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AssigneeKk-Electronic A/S
InventorsPaul Bach Thogersen, Bjørn Rannestad
Estimating the term…
The invention regards a method for estimating the temperature of a semiconductor chip accommodated in a power semiconductor device in operation, such as an IGBT power module, the method comprising the steps of; while the power semiconductor device is in operation determining a voltage drop over the power semiconductor device for a value of applied load current and; estimating the temperature of the semiconductor chip by evaluating the relationship between the determined voltage drop and the value of applied load current on the basis of a semiconductor chip temperature model. The invention also regards the corresponding apparatus for estimating the temperature of a semiconductor chip, as well as a wind turbine comprising such an apparatus.
Method for estimating the temperature of a semiconductor chip accommodated in a power semiconductor device in operation, such as an IGBT power module, the method comprising the steps of
Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the temperature model further comprising parameters of the gate drive of the power semiconductor device.
Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the chip temperature model describes an ideal diode, a thermistor or a combination of an ideal diode and a thermistor.
Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the chip temperature model is at least partly based on data established by tests, preferably accelerated tests.
Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the estimated temperature is used as basis for determining a derating factor for the load current handled by the power semiconductor device.
Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein establishing the temperature is performed by determining the temperature of the semiconductor chip accommodated in the power semiconductor device and/or performed by heating the power semiconductor device to a predetermined temperature, and/or performed when the power semiconductor device is not in operation.
Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the power semiconductor device comprises one or more thermal stack, and wherein the power semiconductor device has not been in operation for at least five times a thermal time constant of the thermal stack, when the parameters of said semiconductor chip temperature model is established.
Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one predetermined current is applied for less time than 10% of the thermal time constant for the chip.
Apparatus for estimating the temperature of a semiconductor chip accommodated in a power semiconductor device in operation, such as an IGBT power module, comprising
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.