Study of Voltage Spikes and Temperature Rise in Power Module Based Integrated Converter for 48 V 20 kW Electrically Excited Synchronous Machines

Electrically Excited Synchronous Motor (EESM) has become an option for electric vehicles, and in order to drive an EESM, an integrated converter is preferred for its compact design so that the machine and the converter can be combined together as a package to deliver power. Therefore, an integrated converter for driving a 48 V 20 kW EESM in mild hybrid applications is designed and tested. Attention is paid to voltage spikes and temperature rises, which are the challenges for a compact design with low voltage but high current ratings. Results show that the idea of integrated converter for EESM is practical and promising. Several suggestions for integrated converter design are given as well.