A new matrix converter-motor (MCM) for industry applications

The trend in electrical drives is to integrate the frequency converter, the electrical motor and even the gear or the pump into a single unit, in order to reduce the costs and to increase the overall efficiency and the equipment reliability. This paper presents the first integrated regenerative frequency converter-motor for industry applications, based on a matrix converter topology. The low volume, the sinusoidal input current, the bi-directional power flow and the lack of the bulky and limited-lifetime electrolytic capacitors recommend this topology for this application. This paper shows how the matrix converter disadvantages-the lack of bi-directional power devices, the lower voltage transfer ratio, the lack of ride-through capability and the overvoltages caused by the input filter during power-up-which have delayed the industrial implementation, have been overcome. In order to demonstrate the validity of the solution, a 4 kW matrix converter-motor (MCM) prototype is built using a standard frequency converter-motor enclosure and tested to meet the requirements for an industrial drive.