AC chopper topology with multiple steps switching capability

This paper presents a new topology for a three phase AC chopper, which can implement the multiple steps switching technique, initially developed for the matrix converter. AC Choppers and Vector Switching Converters (VeSC) have been proposed for voltage control in distribution systems and power flow control in transmission systems. The current technology provides topologies with dead time-based hard switching, which increases losses and makes the snubber design one of the main difficulties in AC chopper design. The proposed topology achieves the multiple step switching and reduces the switching losses compared with the dead time-based hard switching. A detailed computer-simulation study is developed to prove the proposition´s principle.