Open AccessImpact of SiC semiconductors switching transition speed on insulation health state monitoring of traction machines
Author(s) -
Zoeller Clemens,
Vogelsberger Markus A.,
Wolbank Thomas M.,
Ertl Hans
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
iet power electronics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.637
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1755-4543
pISSN - 1755-4535
DOI - 10.1049/iet-pel.2015.0988
Subject(s) - inverter , traction (geology) , automotive engineering , traction motor , electrical engineering , voltage , transient (computer programming) , train , semiconductor , propulsion , condition monitoring , induction motor , engineering , materials science , computer science , mechanical engineering , cartography , aerospace engineering , geography , operating system
In modern traction propulsion applications, voltage source inverter (VSI) fed traction motors today operate very close to borderline conditions. With new emerging semiconductor technologies, higher inverter switching frequencies will be possible and high inverter d v /d t‐ rates appear, resulting in transient overvoltages at the machine which increase the stress on the insulation system and lead to insulation degradation. Thus, insulation condition monitoring is getting more and more important to ensure a safe and reliable operation of traction motors in trains and locomotives, trams and so on. This study proposes an online insulation monitoring approach that is able to detect incipient insulation defects by evaluation of the motor transient current response on voltage pulses injected by standard inverter switching. Experimental results of this concept are obtained with tests on a 1.4 MW induction machine for railway application. Additionally, the influence of different d v /d t‐ rates up to 20 kV/µs on the monitoring performance is verified using a VSI‐inverter equipped with SiC semiconductors.