Harmonics mitigation in LCI-fed synchronous motor drives

Abstract

A load-commutated inverter (LCI) fed synchronous motor (SM) is operated as an adjustable speed drive (ASD) in high-power applications. These drives are known as commutatorless motor (CLM) drives and posses many promising features like high efficiency, economic operation, and flexibility of control in high-power ratings. The CLM drives are used in compressors, blowers, fans, pumps, and mill drives for a range of industries as mining, water treatment plants, chemical, paper, textile, cement, rolling mills, and petrochemical plants. However, the power quality (PQ) problems at ac mains have been the concerns in these drives as the LCI has front-end thyristor converter injecting harmonics in the supply. This paper investigates various topologies for the mitigation of PQ problems in LCI-fed SM drives using multipulse ac-dc converters. A set of hybrid topologies is proposed, which use a combination of a passive filter with a multipulse converter to feed CLM. A basis for selection of a suitable ac-dc converter is presented for PQ improvement at the input mains of the LCI-fed SM drives.