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In this paper, an advanced configuration for a symmetric multilevel voltage source inverter is proposed. The authority of the proposed inverter versus the conventional cascaded H-bridge inverter and those most recently introduced is verified with provided comparisons. The proposed inverter is able to generate the desired voltage levels using a lower number of circuit devices, including power semiconductor switches and related gate driver circuits of switches. As a result, the total cost is considerably reduced, and the control scheme gets simpler. Moreover, the reduced amount of on-state switches in the suggested configuration decreases voltage drops. Furthermore, power losses are diminished. The given simulation results confirm the feasibility of the proposed configuration. To approve the practicability of the proposed inverter, a prototype of the proposed topology has been implemented. Finally, simulation and experimental results are compared, and the provided comparison shows that the obtained results are in good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a new cascaded multilevel inverter is proposed. For the proposed inverter, two different algorithms to determine the magnitude of the dc voltage sources are proposed. Then, in order to generate maximum numbers of output voltage levels by using a constant number of power switches and/or dc voltage sources, several optimum structures of the proposed inverter are obtained. In comparison with the conventional cascaded multilevel inverters, the proposed inverter is able to generate a high number of output voltage levels by using a lower number of power electronic devices such as power switches, driver circuits, power diodes, and dc voltage sources. In addition, the low amount of blocked voltage by switches is another advantage of the proposed inverter. The accuracy performance of the proposed inverter in generating the positive and negative voltage levels is verified through the experimental results on a 61-level inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a 100-kW 100-kHz insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) series resonant inverter for induction heating applications that uses an improved power control scheme based on the standard pulse density modulation (PDM). This standard power control is a good solution for the design of high-frequency inverters because the output power factor is near to unity in a wide range of output power, resulting in great reduction of switching losses and electromagnetic noise. However, the output current can be in discontinuous mode, particularly for resonant loads of low quality factor or for low output power or low-load operation. This output current fluctuation produces a high output current ripple that can lead to an increase in power losses and loss of accuracy of the response of the frequency tracking control. The proposed control strategy, which is called enhanced PDM (EPDM), provides twice less output current ripple, thus resulting in an improved inverter behavior in terms of frequency tracking accuracy and energy efficiency. Experimental tests have been made, in order to compare the EPDM strategy with standard power control schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A division–summation (D-\mathbf\Sigma) digital control for three-phase inverters to achieve active and reactive power injection has been presented. It can overcome the limitation of abc to dq frame transformation. However, the D-\mathbf\Sigma control requires four sets of control laws to cover four quadrant operations, namely, grid connection (power factor (PF) 1 $\sim\pm$0.866), rectification with PF correction, PF leading (0 \sim$ 0.866), and PF lagging (0 \sim$ −0.866). Moreover, the switching sequences for the four modes are also different from each other, increasing complexity of firmware programming. In this paper, improvement of the control law derivation and region selection for the (D), which can obtain the control law directly. Measured results from a 10-kVA 3 $\phi$ bidirectional inverter have been presented to confirm the improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Common-mode voltage (CMV) is one of the most important issues for the power electronics inverters. An interesting space vector modulation of the three-leg current-source inverter has been reported for the CMV reduction recently. However, it has the disadvantages of the bipolar current pulses and modulation index range limitation. In order to solve these problems, a four-leg current-source inverter with a new space vector modulation is proposed in this paper. With the proposed method, the system CMV can be significantly reduced without bipolar current pulses and modulation index range limitation. Finally, the experimental tests are carried out on a four-leg current-source inverter, and the experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

According to the requirement of fuel cell generation system, this paper presents a new single-stage and boost-voltage grid-connected inverter, as well as the signal modulation diagram in a line cycle. In the proposed inverter, one of the bridge legs is shared with a boost converter. The boost inductor current is designed in discontinuous conduction mode, which can effectively decrease low-frequency current ripple (LFCR) in the output current of the fuel cell. The switching modes of the proposed inverter are analyzed in positive and negative half line cycles, respectively. The LFCR in the output current of the fuel cell is analyzed, from which the design principle of the boost voltage inductor is obtained. The per-unit current values of the shared switches and the loss of the whole system are derived and compared with those of the conventional inverter. Experimental verifications are presented to verify the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In photovoltaic (PV) grid-connected generation system, the key focus is how to expand the generation range of the PV array and enhance the total efficiency of the system. This paper originally derived expressions of the total loss and grid current total harmonics distortions of cascaded inverter and H-bridge inverter under the conditions of variable output voltage and power of the PV array. It is proved that, compared with the H-bridge inverter, the operation range of the cascaded inverter is wider, whereas the total loss is larger. Furthermore, a novel online variable topology-type grid-connected inverter is proposed. A bidirectional power switch is introduced into the conventional cascaded inverter to connect the negative terminals of the PV arrays. When the output voltages of the PV arrays are lower, the proposed inverter works under cascaded inverter mode to obtain wider generation range. When the output voltages of the PV arrays are higher, the proposed inverter is transformed into equivalent H-bridge inverter mode to reduce the total loss. Thus, wider generation range and higher efficiency are both implemented. Specific demonstration of the proposed inverter based on five-level cascaded inverter is presented. The detailed experimental results verify the accuracy and feasibility of the theoretical analysis and the proposed inverter topology. