A fully integrated 30kW motor drive using matrix converter technology

This paper explores the viability of using direct power converter technology to realize integrated motor drives, at power levels significantly higher than is possible with traditional approaches, fitting within the same space envelope as an equivalent motor. The integrated motor design was targeted at pump and fan applications where the need to install motor drives in a separate location is often an impediment to the replacement of fixed speed motors. In order to achieve this objective the thermal and electrical design of the integrated drive have to be considered together. This paper presents the final design that achieves all these objectives, including fully tested and evaluated demonstrations of the power converter and the cooling arrangements. The final integrated motor drive design only differs from a standard motor in terms of one end plate, the terminal box and the shaft driven fan. Full practical results of the 30kW demonstrator are presented in the paper.