A Unified Approach to Reliability Assessment of Multiphase DC-DC Converters in Photovoltaic Energy Conversion Systems

作者：Dhople Sairaj V^*; Davoudi Ali; Dominguez Garcia Alejandro D; Chapman Patrick L

来源：IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2012, 27(2): 739-751.

DOI：10.1109/TPEL.2010.2103329

• Markov reliability modeling
• maximum power point tracking (MPPT)
• photovoltaics
• switch-mode dc-dc converters

A systematic framework for reliability assessment and fault-tolerant design of multiphase dc-dc converters deployed in photovoltaic applications is presented. System-level steady-state models allow a detailed specification of component failure rates, and in turn establish the effects of ambient conditions and converter design on reliability. Markov reliability models are derived to estimate the mean time to system failure. Case studies applied to two-and three-phase, 250-W converters demonstrate that topological redundancy does not necessarily translate to improved reliability for all choices of switching frequency and capacitance. Capacitor voltage rating is found to be the dominant factor that affects system reliability.

• 出版日期2012-2