A Four-Level Rectifier-Inverter System for Drive Applications

Abstract

In a motor drive, the converters must be able to handle bidirectional real power flow. So far, DC voltage balancing has not been satisfactorily discussed for the case when real power is drawn from the inverter. This article addresses the control issues involved in a four-level inverter based AC drive application. The DC capacitor voltages are balanced for both motoring and regenerating modes of the inverter-motor system. In addition, DC voltages can be balanced even during motor startup with the associated large overcurrents.