Evaluation of wind power converter reliability considering multi-time scale and mission profiles

Power electronic converters are crucial components of the wind turbines (WTs), and its power semiconductors is susceptible to power fluctuations of the WTs. Therefore, correct reliability evaluation of wind power converter is key for the lifetime extension and also for cost reduction of wind power turbines. On the basis of analyzing the reliability evaluation methods of devices based on physical failure mechanism of power devices, this paper proposes the lifetime estimation method of power modules by using multi-time scale of the mission profiles. A 1.2MW wind turbine of permanent magnetism synchronous generator (PMSG) is regarded as a case study, and then the fundamental frequency scale and low frequency scale lifetime consumption of devices are primarily evaluated by the calculation method of junction temperature considering mission profiles. Finally, the effect of multi-time scale mission profiles of power semiconductors is deeply analyzed.