Review of fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control methods of the modular multilevel converter under submodule failure

Abstract

Modular multilevel converters (MMCs) have attracted extensive research interests in various ac and dc conversion applications due to their modular structure and excellent harmonic performance. However, the large number of power switches increases the potential risk of submodule (SM) failure, which greatly challenges the safe and reliable operation of the MMC. This article presents a detailed review of fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control methods of the MMC under SM failures. On this basis, comprehensive comparisons are conducted among different fault diagnosis methods, and verification results are provided to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the popular fault-tolerant control methods. Finally, the review is concluded, and future trends and research opportunities are discussed.