Thermal Cycling in Converter IGBT Modules with Different Cooling Systems in Pitch- and Active Stall-Controlled Tidal Turbines

This paper compares active and passive cooling systems in tidal turbine power electronic converters. The comparison is based on the lifetime of the IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) power modules, calculated from the accumulated fatigue due to thermal cycling. The lifetime analysis accounts for the influence of site conditions, namely...

Calculation of PWM-induced rotor-can losses in flooded generators

Improving availability of tidal turbines has been identified as a key area to lower the levelized cost of energy from tides. One of the approaches suggested to achieve high reliability is to use a flooded permanent magnet (PM) generator. Flooded PM generators are designed to operate with a seawater filled stator-rotor gap in the generator. Using...

A study on passive cooling in subsea power electronics

This paper proposes a simplified approach to model the thermal behavior of the insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) in a subsea power electronic converter. The models are based on empirical relations for natural convection in water, and IGBT datasheet values. The proposed model can be used in the design of subsea converters and in the...