Smooth control of insulated gate bipolar transistors junction temperature in a small‐scale wind power converter

Abstract

In wind power converters, the junction temperature of the power module is the crucial factor which affects its reliability. This study developed a comprehensive thermal management strategy to improve the operational reliability of a small‐scale wind power converter. Firstly, the idea of thermal management that improves the reliability is introduced. Then, in order to smooth the temperature fluctuations, the adjustment law of the switching frequency and the strategy of the exterior thermal management have been investigated. A field‐programmable gate array‐ based thermal management system consists of temperature‐controlled oscillator and fan speed regulator as well as power resistor heating system was designed. Lastly, numerical simulation and experimental implementation were carried out to verify the correctness of the proposed thermal smooth control method.