Matrix Converter Protection for More Electric Aircraft Applications

This paper explains the concept of a matrix converter, its features, advantages - disadvantages and emergency / failure modes which require some sort of protection. The paper discusses existing protection strategies and introduce a more robust approach. Two target applications are used to explain the limitations of existing protection strategies. The first a 25 kVA matrix converter-permanent magnet synchronous machine based aircraft actuator and the second, a 100 kVA permanent magnet synchronous machine drive. The robust clamping arrangement fitted to the two target applications are then discussed and results presented for continued operation under different failure modes