Space Vector Modulation for Multiphase Inverters Based on a Space Partitioning Algorithm

Since the late 1990s, multiphase drives have become a serious alternative to three-phase drives in some particular applications such as electric ship propulsion, locomotive traction, electric vehicles, and high-power industrial applications. Nowadays, the research activity is focused on the development of control strategies that can exploit the degrees of freedom that exist in multiphase machines. As known, a multiphase motor cannot be analyzed using the space vector representation in a single d–q plane, but it is necessary to introduce multiple d–q planes. In this paper, the problem of the space vector modulation (SVM) of multiphase inverters is solved extending the theory of SVM used for traditional three-phase voltage source inverters and introducing the concept of reciprocal vector. The proposed approach, confirmed by experimental tests, allows the full exploitation of the dc input voltage and the simultaneous modulation of voltage space vectors in different d–q planes.