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The precise estimation of the operational lifespan of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) holds paramount significance for ensuring the efficient and uncompromised safety of industrial equipment. However, numerous methodologies and models currently employed for this purpose often fall short of delivering highly accurate predictions. The analytical approach that combines the Pattern Optimization Algorithm (POA) with Successive Variational Mode Decomposition (SVMD) and Bidirectional Long Short-term Memory (BiLSTM) network is introduced. Firstly, SVMD is employed as an unsupervised feature learning method to partition the data into intrinsic modal functions (IMFs), which are used to eliminate noise and preserve the essential signal. Secondly, the BiLSTM network is integrated for supervised learning purposes, enabling the prediction of the decomposed sequence. Additionally, the hyperparameters of BiLSTM and the penalty coefficients of SVMD are optimized utilizing the POA technique. Subsequently, the various modal functions are predicted utilizing the trained prediction model, and the individual mode predictions are subsequently aggregated to yield the model's definitive final life prediction. Through case studies involving IGBT aging datasets, the optimal prediction model was formulated and its lifespan prediction capability was validated. The superiority of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparing it with benchmark models and other state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, two new structures are proposed for reverse-conducting insulated gate bipolar transistors (RC-IGBT) that effectively prevent snapback by relocating the N-collectors and utilizing silicon–germanium in the collector region of each device. The forward mode of the proposed structures shows IC− VC characteristics without snapback, since the position of the N-collector is changed to prevent electron extraction. In the reverse mode, the silicon–germanium induces currents through tunneling and impacts the ionization mechanisms. Importantly, the proposed structures generate a stable current value even if there are errors in the length of the N-collector during ion implantation, which enhances the reliability of the device. In addition, the proposed structures exhibit similar values for the breakdown voltage at around 700 V and the turn-on and turn-off losses when compared to the conventional RC-IGBT. Thus, this paper improves the reliability of RC-IGBTs by mitigating the snapback effect while maintaining their unique electrical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study is to develop a simulation model for a liquid cooling plate (LCP) for insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules, with the aim of reducing the operating temperature of wind power converters (WPCs). The initial impetus for this study was the observation that the energy conversion efficiency of a WPC declines when the operating temperature of the IGBT module exceeds a critical threshold. Three LCPs, with and without heat sinks, were modelled under extreme conditions using the finite element simulation method. The effect of the number and height of the fins on the cooling efficacy was evaluated through the simulation and analysis of the LCP model with heat sinks. The results demonstrate that the optimal configuration, comprising five 10 mm fins and 13 10 mm struts, can achieve the following reductions: maximum temperature by 11.4 K, heat dissipation efficiency by 3.33%, pressure drop by 10.6 KPa, and pump power by 31.00%. Moreover, the findings suggest that the number of fins has a significant impact on temperature fluctuations, whereas the height of the fins exerts a markedly significant influence on pressure drop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The welding of a direct-bonded copper (DBC) substrate to the baseplate in insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules often induces distortion and residual stress within the baseplate, consequently impacting the operational reliability of the IGBT module. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing baseplate distortion and residual stress during the reflow soldering process is imperative. This study employs a finite element simulation model to investigate the effects of varying thicknesses of IGBT module components, reflow temperature curve settings, and types of material on baseplate distortion and residual stress. The simulation results highlight that the material of the IGBT module components exerts the most substantial influence on baseplate distortion and residual stress, followed by component thickness, whereas the impact of the reflow temperature curve setting is comparatively minor. The analysis of these influencing factors offers valuable insights for optimizing component thickness selection, material choices for IGBT modules, and reflow temperature curve settings. Moreover, it serves as a practical guide for enhancing production processes and minimizing associated costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interconnecting solder is a key control factor for the reliability of electronic power packaging because it highly affects the junction temperature of insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules and is prone to plasticity, creep, and other failure behaviors under temperature-change environments. In this paper, the interconnecting performance and fatigue life of five different kinds of solders such as SAC305, sintered silver, Au80Sn20, sintered copper, and pure In under direct current (DC), power cycle, and electro-thermal coupling complex environments were studied based on electro-thermal multi-physical field coupling finite element simulation method, respectively. Results show that the sintered silver owns the most outstanding thermal reliability and the DC operating junction temperature of the IGBT module after utilizing sintered silver solder is only 90.2 °C, which is nearly 15 °C lower than that of the IGBT module utilizing SAC305 solder. Furthermore, in the power cycle reliability test, the fatigue life of Au80Sn20 solder reaches a maximum of 3.26 × 107 cycles while the life of indium presents only 5.85 × 103 cycles, a difference of nearly four orders of magnitude. Finally, under the complex environment of electro-thermal coupling, the fatigue life of Au80Sn20 solder is also the largest at 1.9 × 106 cycles, while the smallest life of solder becomes SAC305 solder at 4.44 × 102 cycles. The results of this paper can provide a theoretical basis for solder selection and life prediction of the IGBT module, which is of great significance in improving the reliability of power electronic packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the burgeoning application of high voltage in various industrial sectors, the deployment of unmanned equipment, such as industrial heavy-load Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), incorporating high-capacity Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), has become increasingly prevalent. The demand for high-voltage IGBT modules in UAV is continuously growing; therefore, exploring methods to predict fault precursor parameters of multi-chip IGBT modules is crucial for the operational health management of unmanned equipment like UAVs. This paper analyzes the gate charge degradation in multi-chip IGBT modules after thermal cycling, which can be used to evaluate the operational state of these modules. Furthermore, to delve into the electrical response of a gate drive circuit caused by local damage within the IGBT module, an RLC model incorporating parasitic parameters of the gate drive circuit is established, and a sensitivity analysis of the peak current in the gate charge circuit is provided. Additionally, in the experimental circuit, an open sample of an IGBT module with partial bond wires lifted off is used to simulate actual faults. The analysis and experimental results indicate that the peak current of the gate charge is closely related to L and C. The significant deviation in the gate current, influenced by the partial bond wires lift-off, can provide a basis for the development of predictive methods for IGBT modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement in the reliability and lifespan of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) devices and the enhancement of system efficiency under high-frequency pulse conditions are receiving increasingly wide attention, and all of these are closely related to the evaluation of the power loss of the IGBT. The traditional method for assessing the power loss of the IGBT is through curve fitting of the dual-pulse experimental results, without delving into the conduction process of the IGBT and without considering the IGBT model itself and the parasitic parameters present in the test circuit. In response to the condition of a pulse duration of 100 ns for IGBT single devices, a universal