AC-AC converter comprising a matrix array of bidirectional switches of programmable configuration

1. An AC-AC matrix converter that converts an input multiphase periodic voltage comprising N input voltages into an output multiphase periodic voltage comprising N output voltages, said converter comprising a square matrix array comprising N 2 switches, wherein the converter comprises command and control electronics that periodically perform at least the two following functions:

storing N! voltage summations, each voltage summation corresponding to one switch configuration, each switch configuration relating N times one and only one input voltage and one and only one reference voltage, a reference voltage corresponding to an expected output voltage, each voltage summation being the summation of the N differences in absolute value between one and only one input voltage and one and only one reference voltage

switching the matrix array of switches to apply the switch configuration corresponding to the lowest voltage summation.

2. The AC-AC matrix converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the converter comprises a sample-and-hold module that periodically stores, at the sampling frequency, the N! voltage summations, said sampling frequency being an order of magnitude higher than the frequency of the input periodic voltage and an order of magnitude higher than the frequency of the output periodic voltage.

3. The AC-AC matrix converter as claimed in claim 2 , comprising determining means that periodically determine, at the sampling frequency, the lowest voltage summation among the N! voltage summations.

4. The AC-AC matrix converter as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the converter comprises a first assembly for filtering the input multiphase voltage, the matrix array of switches, a second assembly for filtering the output multiphase voltage, an electronic control loop and the command and control electronics, the command and control electronics controlling the electronic control loop and the electronic control loop controlling the switching of the matrix array of switches.

5. The AC-AC matrix converter as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the electronic control loop is configured to command the switching of the matrix array of switches in such a way as to command to open and to close each switch defined as being closed in said switch configuration corresponding to the lowest voltage summation, at a chopping frequency and with a duty cycle that are defined by the control loop on the basis of the measurements of the output phase currents, and to keep open each switch defined as being open in said switch configuration corresponding to the lowest voltage summation.

6. The AC-AC matrix converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the number N being equal to 3, the input and output voltages are three-phase, the matrix array of switches comprising 9 switches and the number of switch configurations being equal to 6.

7. The AC-AC matrix converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the number N being equal to 4, the input and output voltages are four-phase, the matrix array of switches comprising 16 switches and the number of switch configurations being equal to 24.

8. The AC-AC matrix converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frequencies of the input periodic voltage and of the output periodic voltage are comprised between 0.1 Hz and 1000 Hz.

9. The AC-AC matrix converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the powers transmitted by said converter are comprised between 1 kW and 1000 kW.

10. The AC-AC matrix converter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the converter is bidirectional, i.e. the input multiphase periodic voltage is generated by a voltage source and the output multiphase periodic voltage powers a load or vice versa.