A New Short Circuit Fault Detection Method of High-Power Converter Based IGCT

This paper investigates the short circuit fault detection method and protection strategy of high-power IGCT converter. The unique short circuit failure mode of press-pack device will inevitably lead to the dc short-circuit fault, which endangers the safety and reliability of the converter. Based on the theoretical analysis of commutation processes between different output discrete levels, a new fault detection method that can predict and judge the occurrence of short circuit fault whether or not is proposed. The proposed detection method can be realized in less than 100ns and can accurately reflect the voltage variation to construct a new fault protection mechanism. The simulation and experimental results verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the engineering feasibility of the proposed method.