Zero-Voltage-Switching Current Source Inverter Fed PMSM Drives with Reduced EMI

The silicon carbide (SiC) devices have attracted more and more attention due to the capability of withstanding higher blocking voltage, higher switching frequency, and higher temperature. However, challenges for SiC devices applied in voltage-source-inverter fed motor drives such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues and limited over-current capability still limit the further application of SiC devices. In this article, a novel SiC devices based zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) current-source-inverter (CSI) is proposed for permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive. The key is to propose an auxiliary resonant circuit, which achieves ZVS conditions for all switches in power circuits and reduces the dv/dt of high speed SiC devices. The resonant capacitor in the auxiliary circuit can clamp overvoltage caused by possible open-circuit faults. To further reduce the EMI, the random switching frequency pulsewidth modulation is designed for the proposed CSI motor drive. The system configuration, working principle, circuit design, and control schemes are described in detail. Both simulations and experiments are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed ZVS-CSI fed PMSM drive system.