test circuit has been designed to measure the collector-emitter voltage waveform and the collector current waveform. A method based on Computer Simulation Technology for field-circuit co-simulation to evaluate the power loss of the IGBT has been proposed, which takes into account the parasitic parameters in the actual circuit. In this method, the 3D model of the IGBT device, as well as the circuit model of the test circuit, is established. The power loss curve of the IGBT was obtained from the evaluation model, and the results agree well with the power loss curve obtained from experiments. This method provides guidance for seeking lower power loss in order to improve the reliability and lifespan of the IGBT, as well as enhance system efficiency. It also provides theoretical guidance for further research on the thermal damage mechanism of the IGBT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: DC‐DC converters play a vital role in the integration of renewable energy sources. Modular multilevel converter (MMC) has emerged as a highly promising option for high‐voltage high‐power applications, for DC‐AC and DC‐DC conversion, thanks to its distinctive characteristics. An inherent limitation of using traditional MMC in DC‐DC conversion is the occurrence of arm energy drift, leading to imbalanced voltages across capacitors of submodules (SMs). Many approaches have been presented in the literature to address the energy drift issue during DC‐DC conversion process. In this paper, a novel bidirectional hybrid modular multilevel DC‐DC converter with balanced arm energy has been proposed. The proposed converter consists of one high‐voltage valve and two legs. Each leg is equipped with half‐bridge submodules (HB‐SMs) in the upper arm and full‐bridge submodules (FB‐SMs) in the lower arm. The proposed architecture enables the parallel connection between series‐connected capacitors of the upper arm and series‐connected capacitors of the lower arm during the equalization period. The parallel connectivity enables the energy transfer between the upper and lower arms in the same leg, hence preventing energy drift issues. A detailed illustration of converter operational concept, mathematical analysis, design, and efficiency estimation are presented. The presented simulation and experimental results show the bidirectional power flow ability and the promising behavior of the proposed converter during normal operating conditions with balanced arm energy. Finally, a comparison between the proposed converter and other existing topologies has been made to show the superiority of the proposed converter over the other alternatives. The proposed converter has a lower count of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and eliminates the usage of isolating transformers when compared to the energy equalization modules approach. In addition, unlike the other alternatives, the proposed converter has a DC fault blocking capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the operational context of the hybrid modular multilevel converters (MMC), the submodule stands out as a pivotal and vulnerable element, susceptible to various faults (Zheng et al. in IEEE Access 7:34946–34953, 2019; Xue et al. in IEEE Trans Power Deliv 33:1448–1458, 2017; Lee et al. Reactive power control operation scheme of LCC-HVDC for maximizing shunt capacitor size in AC systems. IEEE PES Asia-Pacific Power and Energy Engineering Conference (APPEEC). pp 1–5, 2015; Lin et al. in IEEE Trans Power Deliv 31:1342–1350, 2015; Debnath et al. in IEEE Trans Power Electron 30:37–53, 2014), including insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) open-circuit, short-circuit, capacitor faults, etc. Therefore, accurate and rapid diagnosis of submodule faults is crucial to maintaining the reliability of both the hybrid MMC and its associated DC system (Xu et al. in IEEE Trans Power Electron 31:2720–2729, 2015; Wang et al. in IEEE Trans Power Deliv 32:1535–1544, 2016; Guo et al. in IEEE Trans Power Deliv 32:666–677, 2016; Zeng et al. in IEEE Trans Power Deliv 30:1298–1306, 2014). To enhance the reliability of the hybrid MMC, a comprehensive study on fault analysis and a diagnosis scheme based on waveform similarity for the submodules in hybrid the MMC are proposed. The devised scheme leverages a sliding window approach to capture essential feature data and employs partial Hausdorff (P-Hausdorff) distance for the diagnosis of open-circuit faults within the submodules. Finally, the proposed diagnosis scheme is implemented in MATLAB and the effectiveness and validity of the scheme are verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under fatigue load, insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) experience structural damage and performance degradation, imparting the reliability of power electronic systems. To address this, the relationship between solder layer fatigue crack length and thermal resistance is derived based on heat transfer theory, firstly. The Darveaux model is used to characterize the evolution law of solder layer cracks in IGBT, and a new IGBT performance degradation model along with a method for estimating its undetermined coefficients is proposed. Then, considering the non-stationary characteristics of actual working conditions, a variable amplitude fatigue load model for IGBT is established using the response surface methodology. The rain flow counting method and linear cumulative damage citation are then employed to assess the extent of IGBT performance degradation. Finally, using a type of IGBT product as an example, power cycling thesis are conducted, and performance degradation modeling and analysis are carried out based on experimental data, verifying the effectiveness of the models and algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In DC transmission and distribution systems, both unipolar and bipolar transmission modes exist, and DC transformers used in these systems are also available in either unipolar or bipolar configurations. In actual systems, due to requirements such as economy, land occupation, and reliability, there is a tendency to use a system with unipolar input and bipolar output. However, the bipolar loads, if unbalanced, will lead to increased equipment costs and voltage imbalance, causing power quality problems. This paper defines the Power Unbalance Factor (PUF) to describe the power quality of the studied DC transmission system and presents an improved DC transformer topology based on a power balancing system. This topology realizes bipolar voltage balance and improves the power quality of the DC transmission system when the load is unbalanced. The influence of the proposed solution on the power design of the DC system is demonstrated through theoretical analysis, and its effectiveness for improving the DC power quality is verified by both simulations in MATLAB/Simulink environment and physical experiments. When the power electronic transformer needs to be overloaded, the proposed topology can reduce the design power of the two branches by using the difference power, which is economical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power losses in semiconductor devices present a significant impediment to advancing power electronics systems for achieving higher frequencies, improved efficiency, and greater integration. A major challenge lies in directly coupling power losses with various control strategies, considering the variations in manufacturers, packaging, and process structures within the power electronics field. This paper introduces a field‐circuit coupling simulation methodology of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) within the Simulink/COMSOL environment, using a conventional three‐phase six‐switch voltage source inverter (VSI) IGBT module as a case study. A composite transfer function interconnects the electrical and thermal aspects, enabling bidirectional coupling between IGBT temperature and losses. This study aims to comprehensively compare the effects of various control strategies, namely, single‐vector, dual‐vector, and three‐vector current model predictive control (CMPC) and space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM), on the losses and temperature of IGBT power modules. The findings emphasize that losses are significantly influenced by the selection of weighting factor coefficients and power factor settings under the same CMPC control strategy with a fixed switching frequency. Additionally, the selection of control strategies, such as CMPC and SVPWM, substantially impacts power losses in power electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the problem of high failure efficiency of IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) modules in inverters, which are most prone to damage and aging, and the device degradation process is difficult to predict, a neural network prediction model combining LSTM (Long Short Term Memory) and chaotic sparrow is proposed. By introducing the two dimensional Pearson