Programmable Online Bond-Wire Fault Detection and Location Method for Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor Using Inverter Output Parameters

Abstract

Prognostics and health monitoring of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) is a primary concern when determining the reliability of inverter systems. The rising popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) has increased the investigations on the reliability of power modules, particularly that of IGBTs. Condition monitoring of IGBT can be performed using various IGBT characteristic parameters, such as collector-emitter saturation voltage ( ${V} _{\text {ce,sat}}$ ), collector current ( ${I} _{\text {C}}$ ), and gate-emitter threshold voltage ( ${V} _{\text {ge,th}}$ ). This study proposes a programmable method for detecting and pinpointing the location of bond-wire lift-off without accessing the gate signal or the collector and emitter terminals of the targeted IGBT chip or freewheeling diode (FWD). The methodology of collecting and processing the collector-emitter voltage data from the three-phase motor phase terminal voltage is discussed. The proposed approach is validated through simulations of a motor drive system, and its adaptability and sensitivity are confirmed through fault emulation tests and power cycling tests in actual motor drive systems.