High-Efficiency Turboelectric Propulsion Drive based on Medium-Voltage SiC Indirect Matrix Converter

Turboelectric propulsion is one of the most promising technologies to reduce fuel burn for large aircraft, compared to all-electric propulsion technologies which have limited power density with batteries. However, the conventional two-stage voltage source back-to-back power converter between the ac-power from a generator and the desired ac power for a propulsion motor typically exhibits low efficiency and low power density. In this paper, an indirect matrix converter (IMC) based on Silicon Carbide MOSFETs is investigated for direct ac-ac power conversion between the generator and the propulsion motor. The IMC does not require any bulky dc-link capacitor bank or inductors, and the output current is more sinusoidal, eliminating the need of a lossy sinewave or dv/dt filter. Moreover, to reduce the cable weight and system copper losses in aircraft electrical systems, medium-voltage dc of 2∼3 kV is adopted to develop the IMC. Simulation results are presented to evaluate the performance of the IMC based aircraft turboelectric propulsion drive.