Performance Comparison and Demonstration of 3-L Voltage Source Inverters Using 3.3 kV SiC MOSFETs for 2.3 kV High Speed Induction Motor Drive Applications

Medium voltage direct-drive high-speed motor results in better efficiency and reduces the compressor system’s footprint in the oil and gas industry. This paper investigates the employment and the performance evaluation of the recently developed 3.3 kV SiC MOSFET power modules for a 2.3 kV three-phase high-speed motor drive application. Performance of the three popular three-level (3-L) converter topology, namely NPC, ANPC, and T-type, enabled by the 3.3 kV SiC MOSFETs and diodes is evaluated and compared with a 3.3 kV IGBT-based 2.3 kV drive system. At 10 kHz switching frequency, the test results show that the 3.3 kV SiC MOSFET-based 3-L NPC inverter has superior performance to the other 3-L converters at the motor frequency of 300 Hz. The 3.3 kV SiC MOSFET-based drive system is shown to have a significant improvement in reliability, power density, and efficiency in comparison to the 3.3 kV IGBT-based drive system. The 3.3 kV MOSFET module is demonstrated successfully using the heat run test in the 3-L inverter pole at 10 kHz switching frequency in the laboratory.