Abstract: Junction temperature swing ΔT_j is one of the main reasons for the thermal fatigue failure of IGBT. Size reduction of ΔT_j can improve the reliability of IGBT module. A thermal management strategy based on the distribution characteristics of the consumed lifetime was proposed. Based on one year wind speed and ambient temperature, this paper analyzed the distribution characteristics of consumed lifetime and discussed the type and amplitude of the ΔT_j that needed to be managed. Then, by setting the lower limit of the junction temperature threshold as the lowest ambient temperature, the upper limit of the junction temperature threshold which could effectively regulate the low frequency ΔT_j was studied. Results show that the wind power converter should focus on managing the low frequency ΔT_j with higher amplitude, and should consider the long-term mission profile to reflect the actual distribution characteristics of the ΔT_j. Case study and experiments validate that the proposed strategy can not only effectively regulate the low frequency ΔT_j, but also significantly reduce the consumed lifetime of IGBT module. This strategy provides a new idea for how to improve the reliability of IGBT module in the long-term conditions.