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes an improved half-bridge inverter with wide-input-voltage capability for ozone-driven circuits. The study is motivated because the limited regulation of input voltage often affects the operation flexibility of ozone-driven circuits. Therefore, a modification of a half-bridge inverter along with a multiwinding coil design is proposed in this study, anticipating an increase in the range of input voltage and benefiting the industry applications. To confirm the practicality of this method, a hardware circuit was made with extensive validation. Experimental outcomes support the feasibility of this proposed method for ozone generators, exhibiting a potential of the method extending to other voltage-source applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Due to the higher attenuation of switching frequency current harmonics, the $LCL$ filter has been widely used in grid-connected inverters. To deal with the resonance of the $LCL$ filter, the capacitor current is usually fed back to damp the resonance actively. However, the computation and pulsewidth modulation (PWM) delays in the digital control system have a significant influence on the active damping method, resulting in poor system robustness. Meanwhile, these delays also reduce the control bandwidth greatly and thus impose a severe limitation on the low-frequency gains. In this paper, a real-time computation method with dual sampling mode is proposed to remove the computation delay from the inner active damping loop and the outer grid-current control loop simultaneously; thus, the system robustness and the control performance can be greatly improved. Moreover, the time duration between the sampling instant and the switching transition of the inverter bridge is extended by the proposed method, which effectively prevents the switching noise distorting the sampled signals. Therefore, the noise immunity of the inverter is also improved greatly. Experimental results from a 6-kW $LCL$-type single-phase grid-connected inverter confirm the theoretical expectations and the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents an effective circuit configuration of a multilevel inverter that can increase the number of output voltage levels with a reduced number of circuit components. The proposed seven-level pulsewidth-modulation inverter consists of a single dc voltage source with a series of capacitors, diodes, active switches for synthesizing output voltage levels, and an H-bridge cell. After theoretical analysis, we carry out computer-aided simulations and experiments to verify the validity of the proposed approach. Here, we also introduce a modified switching strategy to solve the capacitor voltage unbalancing that occurs in series-connected capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a novel microinverter for a single-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system. The proposed microinverter consists of a step-up dc–dc converter using an active-clamp circuit with a series-resonant voltage doubler and a high-efficiency inverter with single-switch-modulation step-down converters. The active-clamp circuit provides zero-voltage switching (ZVS) turn-on, recycles the energy stored in the leakage inductance of the transformer, and limits switch voltage stress. Moreover, to remove the reverse-recovery problem of the rectifier diodes, a series-resonant voltage doubler is used. Thus, this whole process provides high efficiency. To improve efficiency and reliability in the proposed inverter, only a single switch is modulated at the switching frequency without a shoot-through problem. A modified controller is also adopted to achieve fast output control. Thus, the proposed PV microinverter has the structure to minimize power losses. The experimental results show a maximum efficiency of 96.2% for a 400-W microinverter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The phasor-PWM-based current source inverter (CSI) is a boost inverter. The difference between conventional CSIs and the boost inverter is that the boost ratio (VLLrms/Vdc ) in the boost inverter can easily be above 3.0, whereas this ratio is around 1 in conventional CSIs. In order to realize the potential capabilities of the boost inverter and to assist its penetration into renewable energy systems, the boost inverter dynamic behaviors are studied in this paper. First, the large- and small-signal models as well as the dq-equivalent circuits of the boost inverter are presented. Then, the developed models are verified using circuit simulations and experiments on a laboratory-scale 2-kW 208/240- V_{\rm LLrms} V_{\rm dc}=65\ \hbox{V} $ boost inverter made of reverse-blocking IGBTs. Finally, the developed small-signal model is used to study the stability of the boost inverter through root locus of small signal poles (eigenvalues) as control inputs, and load parameters vary within the boost inverter's operating limits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Three-phase multilevel (ML) inverters are used in many medium- and high-power applications such as motor drives and grid-connected systems. Despite the fact that numerous pulsewidth modulation (PWM) techniques for ML inverters have been developed, the impact of these modulation schemes on the peak-to-peak output current ripple amplitude has not been addressed yet. In this paper, analysis and comparison of current ripple for two-level (2L) and three-level (3L) voltage source inverters are given. Reference is made to optimal and popular modulation, so-called centered PWM, easily obtained by both carrier-based modulation (phase disposition, with proper common-mode voltage injection) and space vector modulation (nearest three vectors). It is shown that the peak-to-peak current ripple amplitude in 3L inverters can be determined on the basis of the ripple in 2L inverters, obtaining the same results as by directly analyzing the output voltage waveforms of the 3L inverters. This procedure can be readily extended to higher level numbers. The proposed analytical developments are verified by both numerical simulations and experimental tests. