2) United States Patent Lacaze (54) MATRIX CONVERTER (75) Inventor: Alain Lacaze, Bssert (FR) (73) Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd, Baden (CH) (8) Notice: Subject to any dislsimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 USC. 1S4¢b) by 0 days. Appl. No. 11/863,464 Filed: Sep. 28,2007 Prior Publication Data US 200810055953.\1 Mar. 6, 2008 Related Application Data (63) Continuation of application No. PCT/EP2006) (060617, filed on Mae. 10, 2006, G0) Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 31,2008 (CH) oss7/0s 6) Inc. HOM 5727 (2006.01), 023 1/10 (200601), US.Cl 36¥10; 363165; 3631149 360/159 Fleld of Classification Search 3649, ‘68/10, 65, 136, 148, 149, 182,159, 175 318/123, 244, 245, 496, 800; 307/3 ‘Se application ile for complete search history. 66) References Cited US. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5894636 A 1/1997. Schanler 'US007460377B2 (10) Patent No.: US 7,460,377 B2 4s) Date of Patent: Dec. 2, 2008 S9896572 A * 911999 Bernt s6v59 @s10.70 B2* 22003 Lacaze cal sess 6771324 B2* 82001 Much 363100 20040022081 AL 22004 Erickson eal FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 42002 42002 De EP 10051222 (OTHER PUBLICATIONS 4.W. Kola otal, "Novel Thece-Phase AD-DC-AC Sparse Matix ‘Converter, APEC 2002, 17TH, Anmual IEEE Applied Power Elo tronics Conference and Exposition, Dallas, TX; Mat. 10-14, 2002, Amal Applied Power Elestromes Conference, New Yr, NY IEE ol 2 of 2, Caf. 17, Mat 10, 2002 pp. 777-797 ‘xiang Wel etal, “Matrix Converter Topologies With Reduced ‘Number of Switches”, SRD, Annual IEEE Power Electronics Spe sinlit Conference, Pese 2002, Conference Prvostings, Cains ‘Queensland, Ausra, Jun, 23-27, 2002, Annual Powe Eecroice ‘Specialists Conference, New Yrk, NY: IEEE, US, wo? of 4, Cont * cited by examiner Gary L Laxton Darby & Darby Primary Examiner (74) Attorney, Agent, or Frm 6 ABSTRACT A matrix converter for converting a polyphase altemating current into a desired alternating output current includes at Teast two stages; a phralty of controllable bidirectional switches, converts mi phases of the polyphase alternating ‘crtent nto alternating opt current with m (acm) phases oF 4 load; and a controllable bidirectional switeh eontolling ‘ach phase ofthe polyphase alternating cureat in at leastone ‘Stage of the converte. 18 Claims, 4 Drawing SheetsUS 7,460,377 B2 Sheet 1 of 4 Dec. 2, 2008 U.S, Patent (uy 4014) 181g JUS 7,460,377 B2 Sheet 2 of 4 Dec. 2, 2008 U.S, Patent (UY 40H) x (uy 4oud) 22gUS 7,460,377 B2 Sheet 3 of 4 Dec. 2, 2008 U.S, PatentUS 7,460,377 B2 Sheet 4 of 4 Dec. 2, 2008 U.S, PatentUS 7,460,377 B2 1 MATRIX CONVERTER This application is a continuation of Intemational Patent Application No. PCT/EP2006I060617, filed on Mar. 10, 2006, which claims priority to Swiss Patent Application No. (C1100587/05, fled on Mar 1, 2005. The entice disclosure of both applications is incorporated by reference herein ‘he present invention relates to the fick! of high phase ‘ondee generator equipment with power electronics. The present invention in particular relates io matrix converter for the conversion of electrical power, whieh is typically con- nected tow generator for conversion of generated polyphase altemating curent from the generator into a polyphase ater- nating curent adapted tothe grid. BACKGROUND In power generation, at a specified output, an ineease of the rotary specd ofa turbine is associated with a decrease ia sizeand costs. Ficiency too, can be improved. So far, power 2 ‘generation turbines upto 70 MW are connected to generators by way of gearing arrangements, so as 0 allow operation at higher urbine rotary speeds. As the ouput increases, the use reasons, In sch eases the turbine is operated at syncheonotls spe. ‘The use of static frequency converters (power electronics) represents an alternative providing maay advantages such as resluced costs ofthe generator in agreement witha constant product of volume and rotational speed, standardized weners- tors for both $O and 60 Hz, adjustable speed which allows restoration ofthe panial-load efficieney of te turbine, sub- stantial reduction in noise, clean (oil-free) cooling. et ‘Both in the ease of power generation and in the ease of drives, 2 rexhtion in losses the state frequency converters ‘would bring about substantial est savings. reduction of the losses would above all have a bearing on investment costs because cooling accounts for a substantial part ofthe total ‘costs of the converte. Static frequency converters exist both with indirect, AC/DCIAC conversion and with direct ACZAC conversion. ‘The indiroot conversion (ACIDC/AC) is eansed by gener ‘ating a diroot current ora directed direct voltage from the three-phase source (mains in the ease of motors: generator in the