Controllable grid converters will give new reliability challenges

• The high voltage (HV) power grid is assumed to have an increasing impact from Power Electronic Converters
• Voltage Source Converters (VSC) is about to replace current source converters (with thyristors) for continuously increasing voltage and power ratings
  • HVDC , SVC, various FACTS device, solid state breakers
  • Other controllable devices like for stabilizers, damping, active filters and more... 
• The most vulnerable component are the power semiconductor (IGBT) switching devices
  • Especially during fault situations (ruggedness criticality)
  • New controllable devices may have new and unpredictable operation modes that may give additional wear and tear of components compared to established well-known applications. 
• Reliability of high power IGBTs is the project main focus in the research project ReliPE
  • Representative high voltage components IGBT modules for multi-MW converter topologies
  • Will cover the most relevant types of HV converter topologies