Multilevel Six-Phase Machine Drive System Composed of Three-level

And Two-Level Inverters

Abstract – In this paper, an open-end nine-leg six-phase motor drive system is proposed. The configuration comprises
two three-level inverters, composed of NPC circuits, and one two-level inverter. The system model of the topology is
presented. The identification of the switching behavior of the system, performed by a tool direclty applied to multi-
dimensional vector spaces, using SV-PWM strategy, is described. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the applied
tool. Experimental results are also included.

I. I NTRODUCTION
Multilevel inverters have extensively been studied in the last decades and they play an important role in high-power medium-
voltage drive systems site. These technologies, present in AC power supplies and static VAR compensators, for example, solve
problems related to current and voltage limits of power switching converters [1].
Multilevel converters are widely used in medium and high-voltage high-power applications. These systems, whose legs are
composed of an array of power semiconductors and capacitor voltage sources, offer many advantages compared with two-level
converters, such as the increase of the voltage operating capability with medium-power semiconductor devices, reduction of
harmonic distortion, less stress on power switches and lower common-mode voltages, to name a few [1]–[3]. Cascaded H-
Bridge (CHB), capacitor clamped or flying capacitor (FC) and neutral-point-clamped (NPC) are well-established multilevel
converter topologies in literature and industry [3], [4].
Multiphase machine drives have gained substantial attention in the last twenty years, mainly because recent studies of its
applications in electric and hybrid electric vehicles, aircraft and ship. In comparison with three-phase machines, multiphase
machines present advantages such as higher efficiency, less susceptibility to time-harmonic components, greater fault tolerance
and reduction of required rating of power electronic components [5].
Six-phase induction machine is a common type of multiphase machine drive. Also known as dual stator induction machine
(DSIM), it is composed of two sets of three-phase windings spatially shifted by an angle α, whose values are generally 30 or
60 electrical degrees [6].
One of the simplest six-phase induction machine drive systems is the full bridge configuration, composed of six legs with
two switches each. A topology based on three three-leg inverters associated to a six-phase squirrel-cage induction machine
with two isolated neutral points is presented in [7]. Hybrid topologies, involving two-level converters and three-level NPC
converters, were investigated in [8]. A system based on three two-level three-phase inverters is discussed in [9]. In this paper,
it is proposed an open-end six-phase motor drive system based on two three-level voltage source inverters, composed of NPC
circuits, and one two-level inverter. The configuration is illustrated in Fig. 1 and its simplified circuit is presented in Fig. 2. Its
single-phase modules present cascaded connections and a DC-link capacitor bank is associated to each one of them. Just like
in the other topologies mentioned, the increase of the number of switches in the proposed circuit, compared to the full bridge
configuration, is justified by the benefits brought by the new system, such as the reduction of voltage and power processed by
the switches and less harmonic distortion.
The operation of multilevel converters can be performed with several pulse-width modulation (PWM) methods. Two of the
most common methods in literature are the multilevel carrier-based PWM (CB-PWM) and the multilevel space vector PWM
(SV-PWM) [10]–[12]. In the first one, the switching algorithm is applied separately to each converter phase. In the second
one, the application of the switching algorithm is made in all phases together. Factors caused by multilevel converters, such
as the increased number of levels, voltage vector redundancies and zero commom mode voltage vectors, are better employed
by SV-PWM [13], [14].
In this paper, the converter voltages of the proposed circuit are first presented. Then, the steps to identify the switching
behavior of the system, based on SV-PWM strategy, are detailed. Simulation results are given to allow the comparison between
topologies involving two-level and three-level inverters. Lastly, preliminary experimental results are shown.

II. S YSTEM M ODEL

Expressions (1) to (3) are determined based on Kirchhoff’s laws. The stator currents of the six-phase machine are represented
by ia(2j−1) , ib(2j) and icj (with j = {1, 2, 3}) in (1). In (2) and (3), the terms vsx (with x = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}) are the stator
voltages of the system. The RLE model is used to represent the machine. The pole voltages of the proposed system can be
measured between converter legs midpoints (a1 , a3 , a5 , b2 , b4 , b6 , c1 , c2 and c3 in Fig. 1) and the DC-link midpoints (0a , 0b
and 0c in Fig. 1). In Table I, the possible pole voltages vaj0a for the three-level converter A in Fig. 1 are presented according
to the states of the keys qajk and q ajk , with j = {1, 3, 5} and k = {1, 2}. The results are based on (4). With expressions (5)
and (6) it is possible to calculate the pole voltages vbj0b and vcj0c for the three-level converter B and the two-level converter
C, respectively.
  
