A Fast On-Line Diagnostic Method for Open-Circuit Switch Faults in SiC-MOSFET-Based T-Type Multilevel Inverters

On-line condition monitoring is of paramount importance for multilevel power converters used in safety-critical applications. A novel on-line nonintrusive diagnostic method for detecting open-circuit switch faults in silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs)-based T-type multilevel converters is introduced in this paper. The principle of this method is based on monitoring the abnormal variations of the dc-bus neutral-point current in combination with the existing information on instantaneous switching states and phase currents. Advantages of this method include faster detection speed and simpler implementation compared to other existing diagnostic methods in the literature. Moreover, this diagnostic method is immune to the disturbances of inverter's dc-bus voltage unbalance and load unbalance. In this method, only one additional current sensor is required for measuring the dc-bus neutral-point current; therefore, the implementation cost is low. Simulation and experimental results based on a lab-scale 20 kVA adjustable speed drive with a three-level SiC T-type inverter validate the effectiveness and robustness of this novel diagnostic method.