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A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) uses an internal combustion engine to extend its cruising range, and to produce the electric power needed to be supplied to its electric motor when the charge level of the vehicle's battery becomes low and reaches a predetermined state of charge (SOC). This paper provides a better solution by replacing the internal combustion engine of a PHEV with a small-size photovoltaic (PV) module located on the roof of the PHEV, and a micro wind turbine located in front of the PHEV, behind the condenser of the air conditioning system. Thus, this study proposes a novel battery/PV/wind hybrid power source to be utilized in PHEVs. The power source equipped with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is composed of a 19.2-kWh Lithium (Li)-ion battery used as the main energy storage device, and a PV module and a wind energy conversion system. A prototype of the battery/PV/wind hybrid power source has been constructed and utilized in a PHEV. Experimental verifications are presented that demonstrate utilizing the PV module and micro wind turbine adds 19.6 km to the cruising range of a PHEV with the weight of 1880 kg during two sunny days, and provides higher power efficiency (91.2%) and speed (121 km/h). Highly accurate dc-link voltage regulation and producing an appropriate three-phase stator current for the traction motor by using pulse width modulation technique are the other contributions of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an improved compact model for a discrete silicon-carbide (SiC) MOSFET. This compact model based on the previous model features a new behavioral model of output characteristics and new nonlinear models of internal capacitors. Simulation with the improved compact model is in better agreement with measurement than that with the previous compact model, as well as transient behavior of the drain–source voltage, the drain current, and the leakage current out of a heatsink. Furthermore, the improved model is useful for constructing the accurate compact model that can reproduce the high-frequency characteristics of the transient waveforms of SiC-MOSFET s. This successful validation indicates that the improved compact model would be a promising tool for a full-simulation-based design system of the power converters using SiC-MOSFETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new power decoupling control method for a direct ac-to-ac converter. The ac-to-ac converter consists of two half-bridge converters, two input filter capacitors, and a series-resonant circuit, which enables it to convert the single-phase line-frequency ac input to the high-frequency ac output directly. The proposed power decoupling control method stores input power pulsation at double the line frequency in the input filter capacitors. Thus, the proposed control method realizes a unity power factor in the line-frequency ac input and a constant amplitude current in the high-frequency ac output without any additional switching device or energy storage element. This paper theoretically discusses the principle and operating performance of the proposed control method and confirms the effectiveness of the proposed control method in experiments using an isolated ac-to-dc converter based on the direct ac-to-ac converter. As a result, the proposed power decoupling control method effectively improved the displacement power factor of the line-frequency ac input current to more than 0.99 and reduced the voltage ripple in the dc load to 4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) converter for grid connection through a high-leg delta transformer. The converter is composed of a symmetrically connected boost converter and three half-bridge inverters. One of the three half-bridge inverters is connected to the boost converter, and the others are directly connected to the PV terminals. As a result, this circuit configuration enables to reduce the power losses in both boost converter and inverters. This paper also proposes a new cooperative control method between the symmetrically connected boost converter and inverter. The control method can reduce the average switching frequency to 75% of that in a conventional one, resulting in a great reduction in the switching power loss. Experimental results confirm that the proposed circuit configuration makes it possible to improve its European efficiency from 91.6% to 94.5%. Moreover, system performance is evaluated on the assumption of maximum power point tracking operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the comparison of four predictive torque control schemes for a permanent-magnet synchronous machine (PMSM). The first method is the finite-set model predictive control (FS-MPC). In FS-MPC, the optimal switching state is selected based on the evaluation and minimization of a cost function for all possible voltage space vectors (VSVs) of the inverter. The second method performs a simplified FS-MPC where the selection and evaluation of the possible VSVs are reduced to only three. The third method is based on the principle of predictive direct torque control (PDTC), where the duty cycle of the switching state is optimized for application in the inverter. Finally, a method that combines FS-MPC and PDTC named model predictive torque control is presented. This paper introduces the methodology and the results of a comprehensive comparison of the four predictive schemes based on different criterions. The control schemes are implemented on a field-programmable gate array and are applied to a PMSM. Experimental results are presented to validate the presented comparison and discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new fault-tolerant strategy to revamp performance of three-phase multilevel converters with a single faulty switch. The proposed fault-tolerant strategy is based