Design and Development of a Multiphase Inverter for Automotive Applications

Abstract

This work describes the development of a multiphase inverter that can operate as a platform for driving and testing electrical machines with up to 15 phases, in addition, it can operate with a fundamental frequency of up to 1 kHz and a switching frequency of 100 kHz. Therefore, a multiphase voltage source inverter (VSI) topology using SiC MOSFETs and approved components for automotive applications was designed and constructed. The developed platform is composed of independent power modules and a control module with technology that uses only a single microcontroller capable of generating all signals with pulse width modulation (PWM). To validate the inverter, experimental tests were carried out with a YASA (Yokeless and Segmented Armature) machine that can operate with 3, 5, or 15 phases and also with multi-star connections, one with three independent systems of five phases and another with five independent three-phase systems. Experimental results show that the inverter is capable of driving and testing multiphase machines with a wide variety of electrical connections using high fundamental and carrier frequencies. Therefore, the developed platform is an important tool that allows the testing of multiphase and multi-star electrical machines operating under the most diverse configurations and operating conditions.

Keywords

• Multi-star inverter
• Multiphase inverter
• SiC MOSFET
• Automotive inverter
• YASA motor