A Neutral-Point Diode-Clamped Converter with Inherent Voltage-Boosting for a Four-Phase SRM Drive

Abstract

This article proposes a new asymmetric neutral-point diode-clamped (NPC) multilevel converter for a four-phase switched reluctance motor drive. The inbuilt NPC clamping capacitors are used for both voltage level clamping and also as dc rail voltage-boosting capacitors to increase the output power of the motor, particularly for high-speed electric vehicle applications. The new converter allows regenerative energy to be recovered back to the dc supply for rapid machine braking, thus increasing overall drive efficiency. Analysis of the different modes of converter operation, along with design equations for sizing the voltage-boosting capacitors, is detailed. The effect of capacitance on boost voltage and increased motor base speed is presented. Simulation and experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed converter.