Evaluation of IGBT modules in ASDs submitted to overvoltage

The need to maximize performance indicators and minimize associated costs in industries has led to the intense automation in this scenario, while diverse equipment is employed for this purpose. Adjustable speed drives (ASDs) are quite relevant in many industrial applications as it is possible to control torque and speed in either single-phase or three-phase induction motors accurately. Among the existing components in the rectifier and inverter stages of variable-frequency inverters, insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) play an important role since they allow controlling the voltage-frequency (V/f) ratio through the use of proper pulse width modulation (PWM) techniques. This paper presents the permanence analysis of IGBTs when a line-to-ground fault (LG) occurs in the motor, thus showing the influence of a voltage suppressor on the system behavior.