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Power converters are complex devices subject to failures that can lead to undesired stops. For this reason, many fault-tolerant topologies and strategies have been deeply studied, mainly focusing on improving the electromechanical behavior of the reconfigured drive after the fault. However, it is also very important to evaluate the possible increase of power losses. In this paper, a power loss analysis is performed on a current-controlled three-phase inverter supplying a permanent-magnet synchronous motor (just chosen as an example), for all the operating modes, starting from the fault occurrence until the faulty operation mode is established. This is particularly important because the effectiveness of a fault-tolerant control strategy depends on the possibility to maintain a continuous operation. The latter is ensured only if there is no such increment of the losses that the survival of the component is at risk. The simulations are validated by means of experimental tests, and the results are discussed. The method can be easily applied to other topologies and reconfiguration strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A switched boost inverter (SBI) can replace a $Z$-source inverter (ZSI) in low-power applications because it has one less $LC$ pair than the ZSI. This paper presents a class of quasi-SBIs (qSBIs) that offers several advantages when compared with a conventional SBI, including reducing the voltage stress on the capacitor, increasing the boost voltage factor, and improving input current profiles. Operating principles, steady-state analysis, and comparisons with conventional inverters are presented. A prototype based on a TMS320F28335 digital signal processor is built to verify the operating principle of the proposed qSBIs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a new single-phase cascaded multilevel inverter is proposed. This inverter is comprised of a series connection of the proposed basic unit and is able to only generate positive levels at the output. Therefore, an H-bridge is added to the proposed inverter. This inverter is called the developed cascaded multilevel inverter. In order to generate all voltage levels (even and odd) at the output, four different algorithms are proposed to determine the magnitude of dc voltage sources. Reduction in the number of power switches, driver circuits, and dc voltage sources is the advantage of the developed single-phase cascaded multilevel inverter. As a result, the installation space and cost of the inverter are reduced. These features are obtained by the comparison of the conventional cascaded multilevel inverters with the proposed cascaded topology. The ability of the proposed inverter to generate all voltage levels (even and odd) is reconfirmed by using the experimental results of a 15-level inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new space-vector-based sigma delta modulation scheme for any general $N$-level voltage source inverter is proposed in this paper, which directly quantizes the reference space vector. The proposed scheme uses the sigma delta modulation with the quantizer implemented by the proposed space vector quantizer. A new scheme is proposed for directly quantizing the reference space vector to the multilevel inverter switching vectors without mapping it into two-level inverter vector space. Voronoi regions of the multilevel inverter vector space in the proposed space vector quantizer are defined as a parallelogram with the inverter switching vectors as its vertices. The property of the integer values of the inverter switching vectors in 60 ^{\circ} coordinates is utilized for the direct vector quantization of the instantaneous reference voltage space vector. The proposed scheme is implemented for five-level inverters realized by an open-end-winding induction motor fed with two three-level inverters from either side having symmetrical dc-link voltages, and results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The term dead time refers to a prime safety factor for most power electronic converter topologies, and it is included either in the control software or in the gate/base driver hardware, depending on the application as well as the control requirements. In this paper, the authors present a comprehensive numerical analysis of dead-time effects on the output voltage of a three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) inverter. To incorporate the dead-time effect in the output voltage, 3-D models of three-level carrier pulse width modulation (PWM) methods are modified for two dead-time implementations. Closed-form expressions of inverter phase voltage harmonics for phase opposition disposition (POD) PWM are derived based on the double Fourier series approach and modified contour plots. The harmonic spectra from numerical evaluations, simulations, and experiments for natural sampling (NS), symmetrical regular sampling (SRS), and asymmetrical regular sampling (ARS) are compared to validate the mathematical models. In addition, the fundamental voltage with respect to the dead time and the load phase angle is presented based on analytical results and simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a novel combined-synchronous-rectifier high-frequency-link (CSR-HFL) inverter. Three types of conventional HFL inverters are analyzed and their performance is summarized. According to one of the conventional HFL inverters, i.e., cycloconverter-type HFL (CHFL) inverter, a combined rectifier topology is deduced. To prevent a shorted circuit, two additional switches are used in the new topology. The operation mode of the CSR-HFL inverter is analyzed and the mathematical relationships are given. The difference and correlation, and advantages and disadvantages, are analyzed between the CSR-HFL inverter and the conventional HFL inverter. The relevant grid-connected inverter, ac/ac converter, and full-wave CSR-HFL inverter are also given. The experimental results verify that the proposed CSR-HFL inverter has excellent performance and high efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a new single-phase cascaded multilevel inverter based on novel H-bridge units is proposed. In order to generate all voltage levels (even and odd) at the output, nine