Output Voltage Overshoot Suppression Control for Multilevel Inverter Architectures

Wide-bandgap (WBG) power semiconductor devices have acquired more and more interest in power circuits, since they allow to operate at higher switching frequencies and temperatures compared to the conventional silicon-based devices, while also improving efficiency and power density. In electric drive applications they can produce significant electrical stress at the machine terminals due to their inherently elevated voltage gradients (dv/dt), hence resulting in a reduced lifetime of the entire system. Voltage overshoot at the electrical machine terminals depends on many factors, such as voltage dv/dt, cables type and length, electrical machines input impedance etc. In this paper, a novel control based on a recent multilevel drive architecture is presented. This control is able to minimize the voltage overshoot at the terminals of an electrical machine independently form the system layout, increasing the overall reliability and lifetime of the winding’s insulation system.