Common-mode voltage reduction in a motor drive system with a power factor correction

Abstract

Common-mode voltage generated by a power converter in combination with parasitic capacitive couplings is a potential source of shaft voltage in an AC motor drive system. In this study, a three-phase motor drive system supplied with a single-phase AC–DC diode rectifier is investigated in order to reduce shaft voltage in a three-phase AC motor drive system. In this topology, the AC–DC diode rectifier influences the common-mode voltage generated by the inverter because the placement of the neutral point is changing in different rectifier circuit states. A pulse width modulation technique is presented by a proper placement of the zero vectors to reduce the common-mode voltage level, which leads to a cost-effective shaft voltage reduction technique without load current distortion, while keeping the switching frequency constant. Analysis, simulations and experimental implementation have been presented to investigate the proposed method.