Consideration of insulation coordination in power converters: Basic terminology and review of standards in the field

Abstract

Insulation coordination in the field of power electronics has become a very important issue. It certainly deserves the attention of both designers and users of various topologies of power converter modules and devices. Over decades of experience in this area, a lot of experiential and practical data has been collected and documented in several key standards. The paper presents the basic terminology and basic types of insulation used in modern power converters, as well as an overview of relevant standards. Except being important for designers, the insulation coordination of the power converters has become also a very important issue for users.

Keywords

• insulation coordination
• power converters
• clearance
• overvoltage
• creepage distance