On-line estimation of IGBT junction temperature using on-state voltage drop

In this paper, a noninvasive and accurate on-line estimation method for IGBT junction temperature is proposed. To optimize the heat management of IGBTs, it provides accurate information about junction temperature. The proposed method requires a few additional passive circuit components for the estimation and it can be easily incorporated into the conventional gate driver circuit. The proposed method consists of two processes, one is off-line characterization of the IGBT under test and the other one is on-line estimation of junction temperature based on the characterized data. The simulation and experimental results confirm the validity of the proposed estimation method.