SPICE Comparison Between Neutral Point Clamped Inverter and 2-Level Inverter for Electrical Traction Drive System

In this paper, a comparison between the 3-level neutral point clamped voltage source inverter (NPC-VSI) and the 2-level voltage source inverter (2L-VSI) has been presented to evaluate the performance of each inverter topology and investigate its appropriate applications. The comparison is conducted for an electrical motor drive of a surface permanent magnet synchronous machine (SPMSM) using SPICE simulation. The study focuses on assessing switching device losses, efficiency, torque ripples and total harmonic distortion (THD) in the voltage and current waveforms for each inverter topology. Both topologies are investigated under different operating conditions using the same family of silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. The motor model implemented in the electrical drive simulates an actual traction motor. It is controlled using the field-oriented control (FOC) technique to achieve maximum torque per ampere (MTPA).The research presented in this paper contributes to the understanding of the performance characteristics of the NPC-VSI and the 2L-VSI in the context of traction inverters for battery electric vehicles. The comparison of these two topologies provides valuable insights into their suitability for different applications and operating conditions.