correlation coefficient method to obtain the combined degradation features, the LSTM-based voltage degradation prediction model is constructed. The model is used to adaptively extract the internal correlations of degradation features to realize the screening of key information and digging deep degradation features. In the feasible domain of sparrow search algorithm, Gaussian random numbers with normal distribution and chaotic sequence corresponding to Tent mapping are introduced to improve the accuracy and stability of prediction. The learning rate, number of neurons and batch size of the model are optimized to find the optimal value to match the network topology. The LSTM with the optimal structural parameters is used to predict each original data separately and obtain the final degradation prediction value. The accelerated degradation data set of NANS experimental center is analyzed and compared with the conventional prediction algorithm to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design of a 35 kW isolated fuel-cell DC–DC converter (FDC) with a hybrid switch structure. By utilizing a circuit structure and pulse-width modulation (PWM) method that enables the use of insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), the price is reduced without a significant efficiency degradation even at frequencies of tens of kHz when compared to using all silicon carbide metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (SiC-MOSFETs). The proposed converter is based on a PWM resonant converter, which has good switching characteristics and low-voltage stresses on the switching devices. However, it suffers from high cost owing to heavy current stresses. This problem can be solved using a hybrid switch structure that adopts IGBTs in the leading-leg switches. Considering the wide variations in the input and output voltages, the design of the main parameters, the selection of power semiconductors considering the switching characteristics, and the frequency selection method are presented. The feasibility of the proposed FDC design is verified using a prototype implemented with an output power of 35 kW (input voltage = 330–610 V and output voltage = 450–850 V) and a switching frequency of 40 kHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents a novel fault-tolerant predictive power control method for a Doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) used in wind turbine control systems. Due to the proposed control mechanism, the system can continue to function effectively despite open-circuit or short-circuit faults in the insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) of the MPC controller. Depending on the type of problem and its location, the tolerant IGBT overcomes power oscillations and limits the power converter’s potential switching states. By monitoring the optimal generator speed, wind turbine control systems strive to maximize power output. For wind turbines operating in the partial-load area, a fault-tolerant model predictive control strategy is recommended in order to achieve control goals despite disturbances, uncertainties, sensor, and actuator difficulties. A high order sliding mode observer (HOSMO) is used to evaluate both the actual states and sensor-faults at the same time. A high order sliding mode (HOSM) control strategy based on the MPC controller is used to regulate the speed of wind turbines in order to harness the wind’s maximum power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) are widely used in power electronic devices, and their health prediction problems have attracted much attention in the field of power electronic equipment health management. The performance degradation of IGBT gate oxide is one of the most important failure modes. In order to analyze this failure mechanism and the ease of implementation of a monitoring circuit, the gate leakage current of IGBTs was selected as the fault precursor parameter for the degradation of their gate oxide performance, and feature selection and fusion were carried out by using time domain characteristic analysis, grayscale correlation, Mahalanobis distance, Kalman filter, and other methods. Thus, a health indicator was obtained to characterize the degradation of IGBT performance, which was used to indicate the degree of aging of the IGBT gate oxide layer. In this paper, we propose an improved degradation prediction model called MultiScaleFormer, inspired by advanced design ideas of the iTransformer network architecture, combined with the health parameters of IGBTs to construct a degradation prediction model for the IGBT gate oxide layer. MultiScaleFormer showed the highest fitting accuracy compared with the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), CNN-LSTM, and Transformer models in our experiment. The mean absolute error (MAE) of the MultiScaleFormer prediction was as low as 0.0087. Extraction of the health indicator and the construction and verification of the degradation prediction model were carried out on the dataset released by the NASA-Ames Laboratory. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the gate leakage current as a fault precursor parameter for IGBT gate oxide failure, and the feasibility and accuracy of the MultiScaleFormer prediction model for IGBT performance degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of laser medical devices for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) treatment aims to enhance vaporization, coagulation, or tissue removal. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the innovative application of insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) xenon lamp-pulsed drive technology holmium laser in endoscopic prostate enucleation operations using canine models. Six canines were used as an experimental unit, the breed of the canine unit used was beagle. Each canine served as its own control to minimize the number of experimental units. Endoscopic enucleation, performed by a single surgeon, involved enucleating the left hemi-prostate, leaving the right hem-prostate untouched to serve as the control. Throughout the study period, all canines maintained good health. No adverse events were observed in all six canines. Postoperatively, there were no indications of redness, swelling, or other adverse effects at the surgical sites. No abnormalities were observed in the appearance and morphology of major organs. The prostate and bladder, removed for further pathological evaluation, exhibited no abnormalities in size, color, or texture. No abnormalities or inflammation were observed, and the tissues were free of adhesions, indicating successful healing. In conclusion, our comparison of preoperative and postoperative parameters in canines suggests that the IGBT pulsed laser, at a power setting of 100 W, demonstrates characteristics of safety, efficacy, minimal tissue damage, and no major postoperative complications. This study establishes a theoretical foundation for future applications in human settings, encouraging further exploration of the IGBT holmium laser's potential in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fast-switching low-loss field-stop insulated gate bipolar transistor with a dual control gate (DIGBT) of a semi-insulating polycrytalline silicon (SIPOS) material is proposed in this paper. Because the SIPOS has uniform high resistance, it has an approximate linear electric potential distribution. When DIGBT conducts, the higher electric potential on SIPOS causes the P-type drift region (P-drift) to generate an inversion layer of electrons, adjusting the number of carriers and making the generation of non-equilibrium carriers no longer dependent on the doping concentration in P-drift (Nd) but on the electric potential distribution on SIPOS. Therefore, it can solve the contradiction among the breakdown voltage, forward voltage drop [VCE(sat)], turn-off time (toff), and turn-off loss (Eoff) caused by the Nd. Through Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulation, the VCE(sat) of DIGBT is 30.6% lower than that of SJFS IGBT. Meanwhile, DIGBT reduces the toff by 62.8% while reducing the Eoff by 83.0% compared to SJFS IGBT. In addition, the static latch-up I–V and the forward biased safe operating area of the DIGBT have been significantly improved. This paper adjusts the number of carriers through the characteristics of SIPOS material, enabling the above-mentioned physical phenomena to be applied in insulated gate bipolar transistor power devices and achieving device performance breakthroughs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the performance of a 5-level cascaded H-bridge inverter in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications is analized to identify, at the converter design stage, the better device choice depending on different UAV operation scenarios. Considering that regardless of the specific application there are some typical operations, such as take-off, climb, land, cruise, and potential recurring climbs and descents, the results can