Overview on fault-tolerant four-switch three-phase voltage source converters

With the rapid development and widespread applications of power electronic converters, strong fault-tolerant capability of power electronic converters is required since they play important roles in power systems. In this paper, a review of one of the most promising fault-tolerant topologies for semiconductor open-circuit fault, called four-switch three-phase(FSTP) topology, is presented in terms of modeling analysis, modulation techniques, and control strategies. The configuration of FSTP voltage source converter (VSC) is illustrated. To minimize the negative effects caused by the innate drawbacks of this fault-tolerant converter topology, considerable research has been carried out regarding modulation techniques and control strategies. The modulation principle for FSTP topology is explained in detail, since the performance of FSTP VSCs relies on it. This paper aims to illustrate current research progress on this fault-tolerant FSTP VSC topology.