A failure-detection strategy for IGBT based on gate-voltage behavior applied to a motor drive system

In this paper, a novel failure-detection technique and its analog circuit for insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), under open- and short-circuit failures, are proposed. This technique is applied to a three-phase induction-motor (IM) drive system. The detection technique is adapted to detect failures of short-circuit and open-circuit in the IGBT, which is based on gate-signal monitoring. The most important issue of this technique is the reduction of time for fault detection. This is very important in a failure-tolerant IM drive based on the material-redundancy approach or protection systems since the detection must be done before the device is damaged, in approximately less than 10 μ . The experimental test and simulations are presented in order to validate the proposed fault-detection technique, and it is validated, achieving replacement of the damaged element in the most suitable time.