Effects of inverter supply on the iron loss characteristics of doubly fed induction machines

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of inverter supply on the iron loss characteristics of slip-ring induction machines. Pulse width modulated (PWM) voltage supply on the stator side, as well as a doubly fed operation mode with rotor-sided inverter, are investigated. Design/methodology/approach - An inverter fed machine model is coupled to previously developed eddy current and hysteresis loss models. The eddy current model is based on a finite element method and considers the three-dimensional (3D) eddy current distribution in the steel sheets. The hysteresis losses are computed by a static Preisach vector model. Findings - It is found that under stator-sided inverter supply the eddy current losses do significantly increase when compared to sinusoidal feeding, contributing to a total loss increase of 10-15 percent. In doubly fed operation, the additional losses are generally lower owing to the winding topology of the studied machine. Research limitations/implications - The analyses presented are restricted to single PWM pattern only. The influences of different PWM parameters remain to be investigated in future. Practical implications - Regarding practical applications, the reduced additional losses in doubly fed configurations can be considered as a further advantage when competing against other topologies available. Originality/value - The 3D eddy current model is applied for the first time to quantify the effects of inverter supply. Furthermore, the presented studies on the iron losses in doubly fed operation are original and of practical value for designers and researches.