on the application of a modified selective harmonic elimination (SHE) technique in conjunction with the fundamental phase-shift compensation method. The proposed fault-tolerant strategy makes the most use of the converter capacity in the faulty condition, generates balanced line voltages, and eliminates a wide range of lower order harmonics to limit the total harmonic distribution of the converter voltages in the faulty condition. In this paper, first, a brief background about cascaded H-bridge multilevel converters and SHE technique is provided. Then, the proposed fault-tolerant strategy and the modified SHE technique are presented. Finally, several experimental results are provided to validate the operation of the proposed strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Multilevel inverters have created a new wave of interest in industry and research. While the classical topologies have proved to be a viable alternative in a wide range of high-power medium-voltage applications, there has been an active interest in the evolution of newer topologies. Reduction in overall part count as compared to the classical topologies has been an important objective in the recently introduced topologies. In this paper, some of the recently proposed multilevel inverter topologies with reduced power switch count are reviewed and analyzed. The paper will serve as an introduction and an update to these topologies, both in terms of the qualitative and quantitative parameters. Also, it takes into account the challenges which arise when an attempt is made to reduce the device count. Based on a detailed comparison of these topologies as presented in this paper, appropriate multilevel solution can be arrived at for a given application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The output voltage of power electronic converters is a very important quantity for dynamic control of power electronic systems. In electrical drives without electromechanical position or speed sensor, the terminal reference voltage is used to obtain the rotor position. Dead-time effects and semiconductor voltage drop lead to distortion in the actual output voltage and degrade the control performance when the back electromotive force magnitude is low. Thus, for stable low-speed operation, output voltage sensing becomes necessary. Due to the switching nature of power electronic systems, this is not a trivial task, especially when instantaneous measurement of the terminal voltage is required. In this paper, an instantaneous switching-period average voltage sensing technique is proposed that utilizes a combined approach of oversampling and filtering. Based on the theoretical analysis of the sampling- and filter-induced measurement distortion, a general solution for an optimal filter design is derived. The additional sensing circuit is integrated into the low-side gate driver of the converter outputs. This paper includes details about the hardware implementation and extensive verification measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In power electronics, the $\ell _1$-norm (instead of the squared $\ell _2$-norm) is often used in the objective function of model predictive controllers (MPCs) with reference tracking. Although the $\ell _1$-norm is preferred for its computational simplicity, it might lead to a performance deterioration and closed-loop instability. This paper analyzes the root cause for this and discusses the benefits of using the $\ell _2$-norm instead. Given the theoretical nature of this paper, a power electronics-oriented case study is employed to visualize and exemplify—through examples and simulations—the mathematical concepts and arguments presented. To this end, a variable speed drive system with a three-level voltage-source inverter serves as an illustrative example to clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of using the $\ell _2$-norm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soft-switching solid-state transformer (S4T) employs only 12 main active devices and an auxiliary resonant circuit to implement a bidirectional solid-state transformer, with an attractive feature of achieving a full range of zero-voltage-switching conditions for all the main devices. This paper covers detailed design of the power stage, auxiliary resonant circuit, and control of the S4T. The high-frequency transformer is an essential element for the S4T, and it has a unique feature of dc-biased flux. Design of such a high-frequency transformer is also discussed in detail in this paper. Soft startup, shutdown, and fast dynamic response under load transients are also attractive behaviors because of the low inertia of the S4T. Experimental results from a 208-V/10-kV·A S4T unit are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes the application of a finite control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) strategy in standalone ac microgrids (MGs). AC MGs are usually built from two or more voltage source converters (VSCs) which have the capability of regulating the voltage at the point of common coupling, while sharing the load power at the same time. Those functionalities are conventionally achieved by hierarchical linear control loops. However, they present severe limitations in terms of slow transient response and high sensitivity to parameter variations. This paper aims to mitigate these problems by first introducing an improvement of the FCS-MPC strategy for a single VSC that is based on explicit tracking of derivative of the voltage reference trajectory. Using only a single step prediction horizon, the proposed strategy exhibits very low computational expense, but provides steady-state performance comparable to carrier-based sinusoidal PWM, while its transient response and robustness to parameter variation is far superior to hierarchical linear control. These benefits are exploited in a general ac MG setting where a methodology for paralleling multiple FCS-MPC regulated VSCs is described. Such an MG is characterized by rapid transient response, inherent stability in all operating conditions, and fully decentralized operation of individual VSCs. These findings have been validated through comprehensive simulation and experimental verification. