Practical considerations for power electronics system and actuator prognostics implementations

High efficiency power converters are widely used in commercial and military systems, yet are prone to vulnerabilities that can damage overall productivity and system readiness objectives. Electronic prognostics offer effective detection of impending failures so mitigating actions can be performed before damage occurs. This paper describes the practical considerations of adopting electronic prognostics in DC-to-DC power converters and forced actuator drives for DC motors. We present tools that can assist in this process.