Versatile Three-Level FC-NPC Converter With High Fault-Tolerance Capabilities: Switch Fault Detection and Isolation and Safe Postfault Operation

This paper deals with a hybrid fault-tolerant converter topology. It is performed through the connection of a classical three-phase three-level neutral-point-clamped (3L-NPC) converter with a fourth three-level flying capacitor (3L-FC) leg. The 3L-FC leg actively balances the 3L-NPC neutral-point vo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on industrial electronics (1982) 2017-08, Vol.64 (8), p.6453-6464
Main Authors: Bennani-Ben Abdelghani, Afef, Ben Abdelghani, Hafedh, Richardeau, Frederic, Blaquiere, Jean-Marc, Mosser, Franck, Slama-Belkhodja, Ilhem
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Capacitors
Circuit faults
Computer simulation
Converters
Decoupling
Electric power
Engineering Sciences
Fault detection
fault isolation
Fault tolerance
Fault tolerant systems
Field programmable gate arrays
Fuses
hybrid converter
Inductance
Legged locomotion
multilevel converter
Reconfiguration
Switches
Thyristors
Topology
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Summary:This paper deals with a hybrid fault-tolerant converter topology. It is performed through the connection of a classical three-phase three-level neutral-point-clamped (3L-NPC) converter with a fourth three-level flying capacitor (3L-FC) leg. The 3L-FC leg actively balances the 3L-NPC neutral-point voltage. For normal operation mode, this paper proposes a mathematical design of the filter needed to connect these two different topologies. Experimentally, and thanks to the already existing decoupling capacitors of the 3L-NPC converter, this filter requires the addition of only one low size inductance. When one fault of the power switch of the 3L-NPC occurs, this paper proposes a hardware reconfiguration technique based on only two fuses and one thyristor per leg allows a safe postfault operation recovery. This is achieved thanks to a simple fault-detection method and a new technique that combines fault leg isolation and corresponding phase postfault connection to the neutral point. Also, a dedicated field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based control of the reconfigured converter is synthetized to ensure power system availability under fault operation mode. The converter fault-tolerant capabilities are addressed through simulation results and original overall experimental validations of the fault detection and isolation and the postfault operation steps, carried out on a 15-kW prototype converter.
ISSN:0278-0046
1557-9948
DOI:10.1109/TIE.2017.2682009