support the choice by considering the typical working conditions of the specific application where the UAV would be used. The results have been obtained by simulating the H-bridge inverter considering the circuit models of insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs), and Si and SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) provided by manufacturers. The study has highlighted that the choice of the device depends on the UAV usage, switching frequency, and load conditions. More specifically, considering the typical devices and systems costs in the case of a selective harmonic elimination procedure operating at the fundamental switching frequency, the Si devices should be used. Moreover, the preference for using IGBTs or Si MOSFETs depends on the typical working conditions of the UAV application. In the case of phase-shift carrier modulation technique, at 4 kHz the MOSFET is the best device and the choice between Si and SiC devices depends on the UAV application's main operation scenarios. At 20 kHz the SiC MOSFET is the best device, while at higher frequencies the GaN HEMT cost should be faced to take advantage of its best performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is crucial in high-voltage applications due to its characteristics, like breakdown voltage (BV) and on-state voltage V CE(sat). However, its slower turn-off time, attributed to hole mobility, restricts its frequency range. Techniques such as the carrier storage layer (CSL) and super-junction (SJ) structures aim to optimize BV and V CE(sat) through hole density and field distribution. Combining CSL and SJ offers advantages, yet challenges remain regarding E-field concentration. In this work, the split CSL concept introduces a solution by optimizing BV and E off through effective field distribution and hole extraction acceleration respectively while maintaining V CE(sat). Split CSL, which is divided into a high doping layer (HDL) and a low doping layer (LDL), reduces the burden on the gate oxide by distributing the E-field evenly when in the off-state due to the difference in doping concentration. During the turn-off, the hole current is concentrated on the LDL, which has relatively low resistance, thereby accelerating hole extraction. Simulation-based results showcase improvements in the proposed structure's properties. Further optimization of HDL and LDL concentrations enhances the structure's performance. It is clear that the split CSL structure presents the potential for advancing IGBT capabilities. The application of the split CSL structure resulted in significant improvements: the turn-off time was reduced by 32.4% and the BV increased by 32.5 V compared to conventional CSL-SJ structures. These enhancements highlight the effectiveness of the split CSL design in optimizing the IGBT's performance attribute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in voltage level and current capacity of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), the avalanche effect has become an important factor limiting the safe operating area (SOA) of the device. The hole injection into the p/n junction on the backside of the IGBT after avalanche is the main feature that distinguishes the avalanche effect from other devices. In this paper, the avalanche breakdown characteristics of IGBT and the nature of current filament are investigated using theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, and the underlying physical mechanism controlling the nature of current filaments is revealed. The results show that the hole injection on the backside of the IGBT leads to an additional negative differential resistance (NDR) branch on the avalanche breakdown curve. The device's common-base current gain, αpnp, is a crucial factor in determining the current filament. As αpnp increases, the avalanche-induced current filament becomes stronger and slower, resulting in weaker avalanche robustness of the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a detailed refinement and validation of two well-known lifetime prediction models for IGBTs, namely CIPS08 and SKiM63, using experimental power cycling test data. This study focuses on adapting these models to reflect the operational conditions and degradation patterns to more accurately fit different IGBT types and applications. Key modifications include recalibrating the scale factor and temperature coefficients in the SKiM63 model and refining the CIPS08 model coefficients (β1 = −2.910, β2 = 1083.714, β3 = −4.521) based on the impact of temperature fluctuations, bond wire diameter, and electrical stresses observed during power cycling tests. These adjustments provide a significant shift from traditional values, with the recalibrated models offering a better fit, as evidenced by a reasonable coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE). Utilizing Monte Carlo simulations with a 5% uncertainty, the study calculates the B10 lifetimes of PV inverters, demonstrating a substantial reduction from 43 years in the unmodified model to 13 years in the modified model. This emphasizes the critical need for ongoing modification and validation of predictive models based on the actual operational data to enhance the reliability and efficiency of IGBTs in power electronic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To ensure smooth power exchange in a three‐phase inverter, it is important to accurately detect the faults of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) switches. However, the fault characteristics of power tubes are complex, the fault diagnosis results are affected by the load, and the recognition accuracy of some fault diagnosis models is low. To tackle this issue, this paper proposes an inverter open circuit fault diagnosis method named SR‐WOA‐ELM, which integrates signal reconstruction (SR), the whale optimization algorithm (WOA), and an extreme learning machine (ELM). First, the three‐phase output current is processed by the signal reconstruction method to eliminate the effect of load fluctuation, the average value of low frequency coefficients and wavelet entropy is extracted from the reconstructed three‐phase currents using the improved wavelet packet transform, and the fault feature vector is constructed by fusing the above two feature parameters. Second, the parameters of the ELM fault diagnosis model are optimized using WOA. Finally, the fault feature vector is added in the SR‐WOA‐ELM model to obtain the fault diagnosis results. Through simulation and experimental verification, the model can accurately identify the single‐tube and double‐tube faults of the inverter and is not affected by load fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the thermal behavior of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) with a focus on the influence of solder voids within the device. Utilizing a combination of Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations, X-ray imaging, and SEM-EDX analysis, we accurately modeled the internal structure of IGBTs to assess the impact of void characteristics on thermal resistance. The findings reveal that the presence and characteristics of solder voids—particularly their size, number, and distribution—significantly affect the thermal resistance of IGBT devices. Experimental measurements validate the FEM model's accuracy, confirming that voids disrupt the heat flow path, which can lead to increased thermal resistance and potential device failure. Five regression models, including Gaussian process regression (GPR) and neural networks, were employed to predict the thermal resistance based on void characteristics, with the GPR models demonstrating superior performance. The optimal GPR RQ model consistently provided accurate predictions with an RMSE of 0.0050 and R2 of 0.9728. Using the void percentage as the only input parameter for the regression models significantly impacted the prediction accuracy, showing the importance of the void extraction method. This study shows the necessity of minimizing solder voids and offers a robust methodological framework for a better prediction of the reliability of IGBTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel insulated gate bipolar transistor with Semi-Insulated POly Silicon (SIPOS) is presented in this paper and analyzed through TCAD simulation. In the off state, the SIPOS-IGBT can obtain a uniform electric field distribution, which enables a thinner drift region under the same breakdown voltage. In the on state, an electron accumulation layer is formed along the SIPOS, which can increase the injection level of the "PiN region" in the device, and the carrier concentration in the drift region is also increased due to the charge balance effect. Moreover, the SIPOS-IGBT can achieve a quick and thorough depletion in the drift region during the turn-off transient, which can greatly reduce the turn-off loss of the SIPOS-IGBT. These advantages improve the tradeoff between the conduction and switching losses. According to the simulation