Investigation on Operational Range and Suitable Control for Single Phase to Three Phase Matrix Converter

1-ϕ to 3-ϕ power conversion through AC-DC-AC converters, involves a large electrolytic capacitor in the DC link to handle instantaneous power mismatch between input and output stages. With increasing need for reliable, compact, and high power density converters, it has become imperative to look for alternate converter topologies. The 1-ϕ to 3-ϕ matrix converter facilitates bi-directional, single stage AC-AC conversion of power without any intervening energy storage element. Although the absence of energy storage augments a compact design, it also leads to compromised power quality, at the 3-ϕ output (or 1-ϕ input). Interestingly, 1-ϕ to 3-ϕ matrix converter displays desirable power quality performance for inductive loads over low output frequencies. Through mathematical analysis, simulation and experimental results, this paper illustrates that with the right choice of control technique for a suitable operational range, it is possible to significantly improve the power quality performance of the converter on both input as well as output sides. The superiority of multi-objective finite state model predictive control (MO-FS-MPC) is presented over classical techniques through a range of simulation and experimental results.