Integrated Drives for Transport - A Review of the Enabling Electronics Technology

The space and packaging constraints for various electric transport applications such as for electric and hybrid electric vehicles or mass transit systems ultimately require that electronic and mechanical subsystems become more fully integrated. This paper outlines the current state of art for the power electronic converter technologies which enables greater integration in electric drives. Investigations into the supply options, state of the art devices, switching frequency selection, filtering requirements and system modularity options are explored and future trends are discussed.