A control method of matrix converter for plasma control coil power supply

Since a tokamak fusion reactor will require a fast response and precise power supply to control the coil current, we propose a matrix converter configuration, as a candidate, having a filter in a load side and smaller elements than a conventional matrix converter. Coil current control performance of the candidate converter has been evaluated by a simulation model using the code “PSCAD/EMTDC.” Simulated circuit parameters were: 30 mH for the load coil, 1 kV for the matrix converter input voltage, and ∼100 A for the output coil current. The PWM (pulse width modulation) control using triangular carrier modulation of a 10 kHz carrier frequency was adopted as the control method. The simulation results show that the settling delay time of coil current in the step variation is ∼1 ms. The transient response performance of the simulated coil current to the reference current was good. We have come to a condition that the matrix converter can be applied to the plasma control coil power supply.