  
  

  

 

   
 

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Fig. 1. Proposed system

  
 
   
       
  

  


 
    
 
       
      


  
   

  
       
     


 
  

    
  

     
  
  

   

Fig. 2. Simplified circuit of the proposed system

icj = ia(2j−1) + ib(2j) , j = {1, 2, 3} (1)

dia(2x−1)
vsx = esx + ls + rs ia(2x−1) , x = {1, 3, 5} (2)
dt
dib(2x)
vsx = esx + ls + rs ib(2x−1) , x = {2, 4, 6} (3)
dt

TABLE I
P OSSIBLE POLE VOLTAGES vaj0a

vaj0a sa qaj1 qaj2 q aj1 q aj2

− vCa
2
0 0 0 1 1
0 0.5 0 1 1 0
vCa
2
1 1 1 0 0
 vCa
vaj0a = (2sa − 1) , j = {1, 3, 5}, sa = {0, 0.5, 1} (4)
2
vCb
vbj0b = (2sb − 1) , j = {2, 4, 6}, sb = {0, 0.5, 1} (5)
2
vCa
vcj0c = (2sc − 1) , j = {1, 2, 3}, sc = {0, 1} (6)
2
The converter voltages vsx with x = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} can be expressed as a function of vaj0a , vbj0b and vcj0c , that is,

vs1 = va10a − vc10c − v0ac (7)

vs2 = vb10b − vc10c − v0bc (8)
vs3 = va30a − vc20c − v0ac (9)
vs4 = vb20b − vc20c − v0bc (10)
vs5 = va50a − vc30c − v0ac (11)
vs6 = vb60b − vc20c − v0bc (12)
where v0ac and v0bc are given by

3
1X
v0ac = va(2k−1)0a − vck0c (13)
3
k=1
3
1 X
v0bc = vb(2k)0b − vck0c (14)
3
k=1

assuming the system is symmetric, i.e., vs1 + vs3 + vs5 = 0 and vs2 + vs4 + vs6 = 0.

III. SV-PWM S TRATEGY

A tool direclty applied to multi-dimensional vector spaces was developed to identify the switching behavior of the inverter,
using SV-PWM strategy. It is considered that the inverter operates with equal DC-link voltages, i.e., vCa = vCb = vCc . The
strategies related to different DC-link voltages in the nine-leg system will be discussed in the final version of the paper.
Considering the symmetries of the system, it is possible to reduce the six converter voltages vsx , with x = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6},
to four converter voltages (vd1 ,vq1 ,vd2 and vq2 ), so that a four-dimensional system is obtained. To do so, dq transform is used,
as expressed in (15) and (16). The values calculated are represented in a four-dimensional vector space, whose dimensions are
given by vd1 , vq1 , vd2 and vq2 .

 
  r   vs1
v 1 − 21 − 12  
 d1  = 2  (15)
√ √
vs3 
  
vq 1 3 0 3
− 23
2
vs5

 
  r   v
s2
v 1 − 21 − 12  
 d2  = 2  (16)
√ √
vs4 
  
vq 2 3 0 3
− 23
2
vs6
The four converter voltages obtained with different combinations of converter switches are represented by a four-dimensional
spacial vector, (vd1 , vq1 , vd2 , vq2 ). These vectors are used to define the vertices of a four-dimensional sector in the four-
dimensional vector space vd1 x vq1 x vd2 x vq2 . In other words, each combination of power switch states [qa11 , qa12 , qa31 ,
qa32 , qa51 , qa52 , qb21 , qb22 , qb41 , qb42 , qb61 , qb62 , qc11 , qc12 , qc21 , qc22 , qc31 , qc32 ] is related to a point in the four-dimensional
structure vd1 x vq1 x vd2 x vq2 .
According to SV-PWM strategy, it is possible to synthesize a reference vector, given by (vd∗1 , vq∗1 , vd∗2 , vq∗2 ), inside a
sector defined by its nearest spacial vectors. Based on this statement, a four-dimensional sector that contains the point
(vd∗1 , vq∗1 , vd∗2 , vq∗2 ) is found by the tool in the four-dimensional vector space vd1 x vq1 x vd2 x vq2 . Among the 36 × 23 = 5832
possible spacial vectors that can be generated considering all switching states of the proposed system, only 1771 of them are
non-redundant. Five of them must be chosen to synthesize the four-dimensional reference vector. The selection of these five
vectors is made using (17), whose extended version is presented in (18). In (17), T is the switching time matrix, Vs is the matrix
composed of all spacial vector coordinates, Vvs comprises all reference vector coordinates and tc is the total switching time,
given by (19). In (18), tx (with x = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}) corresponds to the switching time of spacial vector Vx , whose coordinates
are vdx1 ,vqx1 ,vdx2 and vqx2 . The coordinates of the reference vector V ∗ are vd∗1 ,vq∗1 ,vd∗2 and vq∗2 in (18).

