Search

In this article, an improved pulsewidth modulation (PWM) strategy is introduced for three-level active neutral point clamped converters based on a hybrid configuration of silicon carbide (SiC) mosfets and silicon (Si) insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBTs). Compared with the conventional PWM strategies in the literature, this proposed PWM strategy enables the SiC switches only to interface with small commutation loops, thus the turn-off voltage overshoots caused by the parasitic loop inductance and high di/dt are much lower. Soft switching is achieved across all the IGBTs, and the switching losses of the converter only dissipate from the SiC mosfets, leading to high efficiency of the converter. Also, with this improved PWM strategy, the conduction loss at zero voltage output of this converter is reduced due to the turn-on of two parallel conduction paths. Furthermore, this proposed PWM strategy can protect the body diodes of the SiC mosfets from conducting large load current. All these advantages with the proposed PWM strategy are experimentally verified in a megawatt-scale three-phase three-level “SiC+Si” hybrid active neutral point clamped inverter developed for electric aircraft propulsion applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid-electric propulsion system is an enabling technology to make the aircraft more fuel saving, quieter, and lower carbide emission. In this article, a megawatt (MW) scale power inverter based on a three-level active neutral-point-clamped (3L-ANPC) topology will be developed. To achieve high efficiency, the switching devices operating at carrier frequency in the power converter are configured by the emerging silicon carbide (SiC) metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors, while the conventional silicon (Si) insulated-gate bipolar transistors are selected for switches operating at the fundamental output frequency. To obtain high power density, dc bus voltage is increased from the conventional 270 V to medium voltage of 2.4 kV to reduce cable weight. Also, unlike the traditional 400 Hz dominated aircraft ac systems, the rated fundamental output frequency here is boosted to 1.4 kHz to drive the high-speed motor, which helps further to reduce the motor weight. Main hardware development and control modulation strategies are presented. Experimental results are presented to verify the performance of this MW-scale medium-voltage “SiC+Si” hybrid 3L-ANPC inverter. It is shown that the 1-MW 3L-ANPC inverter can achieve a high efficiency of 99% and a high power density of 12 kVA/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While interior permanent magnet (IPM) machines have been considered state of the art for traction motors, synchronous reluctance (SynRel) motors with advanced materials can provide a competitive alternative. IPM machines typically utilize neodymium iron boron permanent magnets, which pose an issue in terms of price, sustainability, demagnetization at higher operating temperatures, and uncontrolled generation. On the other hand, SynRel machines do not contain any magnets and are free from these issues. However, the absence of magnets as well as the presence of bridges and centerposts limit the flux-weakening capability of a SynRel machine, and limit the achievable constant power speed ratio without having to significantly oversize the machine and/or the power converter. In this paper, a new material referred to as the dual-phase magnetic material, where nonmagnetic regions can be selectively introduced within each lamination, will be evaluated for SynRel designs. The dual-phase feature of this material enables nonmagnetic bridges and posts, eliminating one of the key limitations of the SynRel designs in terms of torque density and flux weakening. This paper will present the design, analysis, and test results of an advanced proof-of-concept SynRel design utilizing dual-phase material with traction applications as the ultimate target application. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Non-permanent-magnet machines are generally known to be less power dense than permanent magnet counterparts, but the absence of permanent magnets in these machines makes them well suited for high temperature applications. This offers a degree of freedom in improving their power density, because they can operate at higher electrical loading while maintaining acceptable efficiency. This paper presents a high temperature dc-biased reluctance machine that is structurally similar to a conventional switched reluctance machine. This non-permanent-magnet machine has a dc field winding and an ac three-phase armature winding. The machine is equipped with a high temperature 280 °C rated insulation system. Test results showing machine performance under continuous operation against the FreedomCar 2020 specifications as well as at high temperature up to 280 °C are presented. Compared with an initial design using conventional insulation designed for operation at 200 °C, the high temperature insulation system enabled the machine to operate at twice the temperature rise and achieve 43% increase in power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Important global efforts are underway toward lowering the cost of electric machines for electric and hybrid vehicles by reducing or eliminating the use of rare-earth materials which have been experiencing significant price increases and volatility. Non-permanent-magnet (non-PM) electric machines are a potential solution and are increasingly investigated by researchers worldwide. This paper presents a DC-biased reluctance machine, which is structurally similar to a conventional switched reluctance machine. This type of machine has a DC field winding and an AC three-phase armature winding. It uses a conventional three phase inverter for the armature and an additional auxiliary DC/DC converter for the field winding. This reluctance machine is designed to achieve hybrid vehicle traction requirements of 55 kW peak at 2800 \rmr/min and 30 kW continuous over a speed range going from 2800 to 14 000 \rmr/min. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper investigates the possibility of extending the operating region of a permanent-magnet (PM) motor constrained by a given power-supply voltage by using an open-winding motor drive configuration. A second inverter with a floating capacitor can be controlled to provide reactive power to the motor. A control method for the new open-winding PM machine drive employing flexible alternating current transmission systems concepts is proposed. Simulation and experimental studies on a laboratory scale interior PM machine are presented. The results show that the proposed method is able to considerably improve the power capability of the motor beyond its base speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dual-half-controlled-converter (DHCC) is a voltage-source active rectifier which can be considered as a potential alternative to the conventional three-phase six-switch boost rectifier. The DHCC is attractive due to its lower component current rating, immunity to shoot-through, simpler gate drive circuitry, lower semiconductor losses, and fault redundancy. Compared to a six-switch voltage-source-converter and a diode rectifier with a shunt active filter, DHCC presents some advantages and has good potentials for grid-tied and generator-tied applications. In the previous literature, the DHCC was controlled through a hysteresis regulator. This paper discusses in detail the current compensation and harmonic cancellation methodologies and presents improved control techniques for the three-phase three-wire DHCC using interleaved pulsewidth modulation (PWM). Compared with the existing hysteresis controller, the proposed fixed-frequency PWM controllers require smaller filtering elements and/or a lower sampling frequency. Both simulation and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed PWM control algorithm. The impacts of input reactor sizing and dc-link voltage rating are analyzed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]