ease of power generation) Subsequently, the direst eur= rent othe direct voltae is converted back fo an alternating ccurent by means of an inverter. An inductance (current source converter) or a eapacitor bank (voltage source con- verter is switched into te intermediate circuit so aso reduce the ripple component ofthe eurrent ar the spikes. "Todays lange direct and indirect eurrent converters make use of thyristors. IT natural commutation of the thyristors is possible, the losses in the converter are reduced. Voltage source converters use GTOs with thei inherent high switeh- ing losses, 28 wellas IGBTs or IGCTs. The power capability ‘of the individual components is fess than that of thyristors, ‘consequently, larger numberof components are reguired for a specified volage and a specified current, Vollage source ‘converters can benefit from the use of pulse-width moda tion techniques, which improve the shape of the curent ‘curves and reduce the harmonics. The higher the switching Jrequencies the beter, except with regard 0 losses and delec- tee fatigue, The current can largely’ he produced sine shaped s0 that a derating of power of the electrical machine is voided, Direct conversion (AC/AC) is for example possible by means ofa so-called eyclo-converter, Direct conversion pro- 0 o 2 vides significant advantages from the point of view of the clectrical machine, because the current ie more or less sine- shaped rather than chopped direct current. It reduces the losses, which occur additionally in the electrical machine, and it also prevents pulsating torques lowever, the use of 3-phase cyelo-converters limits the achievable feequeney range to 0-4 ofthe inpot frequency. A S-phase cyclo-converter is made of 3 single phase cyelo- converters, each processing, Y4 of the power in balanced ‘operation, Excecding the limit in frequency ratio resus ia a strongly unbalanced operation. Then each single phase tyelo-converier should be designed for more than of the {ull power. The over dimensioning can be up toa factor of 3 in power rating. Another possibility of direct conversion is provided by 3 so-called matrix converter in which each phase of mult phase source (generator or main) is connected ar connect- fable with eacl phase of a multi-phase load (mains, passive load, motors, et.) by 2 bi-directional switch. The switches ‘consist of an adequate numberof thyristors withstand the ‘ifferential voltage between the phases, and the phase cur rons, and to allow current reversal. They can be regarded as tnaly bislncctional components with the options of jointly using addtional wiring such as snubbers or the gate unit power supplies forthe dive pulses for he antiparallel com ponents ‘The switches ae arranged inn (mx)-matri atm phases of the source and n phases of the load. This provides the ‘option of establishing any desired connections between the input phases and the output phases. However at the same time ithas the disadvantage in that certain switching sates ofthe ‘matrix must not be allowed since otherwise Tor example a short circuit would result Purhermore its desirable to cary ‘out commutation from one phase to another phase such that the lowest possible switching losses result. ‘USS Pat. No, 5,594,636 describes a matrix converter and process for its operation in which commutation between the phases partly carried out asa natural commutation, with a {orced commutation where natural commutation is not pos- sible, Although with this type of selection, switehing losses fare reduced due to natural commitation, those switching losses that arise from forced commutation sill remain. Furs thermore, the possible forced commutation necessitates the ‘use inal postions on the matrix, of components that can be switched off. This considerably increases the switching expenditure However, itis possible to operate a matrix converter ina ‘way that only natal commntations are being used. Tis ean be achieved by only allowing the switching over from 2 selected connected phase ofthe generator to-a selected not connected phase of the generator only if certain cond fare met. Such a matrix eouverter as well as a mode of its ‘operation has been disclosed in DE-A-10051222 as well sia the comesponding Furopean application FP-A-119974 ‘While being ot high efficiency and versatility, the eoneept of ‘matrix converter and its mode of operation generally suffer rom weaknesses for certain applications with respect to ar- ‘monic distortion and with respect t possible frequency ‘SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ‘improved matrix converter for the conversion of polyphase altemating eurrent/voltage eg provided by a generator into 9 {sired altemating output currentvoltage- This in the field of ‘matrix converter converting polyphase altemating eurent