Condition Monitoring and Operation Optimization of Power Electronic Components and Systems

This perspective paper examines the research gaps, methodological frameworks, and future directions for degradation estimation, fault pre-warning, and operation optimization of power electronic components and systems. Reliability and availability have become as decisive as efficiency and power density in many applications, because unplanned downtime, maintenance, and premature end of life contribute substantially to the life-cycle cost of ownership. Despite extensive academic research on condition monitoring of DC-link capacitors and power semiconductor devices, on prognostics, and on reliability-oriented control, a gap persists between the reported advances and the needs and constraints of industrial deployment. Drawing on a review of these developments, the paper identifies the scientific and implementation challenges involved and discusses methodological perspectives that connect failure time scales, monitoring implementation, end-of-life criteria, performance verification, and operation optimization across component and system levels, covering model-based, data-driven, and hybrid approaches. Finally, it outlines research directions toward more reliable, highly available, and cost-effective power electronic systems through condition-aware and risk-informed operation.