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To support the development of high-frequency ac microgrids in terms of compact design, high-voltage gain and low total harmonic distortion (THD), a buck–boost dual-leg-integrated step-up inverter is proposed in this paper. The inverter is formed by integrating a buck–boost converter into a conventional single-phase full-bridge inverter by sharing the upper switch and the body diode of the lower switch in both bridge-legs. Consequently, the component count is significantly reduced over the step-up inverter counterparts. In addition, to address the drawbacks of hybrid modulation methods adopted by existing dual-leg-integrated inverters, such as double-variable control, and high THD of output voltage/current at high input voltage and heavy load conditions, unipolar frequency doubling sinusoidal pulse width modulation scheme is adopted in this inverter. As a result, the modulation ratio M becomes the only control variable to regulate the output voltage/current and the control is simplified. The THD of the proposed inverter output can remain low throughout the entire input voltage range and load power range. This paper presents the topology derivation procedure, operation principle, and steady-state characteristics of the proposed inverter. To validate the effectiveness of theory, experimental results of a 400 W hardware prototype, where the output voltage frequency is at 500 Hz, are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a novel control method for multimodule photovoltaic microinverter (MI). The proposed MI employs a two-stage topology with active-clamped current-fed push–pull converter cascaded with a full-bridge inverter. This system can operate in grid-connected mode to feed power to the grid with a programmable power factor. This system can also operate in line-interactive mode, i.e., share load power without feeding power to the grid. In the event of grid power failure, the MI can operate in a standalone mode to supply uninterruptible power to the load. This paper presents a multiloop control scheme with power programmable capability for achieving the above multiple functions. In addition, the proposed control scheme embedded a multimodule parallel capability that multiple MI modules can be paralleled to enlarge the capacity with autonomous control in all operation modes. Finally, three 250-W MI modules are adopted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method in simulations as well as experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a single-phase power factor correction (PFC) rectifier to achieve high power factor, wide output voltage range, and ripple power decoupling without using electrolytic capacitors. It consists of two parts: PFC circuit and output voltage regulation circuit. The load side is involved in both parts, which is different from the regular two-stage conversion structure. The proposed rectifier can be directly applied to low voltage cases due to the wide output voltage range. And the decoupling capacitor voltage can be smaller than the peak grid voltage, which reduces the voltage stress. Besides, the low-frequency ripple power buffer is implemented without a dedicated power-buffering controller. This paper first introduces the circuit structure, operation principles, and control method. Then, the system design consideration is given. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed topology is verified by the simulations and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A switched-capacitor-based dual-switch dc–dc converter with a high-boost voltage gain is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter can obtain a high-voltage gain with a small duty cycle, which decreases the voltage stress and the conduction loss on the power switches. This paper presents the key waveforms, the operating principles at the continuous conduction mode and the discontinuous conduction mode, and the parameter design. Moreover, a comparison between the proposed converter and other nonisolated converters has been completed. To verify the operating principle, a 200 W prototype is constructed with an input voltage of 25–50 V and an output voltage of 200 V. The simulation and experimental results are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The three phases of brushless dc motor (BLDCM) are involved in energy conversion during the commutation interval. A novel commutation analysis method of the BLDCM based on coordinate transformation theory is proposed in this paper, though this coordinate transformation theory is popular in the control of three-phase sinusoidal motors, such as induction motors and permanent magnet synchronous motors. The method is intuitive and easy to understand compared with the method based on circuit solving. Combined with the voltage vector diagram of the inverter, commutation control to reduce commutation torque ripple under low speed (LS_RCTR) and high speed (HS_RCTR) is deduced. However, under a heavy load and high-speed condition, long commutation time may result in commutation failure if these commutation controls to RCTR is adopted. To avoid that, commutation time must be controlled. Then, commutation control to reduce commutation time under low-speed (LS_RCT) and high-speed (two cases, named HS_RCT1 and HS_RCT2) are proposed. The improved control of BLDCM presented in this paper can coordinate commutation torque ripple and commutation time in full speed range. