Condition monitoring of power electronic modules for predictive maintenance

Ensuring safe and reliable functionality of the electronic components, especially the power electronic assemblies, during the life of automotive and energy supply applications will become more and more of a challenge. This makes condition monitoring and failure forecasts of power electronic devices for a condition-based and predictive maintenance almost necessary. Predictive maintenance ensures functional reliability as well as an increased efficiency by exploiting the entire service life adapted to the actual load. This approach of predictive maintenance supported by early degradation or damage detection allows an increase in resource efficiency by dispensing with redundant system components. The costs for service and maintenance can also be reduced if the remaining service life can be reliably estimated. Under the assumption that more and more wind turbines are installed and operated off shore, such operation also involves costs and energy for maintenance. Due to this reason, suitable condition monitoring, which leads to more predictable maintenance, can have a positive influence on costs and energy demand.