Impact of Converter Modulation Strategies on the Losses in a Traction Motor

Abstract: With an increased demand on high-efficiency electrical machines in traction applications, better understanding in the losses induced by the converter is needed. The harmonic losses from the converter are non-negligible part of the total losses in an induction machine, and these harmonic losses have been studied here with a focus on iron, skin-effect and proximity losses. The main goal of the thesis is to advise how the modulation method can be changed to lower these time harmonic losses in an induction machine. A model of the induction machine was created in the FEM(Finite Element Method) software FLUX. The iron, the proximity and the skin-effect losses were simulated in the FLUX model with different modulation method to analyse the time harmonic losses due to respective phenomena. The modulation method at higher operation is square-wave modulation, this is due to that maximum fundamental voltage has been reached. At lower operation, pulse width modulation is used, and the switching frequency can be increased to lower the time harmonics losses in the motor. The iron losses simulated in FLUX show that the losses increase with frequency even if the motor enters flux weakening operation at higher frequencies. The proximity phenomena gives rise to a distinct increase of resistive losses in the conductor closest to the air gap in the stator winding. The skin-effect phenomena affects the losses at square-wave modulation of high frequencies mostly as the time harmonics are larger and of low order.