Achieving Uninterrupted Operation in High-Power DC-DC Converters with Advanced Control-Based Fault Management

The demand for reliable and efficient high-power DC-DC converters has driven significant advancements in fault-tolerant topologies, particularly within modular power converters. Failures in these configurations pose critical operational and safety challenges, necessitating robust mechanisms for timely fault detection, diagnosis, and mitigation to uphold system reliability. This paper explores recent techniques in fault-tolerant design for modular DC-DC converters, emphasizing the application of advanced control algorithms for real-time fault detection and correction. The proposed fault-tolerant methodology employs sophisticated control techniques to efficiently identify various faults, including open-circuit and short-circuit switching anomalies. An integrated advanced control system autonomously reconfigures the converter, isolating faults while maintaining continuous operation in a healthy state. This eliminates the need for complete system shutdown during a fault, leveraging additional power modules to ensure uninterrupted functionality. By incorporating reconfigurable interconnections, advanced control strategies, and robust circuit designs, the approach enhances fault resilience, significantly improving system dependability. The introduction of supplementary semiconductor switches facilitates fault isolation, current management, and the seamless integration of new power modules, safeguarding system performance and operational integrity. Simulation results substantiate the efficacy and performance advantages of this high-efficiency fault-tolerant modular converter topology.