different algorithms are proposed to determine the magnitudes of dc voltage sources. Then, the proposed algorithms are compared to investigate their advantages and disadvantages. This topology is able to increase the number of output voltage levels by using a lower number of power electronic devices such as switches, power diodes, driver circuits, and dc voltage sources that lead to reduction in installation space and cost of the inverter. In addition, in the proposed cascaded multilevel inverter, not only the number of required power electronic devices is reduced, but also the amount of the blocked voltage by switches, and the number of different voltage amplitudes of the used sources is decreased. These features are some of the most important advantages of the proposed topology. These features are obtained via the comparison of the proposed topology and its proposed algorithms with the conventional cascaded multilevel inverters that have been presented in the literatures. The operation and performances of the proposed topology with its presented algorithms in generating all voltage levels have been verified by using the experimental results of a 49-level single-phase inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverter (qZS-CMI) presented many advantages over conventional CMI when applied in photovoltaic (PV) power systems. For example, qZS-CMI provides the balanced dc-link voltage and voltage boost ability, saves one-third modules, etc. However, current research studies only disclosed control of single-phase qZS-CMI-based PV power systems, and there was no literature related to control of three-phase qZS-CMI-based PV power systems. In this paper, for the first time, three-phase qZS-CMI's control is proposed and demonstrated for application to PV power systems. The models of PV-panel-fed qZS H-bridge module and qZS-CMI-based PV power system are built to accurately design control algorithms for each module and the whole system. The proposed control method includes the distributed maximum power point tracking for each module, dc-link peak voltage balance control for all modules, and grid-tie control for the whole system; moreover, a new multilevel space vector modulation method is proposed for the three-phase qZS-CMI. Simulation and experimental results on a test bench with a three-phase seven-level qZS-CMI-based PV power system verify the proposed control and modulation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The objective of this paper is to propose a new inverter topology for a multilevel voltage output. This topology is designed based on a switched capacitor (SC) technique, and the number of output levels is determined by the number of SC cells. Only one dc voltage source is needed, and the problem of capacitor voltage balancing is avoided as well. This structure is not only very simple and easy to be extended to a higher level, but also its gate driver circuits are simplified because the number of active switches is reduced. The operational principle of this inverter and the targeted modulation strategies are presented, and power losses are investigated. Finally, the performance of the proposed multilevel inverter is evaluated with the experimental results of an 11-level prototype inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a predictive control scheme is proposed for the low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) enhancement of direct-driven permanent-magnet-synchronous-generator-based megawatt-level wind turbines. The proposed method uses the turbine–generator rotor inertia to store the surplus energy during the grid voltage dips. The power conversion system is realized using a three-phase diode-bridge rectifier, a three-level-boost converter, and a neutral-point-clamped (NPC) inverter. The wind turbine requirements, such as maximum power point tracking, net dc-bus voltage control, balancing of the dc capacitor voltages, and reactive power generation, are modeled as the reference control variables. The generator- and grid-side cost functions are defined to deal with these control objectives. During each sampling interval, the control goals are achieved based on the minimization of cost functions. The coordination of boost and NPC converters and the exchange of reference control variables during normal and LVRT operation are formulated such that the power converters operate in a safe mode while meeting the grid code requirements. Simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the proposed strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In a six-switch three-phase inverter, the conventional pulsewidth modulation (PWM) has six switching times in every switching period based on the average concept. The used multidimensional feedback quantized modulation (MDFQM) strategy selects one switching state and keeps it in every sampling period based on the minimization of filtered voltage errors between the desired voltage commands and the output voltages. The widths of the output voltage pulse are integer times the fixed sampling time in MDFQM. In this paper, two high-efficiency current control methods based on MDFQM are proposed. They integrate the MDFQM strategy and the current control function to minimize the filtered current errors between the desired current commands and the inverter current. Due to the main advantages of less switching numbers and more closed fundamental current, a high-efficiency performance is achieved. The proposed methods are applied to the current control of a three-phase permanent-magnet synchronous motor. The simulation results and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a novel control method for a current-fed full-bridge inverter actuating an ultrasonic piezoelectric transducer (PT). In the conventional ultrasonic detection system, the PT has maximum transmitting gain at its series resonance frequency while having maximum receiving gain at its parallel resonance frequency. With the proposed approach, the PT could have maximum transmitting gain at the parallel resonance frequency and this frequency can be automatically traced, and hence adapted, to the environmental variation. A prototype circuit was constructed to verify the proposed control method. The experimental results show that the receiving voltage signal could have a maximum value at the parallel resonance frequency, and the traced frequency is 0.04 kHz higher than the parallel resonance frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Inverters play key roles in motor drives, flexible power transmissions, and recently grid-tied