Smart sensing and conditioning circuits for three-phase motor drives: a marine propulsion case study

This thesis summarizes the main results of the research activity carried out during the PhD. In particular, the project aims to facilitate the development of electric boats’ propulsion systems, with particular focus on the main motor drive inverter. The present study is supported by eDriveLAB Srl, a spin-off company from the University of Parma, and the European Union, via the Italian national resilience and recovery plan (PNRR). To support the electrification of leisure boats, a prototype of a three-phase motor drive has been developed. Particular effort has been devoted to enhancing the sensing and conditioning capabilities of the power converter. The device integrates a novel resolver conditioning platform, characterized by high efficiency, a low number of components, and the possibility to operate directly within the logic voltage domain. In addition, the thesis details a method to estimate in real time the junction temperature of power devices in electronic converters, exploiting the transistor on-state resistance as a temperature-sensitive electric parameter (TSEP).