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of these methods are verified by experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a new bidirectional resonant dc–dc converter suitable for wide voltage gain range applications (e.g., energy storage systems). The proposed converter overcomes the narrow voltage gain range of conventional resonant dc–dc converters, and meanwhile achieves high efficiency throughout the wide range of operation voltage. It is achieved by configuring a full-bridge mode and a half-bridge mode operation during each switching cycle. A fixed-frequency phase-shift control scheme is proposed and the normalized voltage gain can be always from 0.5 to 1, regardless of the load. The transformer root-mean-square (rms) currents in both the forward and reverse power flow directions have a small variation with respect to the voltage gain, which is beneficial to the conduction losses reduction throughout a wide voltage range. Moreover, the power devices are soft-switched for minimum switching losses. The operation principles and characteristics of the proposed converter are firstly analyzed in this paper. Then the analytical solutions for the voltage gain, soft-switching, and rms currents are derived, which facilitates the parameters design and optimization. Finally, the proposed topology and analysis are verified with experimental results obtained from a 1-kW converter prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Common-mode voltage output is closely associated with switching states in three-phase three-wire neutral point clamped converter. Detailed analysis shows avoiding redundant states can effectively improve the common-mode voltage, so this paper proposes a pulse width modulation (PWM) technique with zero redundant state to reduce the common-mode voltage output, and evaluates their performance with the conventional PWM schemes. This paper also takes the compensation of neutral point potential deviation into consideration. Laboratory test results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes an active switching harmonic current reduction method within the dc-link capacitor of two-level, three-phase, back-to-back converters. This method is based on the derived analytical solution for switching harmonic currents in the dc-link. It is shown that by controlling the pulse width modulation carrier waveform's phase angles, the harmonics in the second carrier band of the rectifier and the inverter can be synchronized such that cancellation occurs in the dc-link capacitor. This synchronization is provided by harmonic phase feedback control. The feasibility of the proposed approach has been verified experimentally and results are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The modeling and control of a buck–boost and stacked dual half-bridge (DHB) integrated bidirectional dc–dc converter have been studied in this paper. This converter features high-voltage transfer ratio, high efficiency, and the minimum number of switches. In this paper, an extended, continuous, full-order, state-space averaging modeling method is proposed. Compared with existing methods, the proposed method exhibits higher coincidence with the switching circuit simulation, in steady and especially dynamic states. Due to its high dynamic accuracy and low complexity, the proposed modeling method provides a better theoretical analysis and a fast simulation tool for transient process and control design of converters with dual-active-bridge units, especially with DHB units. By using this method, the high-frequency transformer series inductance current is directly divided into a sampled dc component and a fluctuant component. Only the sampled dc one is included into state variables, but both components are considered into state equations. Besides, this method regards the entire converter as a linear superposition of its subsections, which provides a stepwise modeling based on linearization of subsections. Moreover, a decoupled proportional-integral control method is proposed to enhance the stability and dynamic response of the converter. This control method is analyzed by the proposed models, which can be regarded as an application of the proposed modeling method. Simulation and experiments have validated both the proposed modeling and the decoupled control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a hybrid nonisolated dc–dc commutation cell, which is generated by the integration between conventional commutation cell and ladder-type passive switched capacitor (SC) cell. From the resulted hybrid cell are derived three different dc–dc converters: a buck-type, a boost-type, and a buck–boost-type. The three structures are analyzed in this paper and are presented the topological stages, static gain characteristics in continuous conduction mode and discontinuous conduction mode, steady-state analysis. The analyses are generalized in relation to the number of switched-capacitor cells employed, which allows the increase of the rated gain of the converters by adding more SC cells. In addition, the proposed hybrid nonisolated dc–dc commutation divides naturally the voltage stress among the semiconductors and capacitors of the power stage. A 1-kW prototype was developed to verify the operation of the three proposed converters and their theoretical analysis. For the buck-type topology, designed with an input voltage of 600 V and output voltage of 450 V, a peak efficiency of 99.2% and efficiency at rated power of 99% were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sheppard–Taylor power factor correction (ST-PFC) rectifier could obtain a high power factor due to its capability of overcoming the control detuning issue. However, it needs a bulky electrolytic capacitor at the load side to buffer the double-frequency ripple power (DFRP), which reduces the reliability and power density significantly. This paper proposes a control method to divert the DFRP to the small energy transfer capacitor. Consequently, the bulky electrolytic capacitor