Lifetime Modelling of Power Electronics for Power Electronic Based Power System—A Case for Microgrids

Lifetime is an important indicator of system reliability. With the paradigm power system evolves into a power electronics based power system, lifetime modelling method for power electronics needs to be revisited and perspective for modelling power electronics lifetime for system planning and operation usage is worth looking at. In this paper, the existent methods for modelling lifetime for power electronic system are reviewed and classified. The purpose of the paper is to give a brief overview of different modeling methods for power electronics lifetime, and to introduce how this lifetime information can be used for the system level reliability for the power electronics based power system taking the example of the microgrid application. New concept of system level reliability management based on lifetime model is envisaged.