Variable frequency drive with integrated front-end rectifier and bypass

A motor control system includes a VFD unit comprising a rectifier circuit having a plurality of phase legs each including thereon an upper switching unit and a lower switching unit, an inverter connected to the rectifier circuit by way of a DC link and having a plurality of switches therein controllable to provide a three-phase AC output power to a load, and a bypass relay unit comprising a bypass relay coupled to each of the phase legs of the rectifier circuit downstream from the lower switching unit. An isolation contactor unit is positioned between the inverter and the load and operable to selectively connect/disconnect the inverter to/from the load. The bypass relay unit is operable in a first and second positions to couple the rectifier circuit to the inverter and to couple the rectifier circuit to a bypass path that bypasses the inverter.