Influence Of Single Event Upset On Relay Protection Device

The high-energy neutrons generated by the interaction of high-energy rays in the universe with the atmosphere will cause the memory to shift with a certain probability when incident into the sensitive area of the semiconductor device.This phenomenon is called the single-event effect.Single event effects include single event upset,single event burnout,single event latchup,etc.At first,the single event effect was found in the aerospace field.With the development of integrated circuit technology,the characteristic size and working voltage of semiconductor devices have decreased,and the circuit integration has improved.Even semiconductor devices working on the ground have been affected.The power system relay protection device contains a large number of memories,and the influence of single event effect on its reliability cannot be ignored.Atmospheric neutrons are the main cause of single-event upset of ground-based semiconductor devices.This paper introduces the source and main characteristics of ground-based atmospheric neutrons and the estimation method of ground-based atmospheric neutron flux.Based on the results of atmospheric neutron flux estimation in major cities of China,the main factors affecting the distribution of atmospheric neutron flux in major cities of China are analyzed,and several common methods for estimating atmospheric neutron flux are compared.The basic methods of single event effect test for ground semiconductor devices include accelerated and non-accelerated test methods.The accelerated test method can obtain the test results in a short time by using the accelerated particle source,which has a time advantage and is the focus of this paper’s introduction and research.In order to prevent the adverse effects of single event effect on semiconductor devices,the devices can be reinforced at the software and hardware levels.This paper introduces the principle of ECC error correction and CRC verification,which are the reinforcement measures for the device at the software level,and the effect of using neutron shielding materials at the hardware level.The relay protection device can quickly remove the fault when the power system has a fault,which plays an important role in ensuring the stable operation of the power system.In order to evaluate the impact of single event upset on relay protection device,the research team conducted neutron irradiation accelerated test on a relay protection device at element level and system level on a 14 MeV single energy neutron source,and successfully measured the sensitivity of the device to neutrons.According to the test results,this paper proposes a single event upset reliability evaluation method for the whole relay protection device.Based on the neutron dose used in the test and the observed anomalies,this method can calculate the single-event failure rate of the device in the field operation,and judge whether the device under test meets the requirements of the field safe operation.