Motor drive PWM rectifier having modulation scheme selector

A motor drive PWM rectifier for converting three-phase AC power to DC power by controlling switching devices using a PWM signal, comprising:

• a control section which generates said PWM signal in accordance with either a three-phase modulation scheme in which said PWM signal is generated by comparing a PWM voltage command with a constant-amplitude, constant-frequency PWM carrier or a two-phase modulation scheme in which a PWM voltage command for one phase selected from among three phases each constituting said PWM voltage command in said three-phase modulation scheme is set and held at a level equivalent to a maximum value or minimum value of said PWM carrier during a predetermined period and in which a PWM voltage command for the other two phases created by also applying an offset, required to achieve said setting, to the other two phases each constituting said PWM voltage command in said three-phase modulation scheme and in which said PWM signal is generated by comparing said PWM voltage command with said PWM carrier;
• a detecting section which detects three-phase AC current and outputs a detected current value;
• and
• a selecting section which compares said detected current value with a first threshold value larger than zero and a second threshold value larger than said first threshold value, and which selects, as the modulation scheme to be used for the generation of said PWM signal in said control section, said two-phase modulation scheme when said detected current value is larger than said first threshold value but smaller than said second threshold value, and otherwise selects said three-phase modulation scheme.