Minimization of the Decoupling Circuit (DC-Link) in Induction Motors

There is currently a growing interest in replacing the internal combustion engine with electric motors in transportation applications. However, there are different problems related to electric motors for this application. One of them is the oversizing of the energy decoupling system since to ensure that the decoupling capacitor can store the power fluctuations, the capacitance required by the system is usually oversized. This leads to preference for the use of capacitors with construction technologies that have a lower lifetime than the remaining elements of the propulsion system, directly affecting the reliability of the system. In this article, the energy flow handled by the decoupling capacitor is analyzed considering the critical case of operation of an induction motor to minimize the capacitance required by the propulsion system; emphasizing the conditions that generate a higher energy return, from the motor mode of the electric machine to the decoupling capacitor. From the energy analysis, an equation for the capacitor calculation is obtained, involving proportionality factors that relate to the different operating powers, reducing up to 62.2% of the capacitance value required by the decoupling system, under conditions of maximum energy return in motor mode, compared to existing equations in the literature.