results, the SIPOS-IGBT obtained a 58% lower turn loss than that of a field-stop (FS) IGBT and 30% lower than an HK-IGBT with the same on-state voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-component additional silicone gel was prepared by vinyl-terminated methyl silicone oil as the base polymer, and hydrogen silicone oil, platinum catalyst, inhibitor. The effects of the ratio of end side vinyl silicone oil, end side hydrogen silicone oil, mono vinyl-terminated methyl silicone oil, active hydrogen and vinyl substance on the curing of silicone gel were investigated, and the properties were compared with those of imported products. The results show that the optimum conditions for preparing silicone gel for insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) packaging were that no end side vinyl silicone oil. The amount of end hydrogen silicone oil is 15 wt%, 9.47 wt% of monovinyl terminated methyl silicone oil in the system, with active hydrogen to vinyl (ratio of 0.95 ). The silicone gel prepared is equivalent to the imported products, and it performs well in terms of high and low temperature aging resistance, 85X1/85% RH aging performance, repair ability, electrical performance. The oil permeability meets the requirements of silicone gel for IGBT packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the junction temperature of semiconductor devices operating at different power supply and cooling conditions, their thermal parameters are needed. This article describes an original measurement set-up enabling the determination of thermal parameters of power semiconductor devices. In contrast to other set-ups described in the literature, this set-up makes it possible to measure thermal parameters which characterize the efficiency of the removal generated due to a self-heating phenomenon, as well as the parameters characterizing mutual thermal couplings. The presented set-up makes use of an indirect electrical method to determine the junction temperature of diodes, bipolar and unipolar transistors and IGBTs. The methods used to measure the self and transfer transient thermal impedances of these devices and the construction of the set-up are described. The influence of selected factors on the accuracy of the measurements is analyzed. Examples of the measurement results of thermal parameters (self and transfer transient thermal impedances) of power semiconductor devices operating at different cooling conditions are presented. The obtained research results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of thermal management systems using liquid metal has been explored for aircraft converters and insulated-gate bipolar transistors of hybrid electric vehicles. Galinstan, a novel coolant used in thermal management systems, exhibits high thermal conductivity, low Prandtl number, and high boiling point, which enables its application in high-temperature environments of single-phase systems. In this study, we analyzed the heat transfer performance of Galinstan flowing through an immersion heater using computational fluid dynamics. The calculation was performed under different conditions with varying numbers of baffles, mass flow rates, and values of constant heat flux. The results provided the temperature, pressure drop, turbulence intensity, and streamlining of Galinstan. Based on the comparison of the heat transfer performance at different flow conditions, we determined the most suitable flow conditions and optimal heater design for maximizing the heat transfer performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module is a core component of high-power electronic device systems. Since the junction temperature of an IGBT module increases with operation, the junction temperature of the IGBT module is the main cause of failure, which seriously affects the safe and stable operation of systems. To restrain the junction temperature and to improve the reliability of IGBT modules during operation, a new stochastic pulse width modulation (PWM) strategy is proposed. It is deduced that this method can do a good job of restraining the junction temperature of IGBT modules. The effectiveness of this method is verified on an experimental platform of a permanent magnet synchronous motor system. Experimental results show that the stochastic PWM has a good inhibitory effect on the junction temperature of IGBT modules in the same cycle, and that the difference of the most significant inhibition effect is about 3.27 K. The proposed stochastic PWM has practical engineering significance in terms of restraining the junction temperature of IGBT modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The voltage source active power filter (VS-APF) is being significantly improved the dynamic performance in the power distribution networks (PDN). In this paper, the superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) is deployed with VS-APF to increase the range of the shunt compensation with reduced DC link voltage. The proposed SMES is characterized by the physical parameter, inductive coil, diodes and insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). The deep Q- learning (DQL) algorithm is suggested to operate SMES based VS-APF for the elimination of harmonics under different loading scenarios. Apart from this, the other benefits like improvement in power factor (PF), load balancing, potential regulation are attained. The simulation studies obtained from the proposed method demonstrates the correctness of the design and analysis compared to the VS-APF. To show the power quality (PQ) effectiveness, balanced and unbalanced loading are considered for the shunt compensation as per the guidelines imposed by IEEE-519-2017 and IEC-61000-1 grid code by using dSPACE-1104-based experimental study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of the power converter bus bar is not only determined by its normal operational design, but also related to its fault ride-through ability consideration. Conventional busbar design only takes the normal operational performance into account. This article proposes an optimal busbar design method for the modular multilevel converter (MMC) submodule, which takes both the normal and fault ride-through performance into account. The normal operational design is to realize low stray inductance and balanced inductance distribution between parallel capacitor branches. The basic structural design guideline for the MMC submodule is presented. Taking both the stray inductance and manufacturing cost into account, the optimal layout of the busbar is proposed. To balance the capacitor branch currents, the mathematical model of the busbar stray inductance is built. The influence of different busbar structures on the stray inductance is analyzed. The analysis is verified by simulation results. To improve the fault ride-through capability, special consideration is taken into account to reduce the thermal and mechanical stress at the weakest point. Simulation and experimental results verify the efficacy of the proposed approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The switching control circuit in a DC to AC inverter is the critical part that is applied to control the power transistors insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBTs) and metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFETs). This paper proposes a high-performance and low-cost pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal with a 120° phase shift circuit for a twolevel three-phase inverter. Typically, a PWM signal with a 120° phase shift for three-phase inverters is generated with the help of analogue components with more complicated designs and power losses or by using a microcontroller with necessary programming or coding. The proposed solution is to design a 120° three-phase shift circuit based on D flip-flops and the 555-timer to generate the clock signal for the flip-flop input in addition to the dead-time control circuit. The proposed circuit is controlled by one square wave signal as an input signal to generate six output PWM control signals at 50 Hz to operate six MOSFETs in the three-phase inverter. Simulation results in power simulation software PSIM and PROTEUS simulation tools are used to verify the proposed circuit. Hardware implementation of the proposed circuit and three-phase inverter is carried out to validate the performance of the proposed design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) due to their limited onboard battery power and eco-friendliness has created a pressing need for widespread availability of charging stations. High-speed charging stations, in particular, can strain the power grid by potentially overloading it during peak hours, causing sudden power shortages and voltage drops. This research paper examines the ANSYS twin-Builder modeling approach to create a comprehensive model of an integrated system consisting of photovoltaic (PV) power generation, battery energy storage (BES), and a multiport device-based charging station. The