Transient distribution of voltages in induction machine stator windings resulting from switching of power electronics

The fields of application of adjustable speed drives fed by voltage source inverters is constantly increasing. For better exploitation of the system's capabilities all drive components are more and more operated near and even above their rated values. This leads to more strains for the drive. However, at the same time the demands for reliability are also increasing. To reach this requirement different strategies like fault tolerant design, fault detection and condition monitoring can be implemented. However, to implement such strategies a deep understanding of the effects that lead to problems or faults in the drive system is necessary. The fast switching of modern voltage source inverters leads to transient overvoltage stressing the machine's insulation system. A short literature study presenting the characteristic of and the parameters influencing the non-linear voltage distribution in the stator winding of inverter-fed machines will be presented. Furthermore the findings will be compared with experimental results on an induction machine with tapped windings.