Robust voltage commutation of the conventional matrix converter

The three-phase AC-AC converter termed the matrix converter can provide high quality input/output waveforms and adjustable input power factor without any large energy storage component. However, it has not yet found much acceptance in industry. The main reason is that it requires a complicated commutation scheme to prevent input side short circuits and output side open circuits. This paper develops a new voltage commutation scheme for the conventional matrix converter. One advantage of this scheme is that it provides robust voltage commutations for the converter without sacrificing the quality of the line side current waveforms. The second advantage is that it needs the least information from the system than any algorithm yet reported. It only detects the line side synchronization angle which can have detection errors within ±π/6 radians under unity input power factor to provide accurate commutation. The last advantage of this scheme is that it can provide easier shut down sequences for the system. Theoretical analysis, simulation and experimental results are provided to verify its effectiveness in the paper.