integration of these components enables advanced stabilization techniques such as power gap equalization, peak shaving, valley filling, and voltage sag correction. The primary objective is to reduce the burden on the power grid by meeting the daily charging demand using sufficient daylight PV output. The simulation results have been validated to showcase the benefits of employing the PV-BES configuration in multiport EV charging circuits across various operational modes. To further improve performance, a transfer system is introduced, which incorporates gate turn-off thyristors and insulated-gate bipolar transistors into the EV charging station. The paper also analyzes power losses and efficiency for different modes and configurations, comparing them with simulations of conventional Si device-based charging networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules using wire bonding as the interconnection method, the main failure mechanism is cracking of the bonded interface. Studying the mechanical properties of the bonded interface is crucial for assessing the reliability of IGBT modules. In this paper, first, shear tests are conducted on the bonded interface to test the bonded interface's strength. Then, finite element–cohesive zone modeling (FE-CZM) is established to describe the mechanical behavior of the bonded interface. A novel machine learning (ML) architecture integrating a convolutional neural network (CNN) and a long short-term memory (LSTM) network is used to identify the shape and parameters of the traction separation law (TSL) of the FE-CZM model accurately and efficiently. The CNN-LSTM architecture not only has excellent feature extraction and sequence-data-processing abilities but can also effectively address the long-term dependency problem. A total of 1800 sets of datasets are obtained based on numerical computations, and the CNN-LSTM architecture is trained with load–displacement (F–δ) curves as input parameters and TSL shapes and parameters as output parameters. The results show that the error rate of the model for TSL shape prediction is only 0.186%. The performance metric's mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) is less than 3.5044% for all the predictions of the TSL parameters. Compared with separate CNN and LSTM architectures, the proposed CNN-LSTM-architecture approach exhibits obvious advantages in recognizing TSL shapes and parameters. A combination of the FE-CZM and ML methods in this paper provides a promising and effective solution for identifying the mechanical parameters of the bonded interfaces of IGBT modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a novel heat sink for insulated-gate bipolar transistor modules utilizing flat miniature-heat-pipe arrays. The influence of heat load, cooled-air temperature, and distribution mode on the start-up and heat dissipation performance of the proposed heat sink with and without aluminum plate was investigated experimentally and numerically. As a result, the start-up time of the heat sink with aluminum plate was approximately 2–3 min, and maximum temperature for heat sink was 76.8 °C under cooled-air parallel flow conditions when heat flux density was 6.67 W cm−2 and cooled-air temperature was 40 °C, which was 4.6 °C lower than that obtained without aluminum plate. In addition, the study found that cooled-air parallel distribution mode was better for heat dissipation than opposite distribution mode, and that maximum temperature decreased more obviously as the heat load increased. The predicted models between two responses and four independent design factors were obtained by response surface method, and the interactive impacts of different factors on responses were studied. Finally, multi-objective joint optimization was developed to determine the optimal dimensions of the aluminum plate width, longitudinal fin height, spacing, and thickness, which were 82.02, 48.79, 1.5, and 0.58 mm, respectively, to minimize maximum temperature and materials cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power module of the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) is the core component of the traction transmission system of high-speed trains. The module's junction temperature is a critical factor in determining device reliability. Existing temperature monitoring methods based on the electro-thermal coupling model have limitations, such as ignoring device interactions and high computational complexity. To address these issues, an analysis of the parameters influencing IGBT failure is conducted, and a temperature monitoring method based on the Macro-Micro Attention Long Short-Term Memory (MMALSTM) recursive neural network is proposed, which takes the forward voltage drop and collector current as features. Compared with the traditional electricalthermal coupling model method, it requires fewer monitoring parameters and eliminates the complex loss calculation and equivalent thermal resistance network establishment process. The simulation model of a highspeed train traction system has been established to explore the accuracy and efficiency of MMALSTM-based prediction methods for IGBT power module junction temperature. The simulation outcomes, which deviate only 3.2% from the theoretical calculation results of the electric-thermal coupling model, confirm the reliability of this approach for predicting the temperature of IGBT power modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a novel, integrated approach to investigating and characterizing the impact of humidity on Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) within large-scale inverter systems. Combining meticulously designed experimental setups and advanced finite element simulations, we delve deep into the complex dynamics of moisture transfer within IGBT modules. Our research demonstrates a meticulously designed experimental setup within a controlled climate chamber, enabling a comprehensive characterization process of the humidity transfer into the IGBT module. The proposed method allows for a detailed study of the moisture distribution as well as the effect of the temperature on the moisture within an IGBT module. We leverage the advanced capabilities of commercial finite element software to complement our experimental findings. These simulations enable a deeper understanding of the moisture distribution's symmetries and provide invaluable insights into simplifying the complex simulations. By integrating these diverse methodologies, we develop a comprehensive approach that deciphers the spatial distribution of humidity within the module and its real-time responses to environmental conditions. This integrated approach holds an immense potential for analyzing optimal system performance and facilitating self-optimization of the inverter by predicting stress induced by humidity.

In response to the growing demand for fast-charging electric vehicles (EVs), this study presents a novel hybrid multimodule DC–DC converter based on the dual-active bridge (DAB) topology. The converter comprises eight modules divided into two groups: four Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) modules and four Metal–Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MESFET) modules. The former handles high power with a low switching frequency, while the latter caters to lower power with a high switching frequency. This configuration leverages the strengths of both types of semiconductors, enhancing the converter's power efficiency and density. To investigate the converter's performance, a small-signal model is developed, alongside a control strategy to ensure uniform power sharing among the modules. The model is evaluated through simulation using MATLAB, which confirms the uniformity of the charging current provided to EV batteries. The results show an impressive power efficiency of 99.25% and a power density of 10.99 kW/L, achieved through the utilization of fast-switching MESFETs and the DAB topology. This research suggests that the hybrid multimodule DC–DC converter is a promising solution for fast-charging EVs, providing high efficiency, power density, and switching speed. Future studies could explore the incorporation of advanced wide bandgap devices to handle even larger power fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power-electronics converters are increasingly applied in modern power system, which contains various sub-systems, such as renewable energy power plants and high voltage direct current transmission systems, etc. The electromagnetic transient simulation has been one of the important tools for the study of complex system containing large numbers of power converters. The coordination control of the power converters and corresponding power generation and load units is one of the challenges ensuring stability and obtaining optimal efficiency. However, the detailed modeling of the power converters considering the conduction and switching losses can cost a great number of computation resources, which makes it