A tandem inverter for high-performance AC drives

An arrangement of a large current-source inverter and a small voltage-source inverter is proposed as the so-called tandem inverter. The tandem inverter combines technical advantages of the constituent power converters, making it an excellent choice for high-performance AC motor drive applications. In particular, it is characterized by a fast response to current control commands and by high efficiency resulting from radical reduction in switching losses. A detailed description of operating principles of the tandem inverter is followed by results of experimental investigation of a prototype.