Reliability Analysis of Three Homogeneous Fault-tolerant Inverter Topologies

In this article, non-redundant fault-tolerant inverter topologies are addressed. A novel fault-tolerant control strategy which enhances performances during post-fault operation is proposed. Benefits from the proposed strategy over conventional fault-tolerant topologies are investigated in terms of system reliability. Cost, post-fault performances, and system reliability of the proposed solution are compared with both a conventional triac-based fault-tolerant inverter and a T-type inverter. The reliability analysis of each selected configuration is carried out by means of Markov chains. The analysis is validated through a comparison of reliability and sensitivity curves. As shown by simulation results, the proposed fault-tolerant inverter features the highest reliability and the least sensitivity to devices' failure rates. The proposed analysis contributes to the development and improvement of a reliability-oriented design approach.