difficult to simulate a large system. This work proposed a current injection method for converter power loss representation, which can accurately consider the conduction and switching losses of the power-electronics switches with low computation complexity. A look-up table (LUT) of the power loss ratio is calculated before the simulation, and a current source representing the power loss is connected in parallel with the converter to track the reference loss generated by the look-up table. The proposed method can be combined with multiple converter modeling schemes, such as the two-resistance model, the switching-function model, and the average value model, etc. The topologies of the two-level converter and the modular multi-level converter (MMC) were used in the case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Compared to the device-level model, the simulation power loss deviation is 0.64% and 4.13% applying the current injection method model in the case studies of the two-level converter and the MMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to analyze the performances of the single-phase full-bridge inverter according to different switch structures and to propose a cost-effective structure that depends on the operating area of the inverter. The five switch structures considered are: (1) insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) type, (2) resonance type based on IGBTs, (3) SiC FET type, (4) Si FET type, and 5) hybrid type, using both Si FET and IGBTs. According to each switch structure, the consistency of the analytical formula is verified by theoretical loss analyses, prototype experiments, and comparative analyses. Additionally, by comparing the prices and efficiencies of each structure, a suitable structure can be selected depending on the operating area. For the performance comparisons, 3 kW inverters with direct current (DC) input voltages of 400 V and 700 V and an output voltage of 220 Vac/60 Hz are implemented and tested at switching frequencies of 20 kHz and 40 kHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voltage-related power quality issues, including voltage sag, swell, and total harmonic distortion (THD), have become a significant concern in recent times. These issues, particularly harmonics, are known to degrade utility performance and lifespan, necessitating urgent rectification to ensure a high-quality power supply. This is crucial as our generation increasingly depends on electricity for enhanced living standards. Flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices are gaining considerable interest as effective solutions to these problems. Among these, the dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) is particularly noteworthy for its potential to reduce power quality disturbances in the distribution network. In this study, we developed a DVR based on an artificial neural network (ANN) controller. The activation function employed was Train LM for the input and hidden layers, and pure linear for the output layer, with the Levenberg Marquardt back propagation (LMBP) serving as the training algorithm. The designed model was then tested to tackle voltage-related power quality problems in the distribution network of Jamal Din Wala (JDW) sugar mills. The comprehensive model featured a three-phase voltage source inverter, a scheme utilizing rotating reference frame theory, and sine pulse width modulation (SPWM) for voltage sag and swell sensing along with insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) switching. We analyzed three types of DVR output defects using MATLAB/Simulink and compared the results of the ANN controller with those of a conventional PI controller. The DVR output was modeled in MATLAB/Simulink for three types of defects and two degrees of voltage sag and swell. The results demonstrated that the DVR effectively mitigated voltage sags and swells in the JDW sugar mills distribution network. Furthermore, during the validation of the proposed ANN, a comparison of results with the conventional PI controller under balanced and unbalanced sags and swells showed a significant improvement. The ANN achieved a voltage restoration of up to 99.8% and a total harmonic distortion of 13.5%, a marked improvement over the PI controller, which achieved 97% voltage restoration and 19.5% total harmonic distortion, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of novel energy vehicles, power generation, photovoltaics, and other industries, power electronic devices have gained considerable attention. Insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) have been widely used in those fields. With the emergence of intelligent manufacturing concepts such as Germany's "Industry 4.0" and China's "Made in China 2025", conventional manufacturing which needs to be upgraded with higher efficiency and yield is rapidly pivoting toward digitalization and intelligence. The digital twin methodology has been extensively used in various industries for constructing virtual models of physical entities, facilitating real-time data interconnection to reduce costs and improve efficiency. This study proposes a modular intelligent IGBT production line based on the digital twin. Real-time data are transmitted from a physical line to a digital line for storage and analysis. The digital line is visualized, and an intelligent management platform containing multiple functions is developed. Additionally, a process simulation database is established to obtain the optimal process parameters. Numerous quality issues that can arise during each process of IGBT packaging are addressed using a problem-solving approach based on the digital twin methodology. Consequently, this digital-twin-based IGBT intelligent production line effectively enhances yield rates and efficiency. IGBT modules with various packaging forms such as ACF, ACE, and ACD are manufactured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dry ice particles spray cooling for IGBT of high-speed train is proposed. • The pin-fin heat sink and the straight-fin heat sink are developed. • The cooling characteristics of dry ice particles spray are simulated and tested. • The temperatures of heat transfer substrate of pin fin heat sink are obtained. Aiming at the high efficiency cooling problem of IGBT(Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) module of traction converter for high-speed Train, a method of spray cooling with natural dry ice particles was proposed. The heat sinks with pin-fin and straight-fin structure were designed, and the heat sinks with optimum structure size selected by simulation were developed, and the heat sinks were provided with visual shells, as well as single outlet, double outlet and four outlet of the three different ways of outlet. The gas-solid two-phase flow, heat and mass transfer characteristics of dry ice particles in the heat sinks were studied by means of simulation and experiment. By comparison, it is found that the flow and heat transfer in the pin-fin heat sink have a good cooperation, and it is most suitable for the IGBT module with spray cooling of dry ice particles, which can reduce the temperature of IGBT from 70 ℃ to 55 ℃ in 75 s, compared with the fin-free heat sink, the heat transfer performance is improved by 12 %, and the double-outlet pin-fin heat sink has the best effect, the temperature difference of the heat transfer substrate is 19.8 ℃, and the average temperature of the heat transfer substrate is only 22.5 ℃ compared with that of the open type, which is 27.3 ℃ lower. Double outlet dry ice particles spray pin-fin heat sink is an efficient heat sink, thermal resistance is only 0.066 K/W, it can meet the current practical application of high-speed train cooling needs, solve the problem of heat dissipation of IGBT module for high-speed train, it lays a foundation for the development of dry ice particles spray heat sink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to prevent the destruction of other parts of a wind energy conversion system because of faults, the diagnosis of insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) faults has become an essential topic of study. Demand for sustainable energy sources has been prompted by rising environmental pollution and energy requirements. Renewable energy has been identified as a viable substitute for conventional fossil fuel energy generation. Because of its rapid installation time and adaptable expenditure for construction scale, wind energy has emerged as a great energy resource. Power converter failure is particularly significant for the reliable operation of wind power conversion systems because it not only has a high yearly fault rate but also a prolonged downtime. The power converters will continue to operate even after the failure, especially the open-circuit fault, endangering their other parts and impairing their functionality. Design/methodology/approach: The most widely used signal processing methods for locating open-switch faults in power devices are the