On the Efficiency of Voltage Source and

The energy performance of various types of voltage-source and current-source converters is examined in this study. The objective is to evaluate the efficiency of these converters across three significant application scenarios: nonregenerative systems like pumps and compressors, systems requiring good dynamic response and regenerative braking, and very high power applications exceeding 20 MW. The methodology includes a detailed analysis of semiconductor switching and conduction losses, as well as losses in the medium voltage feeding transformer and ac/dc filters, validated through computer simulations compared against actual measurements from a 1-MW voltage source inverter and a 1.4-MW current source inverter. The results indicate that for low dynamic nonregenerative applications, both VSI and CSI converters demonstrate competitive efficiencies. However, for applications requiring dynamic response, voltage source solutions exhibit superior energy efficiency. Ultimately, the best energy performance for high-power drives is notably achieved in the second scenario involving dynamic response applications.