T = Vs−1 Vvs tc (17)

   −1  
t v1 vd21 vd31 vd41 vd51 v∗
 1  d1   d1 
t  v 1 vq21 vq31 vq41 vq51   ∗
 2  q1   vq 1 
     
t3  = v 1 vd22 vd32 vd42 vd52   ∗ 
   d2  vd2  tc (18)
   1   ∗
t4 
 
 vq
 2 vq22 vq32 vq42 vq52 
  vq 2 
 
t5 1 1 1 1 1 1
5
X
tc = tk (19)
k=1
The conditions to apply expression (17) and (18) are that Vs must be invertible, the switching times tx with x = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
must be non-negative and expression (19) needs to be satisfied. The tool chooses the first suitable alternative among all possible
groups that satisfy such expressions and conditions. Strategies that significantly reduced the computational effort involved in
such selection were applied in the tool.
After selecting the five spacial vectors to synthesize the reference vector and determining the switching times related to each
one of them, the tool identifies a switching combination that generates such spacial vectors. The pole voltages are obtained
applying the switching states in (4) to (6). Finally, the results are used in (7) to (14) to calculate the six converter voltages of
the system.
IV. S IMULATION R ESULTS
The simulation result for converter voltage vs1 using a nine-leg topology with three two-level converters is shown in Fig.
3(a) . In Fig 3(b), the result for the same converter voltage is presented using the proposed system. In both cases, α = 0◦ .
When the topology of Fig. 1 is applied, the number of voltage levels increases from nine (Fig. 3(a)) to seventeen, reducing
harmonic distortions at the converter output. Voltage and power processed by converter switches are also reduced.

1.5 1.5

1 1

0.5 0.5
vs1 (pu)

vs1 (pu)

0 0

−0.5 −0.5

−1 −1

−1.5 −1.5
0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0 0.005 0.01 0.015
t (s) t (s)

(a) (b)

Fig. 3. Converter phase voltage vs1 . (a) Nine-leg configuration with three two-level converters. (b) Proposed converter

V. P RELIMINARY E XPERIMENTAL R ESULTS

Power devices from SEMIKRON, with IGBTs with dedicaded drives (SKHI23) and a digital signal processor (DSP)
TMS320F28335 were used to implement a nine-leg topology in laboratory. The configuration comprises two-level modules.
It presents equal DC-links feeding two three-phase sets (named “a” and “b”) composed of RL systems. The parameters used
were: DC-link voltages equal to 100V , resistance R equal to 50Ω and inductance L equal to L = 7mH.
The experimental results are presented in Figs. 4 and 5 to α = 0◦ and α = 30◦ , respectively. In Figs. 4(a) and 5(a), the
voltages generated in the first phase of each set (yellow curve to set “a” and green curve to set “b”) are shown. In Figs. 4(b)
and 5(b), four currents can be seen: the yellow and the green ones, respectively related to the first and second phases of set
“a” and the blue and the red ones, referent to the first and second phases of set “b”.
The graphs related to all inverter voltages of the proposed configuration (related to expressions (7) to (12)) and discussions
about the system considering α = 30◦ and α = 60◦ will be presented in the final version of the paper.
 (a) (b)

Fig. 4. Experimental results of six-phase machine with α = 0◦ (a) System voltages (b) System currents

(a) (b)

Fig. 5. Experimental results of six-phase machine with α = 30◦ (a) System voltages (b) System currents

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