There has been significant research and development in Medium Voltage (1 kV to 7.2 kV) drive technology in recent years. This has resulted in a number of manufacturers offering various product solutions to the industrial user for asynchronous and synchronous motors. The leading market drivers which form the main criteria for selection of a MV AC drive are low capital cost, reliability, ease of use, which includes commissioning, trouble shooting and repair, efficiency and size. The impact of these market drivers on final product design varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. This seminar describes the Medium Voltage drives applications and briefly studies the topologies available in the MV drive market. The paper also compares each product offering with regard to the leading market requirements.

Navid R. Zargari received the B.Eng. degree from Tehran University, Iran, in 1987 and the M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1991 and 1995 respectively.

He has been with the Medium Voltage R&D Department of Rockwell Automation, Cambridge since November 1994, where he is involved with simulation, analysis and design of power converters for Medium Voltage AC drives. His research interests include power converter topologies, their control aspects and their implementation in electrical ac drives.