renewable energy generation units. Therefore, availability and reliability of inverters have become increasingly important. Following early stage fault detections in inverters, remedial actions can extend normal operation of inverters and, in some cases, derate the system to prevent unexpected shutdowns. A remedial action typically contains a combination of hardware and software reconfigurations. The main purpose of this paper is to provide an instructive survey of existing fault-tolerance (remedial) techniques for three-phase, two-level, and multilevel inverters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Low leakage current and high efficiency are two key indexes for the transformerless photovoltaic (PV) grid-connected inverter. The transformerless inverter topologies have superior efficiency owing to saving the transformer, but their switches are still on a hard-switching state at present. This paper presents a novel zero-voltage transition (ZVT) concept for the full-bridge transformerless PV grid-connected inverter topologies. The zero-voltage turn-on and turnoff of the high-frequency main switches and the zero-current turn-on of the auxiliary switches, as well as the zero-voltage turn-on and turnoff of the antiparallel diodes of the line-frequency switches, are realized by introducing two resonant tanks. Take ZVT-H6-I for example. The operation principle, soft-switching conditions, duty cycle restriction, and parameter design rule of the resonant tank are analyzed in detail. Finally, the validity of the ZVT concept is verified by a ZVT-H6-I prototype rated at 100 kHz and 1 kW. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a finite control set model predictive strategy and its application to the load voltage control of two-level four-leg inverters. The proposed approach uses the novel discrete-time model of the inverter and output $LC$ filter in order to predict the variables to be controlled. These predictions are carried out for the 16 switching states of the inverter and are evaluated using a cost function. The switching state that forces the load voltages to be closest to their respective references is chosen and applied to the inverter. The behavior of the predictive controller has been investigated, and the changes to both inductive and capacitive filter parameters have been considered. In order to improve the reliability of the fourth leg as well as the overall inverter efficiency, a solution is proposed, which combines hardware and software reconfigurations. The feasibility of the proposed method is verified through simulation and experimental results considering single-/three-phase, balanced/unbalanced, and linear/nonlinear loads. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The voltage range of a renewable energy source, such as the photovoltaic cell, is influenced by the environment, light, temperature, and so on. The power conditioning system should adapt to the wide input voltage and have buck–boost ability. Based on the structure of the “ac/ac unit,” this paper presents a novel active buck–boost inverter (ABI) topology suitable for wide-range input, which can realize buck–boost conversion in a quasi-single-stage inverter. The ac/ac unit composed of active switches is utilized to perform voltage boost without introducing additional passive elements, which is in favor to the system power density and efficiency. Operational analysis in buck and boost modes are presented, and the modulation strategy applied in the ABI is also developed. Simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the operational principle and its modulation strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, two new topologies are proposed for multilevel inverters. The proposed topologies consist of a combination of the conventional series and the switched capacitor inverter units. The proposed topologies reduce the number of switches and isolated dc voltage sources, the variety of the dc voltage source values, and the size and cost of the system in comparison with the conventional topologies. In addition, the proposed topologies can double the input voltage without a transformer. There is no need for complicated methods to balance the capacitor voltage. The simulation and experimental results of single-phase 25- and 17-level inverters are given to prove the correct operation of the proposed topologies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper describes an optimal configuration for multicentral inverters in a medium-voltage (MV) grid, which is suitable for large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants. We theoretically analyze a proposed common-mode equivalent model for problems associated with multicentral transformerless-type three-phase full bridge (3FB) PV inverters employing two-winding MV transformers. We propose a synchronized pulse width modulation (PWM) control strategy to effectively reduce the common-mode voltages that may simultaneously occur. In addition, we propose that the existing 3FB topology may also have the configuration of a multicentral inverter with a two-winding MV transformer by making a simple circuit modification. Simulation and experimental results of three 350 kW PV inverters in a multicentral configuration verify the effectiveness of the proposed synchronization control strategy. The modified transformerless-type 3FB topology for a multicentral PV inverter configuration is verified using an experimental prototype of a 100 kW PV inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a division-summation (D-\Sigma) digital control for a three-phase inverter to achieve active and reactive power injection to the ac grid. The proposed D-\Sigma approach summarizes the inductor-current variations over one switching cycle to derive control laws directly, which can overcome the limitation of d–q transformation. The inverter with this control can achieve various power factors (PFs) leading or lagging, by taking into account wide filter-inductance variation and grid-voltage distortion, reducing core size significantly. The control laws for achieving the desired features are derived in detail, and they are expressed in general forms for readily software programming. With the enhancement work of previous research, active and reactive power injection with PF from 0 to 1 can be controlled effectively, so that these control laws can be extended to wide current-tracking applications, such as static synchronous compensator and active power filter. In the design and implementation, the inductance values corresponding to various