A 20 KW matrix converter drive system for an electro-mechanical aircraft (EMA) actuator

This paper describes the design, construction and testing of a 20 KW matrix converter driven electromechanical actuator for an aircraft rudder demonstrator. The converter has been built using three custom designed modules each one containing a number of 600 V, 300 A IGBT's and diodes sufficient to form a single output phase together with back to back diodes to detect the output current direction used in the commutation strategy. Practical results are shown. Description of the control structure, power circuit design, over voltage clamp circuit and practical results of the converter operating as an actuator position controller are presented