Direct Torque Control of Induction Motor with Common-Mode Voltage Elimination

If the common-mode voltage in the induction motor drive is not eliminated, it may cause failure of motor bearings and malfunctioning of the electrical equipment associated with the drive. This article proposes the modified direct torque control technique to control the induction motor fed by three-level inverter, commonly called a neutral-point-clamped inverter. The selective voltage vectors in three-level inverter determine elimination of the common-mode voltage. The classic three-level direct torque control based on selection of 6-full, 6-half, and 2-zero voltage vectors out of available 27 is modified so that the 6-intermediate voltage vectors and a zero voltage vector are employed. A comparative investigation with another three-level direct torque controlmethod which reduces both common-mode voltage and torque ripple is also carried out. These methods are compared with classic two-level direct torque control method in context of common-mode voltage, torque ripple, current total harmonic distortion (THD) and DC-link utilization. The simulation and experimental results validate the proposed common-mode voltage elimination and common-mode voltage reduction direct torque control techniques.