inductor currents were measured at the startup and stored in the controller for scheduling loop gain cycle by cycle. Measured results from a 10-kVA 3 \phi inverter have confirmed the analysis and discussion of the proposed control approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The high-power voltage source inverters are switched at low frequency to reduce the losses in the inverter. The discontinuous pulsewidth-modulation (PWM) sequences reduce the switching frequency to two-thirds compared to the conventional continuous PWM sequences. At low switching frequency, the output will be rich in harmonics, and synchronization is a must to avoid subharmonics. This paper presents four basic types of synchronized discontinuous PWM (DPWM) sequences that ensure synchronization, three-phase symmetry, and half-wave symmetry. The proposed synchronized DPWM sequences are verified through simulation and experiment on a constant- v/f open-loop induction motor drive. The performance of the proposed DPWM algorithms is studied in the entire modulation region, including the overmodulation region, and is compared with that of the conventional synchronized space vector PWM. A different type of DPWM with low common-mode voltage is suggested for low-modulation region and verified experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a new general cascaded multilevel inverter using developed H-bridges is proposed. The proposed topology requires a lesser number of dc voltage sources and power switches and consists of lower blocking voltage on switches, which results in decreased complexity and total cost of the inverter. These abilities obtained within comparing the proposed topology with the conventional topologies from aforementioned points of view. Moreover, a new algorithm to determine the magnitude of dc voltage sources is proposed. The performance and functional accuracy of the proposed topology using the new algorithm in generating all voltage levels for a 31-level inverter are confirmed by simulation and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a multilevel inverter that has been conceptualized to reduce component count, particularly for a large number of output levels. It comprises floating input dc sources alternately connected in opposite polarities with one another through power switches. Each input dc level appears in the stepped load voltage either individually or in additive combinations with other input levels. This approach results in reduced number of power switches as compared to classical topologies. The working principle of the proposed topology is demonstrated with the help of a single-phase five-level inverter. The topology is investigated through simulations and validated experimentally on a laboratory prototype. An exhaustive comparison of the proposed topology is made against the classical cascaded H-bridge topology. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a model predictive scheme is proposed to control the grid-connected high-power four-level diode-clamped inverter. To predict the future behavior of active and reactive grid power values and dc link capacitor voltages, a discrete-time model of the inverter is developed in synchronous reference frame. The controller uses all the possible switching states of the inverter for the prediction and evaluates them using a cost function. The switching state, which minimizes the cost function, is then chosen and applied at the next sampling interval. The switching frequency minimization is also achieved by including an extra constraint in the cost function. A simplified extrapolation method with reduced computational burden is proposed to safeguard the semiconductor devices during the dynamic changes in reference power values. The performance of the proposed method is investigated with the perturbations in the grid filter and dc link parameters. The feasibility of the proposed method is verified through simulation and experimental results, showing good dynamic and steady-state performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper analyzes a high-power (100-kW) high-frequency (50-kHz) voltage-fed inverter with a series resonant load circuit for industrial induction heating applications which is characterized by a full-bridge inverter composed of isolated-gate bipolar transistors and a new power control based on phase-shift (PS) control. This power control circuit incorporates a load-adaptive variable-frequency controller and automated blanking time management in order to allow the inverter to work in zero-voltage switching for all output power levels and load conditions. An important improvement of the inverter reliability is achieved by choosing an appropriate and novel switching sequence for the PS inverter. The results are verified experimentally using a prototype for induction hardening applications. A comparative study between the proposed and standard PS power control will be made. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A novel soft-switching high-frequency (HF) resonant (HF-R) inverter for induction heating (IH) applications is presented in this paper. By adopting the current phasor control of changing a phase shift (PS) angle between two half-bridge inverter units, the IH load resonant current can be regulated continuously under the condition of wide-range soft-switching operations. In addition to this, the dual-mode power regulation scheme-based PS angle control and asymmetrical pulsewidth modulation in one inverter unit is proposed for improving the efficiency in low output power settings. The essential performances on the output power regulation and soft-switching operations are demonstrated in an experiment using its 1-kW 60-kHz HF-R inverter prototype, and then, the topological validity is evaluated from a practical point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a tunable self-oscillating switching (TSOS) technique for current source parallel resonant inverters. Using this technique, the inverter has lower voltage stress in comparison with conventional methods such as phase-locked loop (PLL) circuits or integral controllers. The new switching technique instantly tracks the variation of resonant frequency. In addition, the TSOS has the capability of phase error tuning which is essential for parallel operation and zone control induction heating systems. The TSOS method has simple structure and operates in wide range of frequencies. Hence, the inverter can be utilized as a general-purpose inverter to supply different coils, loads and self-switched capacitor banks. The dynamics