short-time Fourier transform and wavelet transform (WT) – based on time–frequency analysis. To increase their effectiveness, these methods necessitate the intensive use of computational resources. This study suggests a fault detection technique using empirical mode decomposition (EMD) that examines the phase currents from a power inverter. Furthermore, the intrinsic mode function's relative energy entropy (REE) and simple logical operations are used to locate IGBT open switch failures. Findings: The presented scheme successfully locates and detects 21 various classes of IGBT faults that could arise in a two-level three-phase voltage source inverter (VSI). To verify the efficacy of the proposed fault diagnosis (FD) scheme, the test is performed under various operating conditions of the power converter and induction motor load. The proposed method outperforms existing FD schemes in the literature in terms of fault coverage and robustness. Originality/value: This study introduces an EMD–IMF–REE-based FD method for VSIs in wind turbine systems, which enhances the effectiveness and robustness of the FD method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal reliability of two different high-power insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules was studied under both conduction and switching regimes by experimental and numerical approaches. Indeed, the reliability of semiconductor devices is tightly linked to the junction temperatures reached in the IGBT, which is a function of the diode chips present in such devices and its operating condition. However, measurements of the semiconductor temperatures are often difficult to be done, thus requiring modeling and simulation tools to accurately evaluate the instantaneous temperature under different thermal loads. For this reason, a transient 3D heat transfer numerical model of two different IGBT power devices was proposed using the Finite Element Method, assuming that heat is dissipated on the IGBT by natural convection and radiation. These simulations were validated with experimental measurements, obtained through infrared thermography, performed for the IGBT modules either opened or enclosed, varying the heat source, the module orientation and under conduction or switching regime. For the switching regime, power losses due to the gate-closing and gate-opening transitions between conducting and non-conducting states were taken into consideration. The heat losses were modeled assuming the time-dependent heat dissipation obtained by previous electrical simulations, and it was compared with time-averaged heat source solutions. Results showed that averaging the heat source can significantly reduce the computational time, allowing quick design explorations. Overall, the numerical model led to deviations of less than 16% over the transient heating and at steady-state. Finally, the impact of a heat sink attached to the IGBT was studied, demonstrating that the proposed model can be used for accurate and quick investigations of potential failures and for the development of more efficient IGBT devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) face limitations in high-frequency electronic applications due to heat accumulation and electromagnetic interference issues. To address these challenges, it is crucial to develop packing materials with excellent electromagnetic interference immunity and heat dissipation properties. In this research, a novel epoxy-based packing material (MDCF@C-ZrO 2 /EP) with high electromagnetic wave absorption and exceptional thermal transport properties was produced by employing a unique three-dimensional carbon structure-induced nanomaterial dispersion strategy. In particular, the three-dimensional MDCF structure effectively prevents packing agglomeration and fosters the formation of an abundant hetero-interface between MDCF and C-ZrO 2 , leading to improved impedance matching and enhanced electromagnetic wave dissipation capabilities. Remarkably, even at a mere 5 wt% filling level, the material demonstrates an impressive reflection loss value of −58.92 dB and a wide effective absorption bandwidth of 6.68 GHz, effectively covering the entire Ku-band. Additionally, the 3D MDCF@C-ZrO2 significantly enhances the phonon transport path and elevates the thermal conductivity of pure epoxy resin by an impressive ∼ 150%. As a result, this innovative research holds tremendous potential in enabling the application of IGBTs in high-power and high-frequency electronic components, while also contributing to the advancement of next-generation wireless communications and smart devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of the study is to design a hybrid charging station that utilizes renewable energy sources, employs energy storage capabilities, incorporates insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) technology, and provides a fast-charging solution. This design is intended to address the energy challenges arising from the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, offering a sustainable solution by harnessing renewable energy and storing it efficiently. Methods: This study introduces a hybrid-charging station designed to address the charging needs of electric vehicles (EVs) and powered by renewable sources such as solar energy. The station utilizes IGBT technology in its rectifier section. Achieving an impressive 95% energy efficiency in 400 V direct current (DC) fast charging is experimentally validated. The charging process is initiated with energy derived from solar panels and nonstop transitions to battery or pulse width modulation (PWM) rectifier power as needed. The rectifier section employs the Sinusoidal PWM method for sampling a sinusoidal waveform, while pulse width modulation is used for the converter section by calculating the duty cycle. Results: The hybrid charging station has demonstrated nonstop operation on both the grid and solar energy throughout the tests. The utilization of IGBT technology in the rectifier and converter sections contributes to achieving 400 V DC fast charging with a high energy efficiency rate of 95%. Parameters of the PWM rectifier and DC-DC converter have been simulated using MATLAB that is confirming the station's performance. Practical implementation has shown that values are close to the simulation. Conclusion: The widespread use of fossil fuel-powered vehicles poses environmental and health risks due to carbon emissions. The increasing popularity of EVs addresses this concern, but challenges arise in charging infrastructure and grid suitability. This study proposes a hybrid charging station using PV modules and a storage unit with a DC-DC converter. Fast-charging capabilities and grid integration are included for non-solar periods. The system offers energy savings, has broad applications, and can operate independently, making it suitable for various scenarios. Future research can explore higher battery capacities, increased charging capabilities, and advanced technologies for optimal energy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document discusses the advancements and challenges in the field of semiconductor technology. It highlights the transition from FinFET technology to 3D power scaling and the need for alternative architectures. The integration of high-mobility channel materials and channel strain engineering is crucial for optimizing device performance. The document also explores emerging technologies such as ferroelectric memories and resistive random-access memory. Additionally, it discusses the importance of accurate simulation in guiding researchers. The contributions in this special issue cover various topics, including gate-all-around nanosheet FETs, compact modeling, and 3D integration. These advancements pave the way for enhanced performance and functionality in various electronic devices. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, a new concept of low-loss Reverse-Conducting Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor with Collector-side Injection-Enhanced structure (RC-IGBT-CIE) is proposed and investigated using simulations. In reverse conduction (the on state of the diode mode), the CIE structure enhances the collector-side carrier concentration of the proposed RC-IGBT-CIE, which results in low reverse-conducting voltage (VF). The low reverse recovery loss and low turn-on loss using an inductive load circuit are obtained by using the modified carrier concentration profile resulted from both the CIE effect and the low-injection-efficiency p-emitter. Simulation results show that, with the same sum of turn-on loss and reverse recovery loss (Eon + Erec), when compared to conventional RC-IGBT with anti-parallel thyristor (RC-IGBT-thyristor), the RC-IGBT-CIE reduces VF by 9.2%, and meanwhile, with the same total conducting voltage (Von, sat + VF), the total switching loss (Eoff + Eon + Erec) is reduced by 20.9% but does not sacrifice short-circuit capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]