H. Matsuo,et al.  650 V 3.1 mΩcm2 GaN-based monolithic bidirectional switch using normally-off gate injection transistor , 2007, 2007 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting.

[16]  Bin Wu,et al.  Recent Advances and Industrial Applications of Multilevel Converters , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[17]  Thierry Meynard,et al.  Survey on Fault Operation on Multilevel Inverters , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[18]  Fang Zheng Peng,et al.  Multilevel inverters: a survey of topologies, controls, and applications , 2002, IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron..

[19]  S. Busquets-Monge,et al.  A Virtual-Vector Pulsewidth Modulation for theFour-Level Diode-Clamped DC–AC Converter , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[20]  Didier Theilliol,et al.  A Failure-Detection Strategy for IGBT Based on Gate-Voltage Behavior Applied to a Motor Drive System , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[21]  Alex Q. Huang,et al.  Fault-Tolerant Design and Control Strategy for Cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel Converter-Based STATCOM , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[22]  Steffen Bernet,et al.  The active NPC converter and its loss-balancing control , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.