of the new tuning system is compared with the PLL method in transient conditions. A laboratory prototype with operating frequency of 25–100 kHz is implemented to verify the performance of the new tuning system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a current optimization control method for reducing torque ripple in brushless dc drives using integral variable structure control (IVSC) is proposed. The conventional current control method will result in torque ripple if the back electromotive force (EMF) is a nonideal trapezoidal waveform. Based on back-EMF waveforms, the proposed method can optimize the reference currents in both two-phase conduction mode and commutation mode. A Luenberger full-order estimator is designed in order to estimate back-EMF waveforms. During commutation, commutation control with two-phase or three-phase switching mode is employed to reduce torque ripple by controlling the currents of noncommutated windings to trace the optimized reference current, and a three-phase inverter is switched between the two switching modes according to the current rate of change and the difference between the reference current and the actual current. Current controllers using IVSC, which exhibits broadband noise-suppressing capacity and strong robustness against external disturbances, are designed to obtain optimal phase currents, and the experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-level neutral-point (NP)-clamped (3L-NPC) converter is a promising multilevel topology in the application of megawatt wind power generation systems. However, the growing requirements by grid codes may impose high stress and even give reliability problem to this converter topology. This paper investigates the loss and thermal performances of a 10-MW 3L-NPC wind power inverter undergoing low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) operation. A series of new space vector modulation methods is then proposed to relocate the thermal loading among the power switching devices. It is concluded that, with the proposed modulation methods, the thermal distribution in the 3L-NPC wind power inverter undergoing LVRT becomes more equal, and the junction temperature of the most stressed devices can be also relieved. Also, the control ability of the dc-bus NP potential, which is one of the crucial considerations for the 3L-NPC converter, is even more improved by the proposed modulation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model-free predictive current control (PCC) of interior permanent-magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) drive systems based on a current difference detection technique is proposed. The model-based PCC (MBPCC) of IPMSM requires knowledge of parameters such as resistance, q-axis inductance, and extended back EMF. This paper develops a new model-free approach that alleviates the need for excessive prior knowledge about the system and only utilizes the stator currents as well as the current differences corresponding to different switching states of the inverter. Despite the salient difference of the proposed approach, it adopts a measure similar to that in the MBPCC approach to obtain the next switching state of the inverter by minimizing a cost function. It is noteworthy that the proposed method is easy to implement due to its simplicity and free of any multiplication operation. For comparison purposes, a digital signal processor, TMS320LF2407, is used to execute the two aforementioned current control techniques. Several experimental results show that the proposed method can significantly improve the current-tracking performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a pulsewidth-modulation strategy to achieve balanced line-to-line output voltages and to maximize the modulation index in the linear modulation range where the output voltage can be linearly adjusted in the multilevel cascaded inverter (MLCI) operating under unbalanced dc-link conditions. In these conditions, the linear modulation range is reduced, and a significant output voltage imbalance may occur as voltage references increase. In order to analyze these effects, the voltage vector space for MLCI is evaluated in detail. From this analysis, the theory behind the output voltage imbalance is explained, and the maximum linear modulation range considering an unbalanced dc-link condition is evaluated. After that, a neutral voltage modulation strategy is proposed to achieve output voltage balancing as well as to extend the linear modulation range up to the maximum reachable point in theory. In the proposed method, too large of a dc-link imbalance precludes the balancing of the output voltages. This limitation is also discussed. Both the simulations and the experiments for a seven-level phase-shifted modulated MLCI for electric vehicle traction motor drive show that the proposed method is able to balance line-to-line output voltages as well as to maximize the linear modulation range under the unbalanced dc-link conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an investigation of the finite-control-set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) of a five-phase induction motor drive. Specifically, performance with regard to different selections of inverter switching states is investigated. The motor is operated under rotor flux orientation, and both flux/torque producing (d-q) and nonflux/torque producing (x-y) currents are included into the quadratic cost function. The performance is evaluated on the basis of the primary plane, secondary plane, and phase (average) current ripples, across the full inverter's linear operating region under constant flux–torque operation. A secondary plane current ripple weighting factor is added in the cost function, and its impact on all the studied schemes is evaluated. Guidelines for the best switching state set and weighting factor selections are thus established. All the considerations are accompanied with both simulation and experimental results, which are further compared with the steady-state and transient performance of a proportional-integral pulsewidth modulation (PI-PWM)-based current control scheme. While a better transient performance is obtained with FCS-MPC, steady-state performance is always superior with PI-PWM control. It is argued that this is inevitable in multiphase drives in general, due to the existence of nonflux/torque producing current components. