Performance comparison of two four-level five-phase open-end winding drives

Two four-level five-phase open-end winding drives are analysed in this paper, and their performances compared. The first topology consists of two two-level voltage source inverters (VSI) supplying a five-phase machine with open-end windings (OeW). The second topology comprises one three-level and one two-level VSI to supply the five-phase OeW machine. In both cases, two VSIs are supplied from isolated dc-sources, with voltages in a ratio 2:1. As a consequence, the output phase-voltage waveforms are equivalent to those produced by a four-level five-phase VSI. The paper shows that the considered topologies exhibit significantly different operating characteristics.