Integrated Induction Motor Drive for Variable Speed Industrial Applications

Integration of motor and power converter while leveraging wide-bandgap devices represents an emerging trend in motor drive systems, offering reduction in complexity, compactness, and cost savings. However, the integration of power converters into motors poses several challenges including limited space, high temperatures, and exposure to leaking magnetic flux within electric machines. This study presents a gallium nitride high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT)-based integrated motor drive (IMD) system, where the printed circuit board (PCB) layout of the power stage is optimized and the thermal dissipation is enhanced through a redesign of the endcap. Additionally, a single-phase power factor correction front-end with a power pulsation buffer is proposed to integrate a rectifier into the motor. Experimental tests validate the variable frequency operation of the integrated system. This article addresses remedies to challenges in design of integrated power converter, electromagnetic compatibility, and thermal management. The proposed solution includes a power pulsation buffer to reduce dc-link capacitance and an optimal half-bridge layout to minimize stray inductance, thereby enhancing the performance of the IMD system.