Component-Level Semiconductor Loss Balancing for IGBT Based High Power MMC Through Insertion Index Modification

Modular multilevel converter (MMC) is the state-of-the-art converter topology in HVdc transmission applications. The reliability and lifetime of MMCs are strongly dependent on the health of the internal power semiconductors. The operating loss of power semiconductors, which is one of the dominant factors affecting component aging, is not uniformly distributed between the top and bottom switches in the same submodule (SM) due to the dc bias in the arm current. Such loss imbalance leads to differences in lifetime of semiconductors and reduces the reliability of SM. Especially under inverter conditions, the bottom insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) in SM is subjected to a severe thermal stress and has a relatively high failure rate for the thermal vulnerability of IGBT. To extend the lifetime and improve the reliability, this article proposes a component-level loss balancing method. It is achieved by insertion index modification based on a feed-forward gain controller. The proposed method can improve the loss distribution among the top and bottom semiconductors without side effects on ac and dc outputs. Its effectiveness and feasibility are validated through simulation and experimental results.