Integrated Inverter for Controlling Multiple Electric Machines

There are applications that require multiple electric machine drives, such as electric or hybrid electric vehicles, where there is a main traction motor and one or more accessory motors or generators. To control the speed or power of these multiple motors or generators independently, each motor or generator requires an inverter. The use of an inverter enables the motor or generator to run in either a motoring mode or a generating mode. A consequence of this design is that each vehicle requires a number of inverters and inverter controllers, plus the engine volume to house them all.