Analysis and selection of two- and three-level low voltage converter circuit topologies for high speed electric drive applications

This article presents results of a selection of a power converter circuit topology for high speed electric drive applications. A spindle driver unit design is focused on a fundamental output frequency up to 1500 Hz. The selection was conducted among power modules of a 12th class of world's leading manufacturers for a rated current of 300-400 A. The power losses of most industrial two- and three-level topologies based on silicon insulated-gate bipolar transistors and silicon carbide metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors were detailed analyzed at various power factors, modulation indexes and pulse width modulation frequencies. This research allowed to determine an efficiency of power modules of different topologies in various applications. Finally, the three-level T-type circuit topology was selected for a unified design of the power supply unit and the spindle driver unit due to optimum ratio between the power losses, a price and a module size at a pulse width modulation carrier frequency of 16 kHz. There are also presented features of the power losses of the T-type circuit topology, such as the higher power losses at the low modulation index. This information could be used for the converter design and test.