High efficiency quiet electric drive

To succeed in the transition from mechanical to electrical propulsion in submarines and smaller combatant ships the navy needs power electronics equipment that is smaller, lighter and more efficient than current technology. The described high efficiency quiet electric drive (HEQED) combines step-mode switching (SMS) and pulse-width modulation (PWM) to provide a highly efficient converter system with the capability to control noise signature. The Motor drive is considered as "high efficiency quiet motor drive" because it eliminates approximately 80% of switching losses in power semiconductors as compared to conventional drive systems. The rectifier building blocks, operating as synchronous rectifiers, produce lower voltage distortion by enabling more effective suppression of harmonic feedback to the AC source. The electric drive is able to compensate for imperfections in the drive motor and is programmable to compensate for changes in the motor from time and wear.