Open Switch Fault Diagnosis and Localization for Voltage Source Inverters in Synchronous Reluctance Motor Drives

Fault diagnosis and localization play a crucial role in the domain of motor drive systems to safeguard system integrity and optimize maintenance interventions. This paper proposes a new methodology to promptly diagnose and locate semiconductor open switch faults in power converters driving synchronous reluctance motor drives. In the exploration of innovative diagnostic methodologies, it is evident that the signal-based approach exhibits accuracy in identifying faults. Focusing on a signal-based approach, a novel algorithm is proposed and implemented in Matlab for fault detection and localization. In this paper, 27 types of different open-switch faults have been analyzed through a power-based diagnostic algorithm. The fault is diagnosed in less than 2 ms, corresponding to 2 % of the motor's current fundamental period. The performance of the proposed technique is analyzed through simulations, showing its effectiveness in enhancing the reliability of motor drive systems.