An overview of the reliability prediction related aspects of high power IGBTs in wind power applications

Reliability is becoming more and more important as the size and number of installed Wind Turbines (WTs) increases. Very high reliability is especially important for offshore WTs because the maintenance and repair of such WTs in case of failures can be very expensive. WT manufacturers need to consider the reliability aspect when they design new power converters. By designing the power converter considering the reliability aspect the manufacturer can guarantee that the end product will ensure high availability. This paper represents an overview of the various aspects of reliability prediction of high power Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) in the context of wind power applications. At first the latest developments and future predictions about wind energy are briefly discussed. Next the dominant failure mechanisms of high power IGBTs are described and the most commonly used lifetime prediction models are reviewed. Also the concept of Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) is briefly reviewed.