Soft switching drive for a megawatt class, variable speed, motor/generator
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Abstract
An auxiliary resonant commutated pole (ARCP) converter, rated for an output of 2 MW at 250Hz, has been built and is undergoing tests at the Center for Electromechanics (CEM) of the University of Texas at Austin. The converter is the bi-directional link between a power DC bus and an energy storage flywheel driven by an induction motor/generator. This paper highlights the technical solutions implemented at CEM to insure proper functioning of the ARCP converter when driving various electrical loads including the 2 MW 15,000 rpm induction motor/generator are reported. A new topology for a soft-switching converter is also proposed that addresses many of the issues encountered in the course of this development and some comparisons are made regarding the application of soft-switching ARCP-type converters versus their hard-switched counterpart.