​​Special Session 5

Testing for Reliability of Modern Power Electronic Components

Organizer: Francesco Iannuzzo, Aalborg University (DK)

Moderator: Francesco Iannuzzo, Aalborg University (DK)

Speakers: 

1. Kim A. Schmidt (FORCE Technology, Hoersholm, Denmark): "From measurements to accelerated testing – a case with vibration & shock"

2. Francesco Iannuzzo (AAU Energy, Aalborg University, Denmark): “Testing for Abnormal Conditions of Modern Power Electronic Devices”

3. Golta Khatibi (Institute for Chemical Technologies and Analytics, TU Wien, Austria): “Innovative testing techniques for bond-wire fatigue in power electronic components”

4. Thomas Ebel (University of Southern Denmark, Denmark): “Comparison of a New Characterization Technique of Electrical Properties of Radial Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors versus Traditional Characterization Methods”

Session’s scope and topic(s):
Power Electronics is an essential technology for the green transition. This is due to the intrinsically stochastic nature of renewable energy sources as well as the need for storage of vast amounts of energy, e.g., for transportation, in the form of electricity. For this reason, the reliability of power electronic components has become crucial in the last decade. This special session addresses the state of the art and the issues of the modern testing approaches for the reliability assessment of power electronic components.

Objectives and relevance of the proposed session to ETS:

The special session (SS) is intended to bridge the gap between the testing community (TC) and the power electronic devices community (PEDC), with an expectedly obvious benefit for both of them. The SS is organized by Prof. F. Iannuzzo, Aalborg University, Denmark, who is active in PEDC, and addresses an audience primarily belonging to the TC.

Format of the session:

The SS has the form of four speeches, i.e., 2 x 30 minutes and 2 x 15 minutes, including Q&A, where four different speakers from the PEDC present some key challenges within the testing for reliability of power electronic components.

Biographies of the Speakers:

Thomas Ebel: Prof. Thomas Ebel is currently a Professor of Advanced Capacitor Technologies at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Denmark. He is the chair of CIE, the Center of Industrial Electronics, and his activities cover the design, verification, and reliability assessment of next-generation film capacitors.

Francesco Iannuzzo: Prof. Francesco Iannuzzo is currently a Professor of Reliable Power Electronics at AAU Energy, Aalborg University, Denmark. His expertise is in the field of reliability prediction and testing to failure of power electronic components under both normal and abnormal operations.

Golta Khatibi: Dr. Golta Khatibi is the chair of the Research Group on Mechanical Properties and Reliability at the Institute for Chemical Technologies and Analytics of TU Wien, Austria. She researches primarily innovative measurement- and characterization techniques for fatigue response and long-term reliability of interconnection structures for power electronic components.

Kim Albert Storbacka Schmidt: Senior Reliability Specialist Kim A. Schmidt is an experienced test and validation engineer in the field of environmental testing of electronics. His experience is gained from more than 40 years in the field with a combination of numerous of customer specific tasks and participation in public research projects. As Kim is a mechanical engineer, vibration & mechanical shock is an area with special interest for him.

Francesco Iannuzzo: Prof. Iannuzzo is currently a professor of reliable power electronics at AAU Energy, Aalborg University, Denmark. His expertise is in the field of reliability prediction and testing to failure of power electronic components under both normal and abnormal operations. He is the author or co-author of about 300 publications in journals and international conferences, five book chapters, and has edited a book on Modern Power Electronic Devices (2020, IET). He has given +30 technical seminars, keynotes, and invited speeches at top-tier conferences such as ISPSD, IRPS, EPE, ECCE, PCIM, and APEC, as well as serving several times as Technical Program Co-Chair (ESREF conferences), Vice Chair (ECCE conferences), and Session Chair (ECCE, APEC, and ESREF conferences). Prof. Iannuzzo has been Associate Editor for the IEEE JESTPE and for the IEEE OJ-PE. He currently serves as the chair of the IEEE IAS Power Electronic Devices and Components Committee. He was the General Chair of the ESREF conference in 2018 (400 participants), the IWIPP conference in 2022 (80 participants), and the EPE-ECCE Europe conference in 2023 (1000 participants).