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a novel direct current-fed interleaved phase-modulated single-phase unfolding inverter for fuel-cell applications. Two active-clamped zero-voltage switching current-fed half-bridge isolated converters are interleaved in parallel input and series output configuration. Phase modulation is proposed to control these two converter cells, which generate a rectified sinusoidal pattern at the dc link. A simple H-bridge unfolding dc–ac inversion is used to produce single-phase sine voltage at line frequency switching using square-wave control. This not only simplifies the inversion stage in terms of modulation but also reduces the switching losses. Direct front-end current-fed based unfolding inverter is not reported in literature yet. Detailed analysis and design of the proposed direct current-fed single-phase unfolding inverter has been presented. Simulation waveforms using PSIM 9.0.4 are given to verify the presented analysis and design. Experimental results on a laboratory prototype rated at 200 W are demonstrated to support the investigation, to validate the accuracy of the proposed analysis and design, and to test the performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes the pulsewidth modulation (PWM) strategy of Z-source inverters (ZSIs) with minimum inductor current ripple. In existing PWM strategy with single-phase shoot-through, the shoot-through time interval is divided into six equal parts, therefore the three phase legs bear the equal shoot-through time interval. In this manner, the allotment and arrangement of the shoot-through state is easy to realize, but the inductor current ripple is not optimized. This causes to use relatively large inductors. In the proposed PWM strategy, the shoot-through time intervals of three phase legs are calculated and rearranged according to the active state and zero state time intervals to achieve the minimum current ripple across the Z-source inductor, while maintaining the same total shoot-through time interval. The principle of the proposed PWM strategy is analyzed in detail, and the comparison of current ripple under the traditional and proposed PWM strategy is given. Simulation and experimental results on the series ZSI are shown to verify the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper systematically investigates the conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) using separated heat sinks for a silicon carbide (SiC) JFET inverter for motor drives. The inverter circuit layout is implemented with discrete SiC JFETs attached on top of the heat sink, which creates extensive capacitive couplings and moreover increases parasitic oscillations. To minimize the influence, the solution of using separated heat sinks is proposed. For better common mode performance, the high-side heat sink is grounded to avoid fast dv/dts that occur between the drain of the lower switch and the low-side heat sink. For better differential mode performance, the RC snubber circuit and ferrite beads are used to damp parasitic oscillations. Two 2.2 kW inverter prototypes, with six discrete SiC JFETs on one common heat sink and separated heat sinks, respectively, are built using the same circuit layout. Their EMI spectra are compared under unfiltered and filtered conditions. The experiments show that the separate heat sinks inverter system exhibits significantly reduced EMI. Last, three improved solutions are proposed, which effectively suppresses the emitted EMI to the target level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a multiple-input versatile matrix converter (VMC) for integrating hybrid ac/dc energy resources and storages to the power grid. The VMC is developed from the traditional indirect matrix converter but operates in the reverse-boost mode rather than in the forward-buck mode. The reverse-boost mode is more relevant here since most renewable sources and energy storages have lower voltages than the grid. The eventual VMC developed uses an alternative nine-switch converter, rather than usual six-switch voltage-source converter, for providing six input terminals in total. One three-phase ac source and three dc sources, or other source combinations, can therefore be connected to the VMC. Powers from these sources are channeled to the three-phase utility grid through the VMC's current-source inverter. Their proper dispatches are guaranteed by the proposed control and modulation schemes, which also help maintain near-sinusoidal input and output current waveforms. Mathematical proofs, simulation, and experimental results have shown that the VMC can indeed operate as intended. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper provides experimental results for a 2.5-kW 47-level prototype of the switch-ladder multilevel inverter including the following: input and output voltage and current waveforms under resistive and inductive loads, efficiency, total harmonic distortion, voltage stresses across the switches, behavior of the system under fault condition, and no-load power dissipation. The most important advantage of this inverter is that only four switches conduct in each interval in low frequency. This matter, beside the elimination of switching losses, has made this inverter an efficient choice with 97% peak efficiency. The ability to continue working with open-circuit modules is another advantage of the inverter. Furthermore, some important factors behind the unreliability and inefficiency of inverters have been improved, including the following: low duty cycle of conducting switches, staircase voltage stresses across switches with low-voltage steppes, line switching frequency results in low temperature of switches, possibility of removing low-pass filters, and independence to capacitors. The inverter is proposed to be an advantageous choice in low-voltage stand-alone photovoltaic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

While the classical control techniques for three-phase two-level four-leg inverters are based on pulsewidth modulation or 3-D space vector modulation, this paper presents a simple digital current control strategy without the modulation stage. The proposed controller uses the discrete nature of the four-leg inverter and filter to generate the switching states. Using a predictive cost function, the optimal switching state to be applied in the next sampling interval is selected. The proposed controller offers excellent reference tracking with less current harmonic distortion for balanced and unbalanced loading conditions. The feasibility of the proposed strategy is verified by digital implementation on a dSPACE DS1104-based rapid prototype platform. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]