is replaced with a small film capacitor. The proposed method is carried out by introducing the freewheel state (one switch is turned on and the other is turned off) into the control. So no extra hardware is added, which makes the proposed method cost-effective. A low electromagnetic interference emission is also achieved due to the continuous input–output currents. In addition, the proposed method can be extended to other topologies easily. This paper first gives the detailed analysis of the proposed control method, and then introduces the controller design. The selection of the passive components is also briefly discussed. Finally, the simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These days, constant on-time current mode (COTCM) control scheme is widely used in the voltage regulator (VR) controllers because it has a higher light-load efficiency and a higher BW design capability while maintaining a simpler compensation requirement. One issue plaguing the COTCM control is its slow transient response which is caused by its fixed TON operation. During the heavy-load step-up transient, the duty cycle becomes saturated and the inductor current increment becomes limited by TON and the minimum off time (TOFF$\_$ MIN) ratio, which can create a large undershoot at load step up. On the other hand, in the load step-down case, if the load step down occurs at the beginning of TON, a large overshoot can be created at the output. To solve this issue, this paper presents a method designed to increase the TON at load step up and then very quickly, decrease at load step down in order to reduce the undershoot and overshoot at output or otherwise save the output capacitor. In this proposed method, the increase or decrease of T ON is proportional to the output change which eliminates the chance of any overcorrection or ring-back problem unlike the methods presented in prior forums. This feature enables the control to work seamlessly in a high-frequency load repetitive case in VR applications. Since this TON change occurs only in the transient period when duty cycle is saturated, it does not affect the small-signal property of the COT control. Moreover, the proposed methods are very much compatible with the state-of-the-art single and multiphase COT control structures. Simulation and test results in both single and multiphase operations are also presented in the paper to verify the proposed concept. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

SiC mosfet has low on-state resistance and can work on high switching frequency, high voltage, and some other tough conditions with less temperature drift, which could provide the significant improvement of power density in power converters. However, for the bridge circuit in an actual converter, high dv/dt during fast switching transient of one mosfet will amplify the negative influence of parasitic components and produce the significant negative voltage spikes on the complementary mosfet, which will threaten its safe operation. This paper proposes a new gate driver circuit for SiC mosfet to attenuate the negative voltage spikes in a bridge circuit. The proposed gate driver adopts a simple voltage dividing circuit to generate a negative gate-source voltage as traditional and a passive triggered transistor with a series-connected capacitor to suppress the negative voltage spikes, which could satisfy the stringent requirements of fast switching SiC mosfets under the high dc voltage condition with low cost and less complexity. An analysis is presented in this paper based on the simulation and experimental results with the performance comparison evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel soft-switching interleaved coupled-inductor boost converter is proposed in this paper. Only a single active soft-switching module is needed to simultaneously achieve the soft-switching property of the two switches in the interleaved coupled-inductor boost converter. The better efficiency is achieved with the less components and cost. The two main switches can achieve the ZVT turn-on and smaller-current turn-off simultaneously when the single active soft-switching module is active. Due to the coupling characteristic of the inductors, the voltages across the two inductors are changed at the same time; therefore, the equivalent circuit is equal to the parasitic capacitors of the two main switches in parallel to resonate with the auxiliary inductor. By coupling two input inductors, the volume and cost of the circuit can be reduced. The interleaved coupled-inductor topology can also reduce the input and output current ripples and share the input and output currents. The operating modes, analysis, and design of the proposed circuit have been discussed in this paper. Simulation and experiments are finally conducted to verify the validity of the proposed circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, direct torque control (DTC) of five-phase induction motor (FPIM) is implemented using three-level neutral point clamped (TL-NPC) inverter. One of the advantages of three-level inverter over two-level one for DTC operation is the low torque ripple. Also TL-NPC inverter through space vector modulation technique gives low $ dv/dt$ transition with better voltage waveform. By applying conventional lookup table for DTC, the TL-NPC inverter does not ensures lower $dv/dt$ transition. In this paper, a novel switching scheme for DTC of FPIM using TL-NPC inverter is proposed that ensures the low $ dv/dt$ transition and balancing of dc-link capacitor voltages of TL-NPC inverter. To form the lookup table for DTC operation, instead of using voltage vectors directly, virtual vectors (VVs) are utilized. Two switching states are used in one sample time to generate a VV in $\alpha \beta$ plane, which gives zero resultant voltage in $ xy$ plane. The switching strategy ensures low number of transitions to reduce the switching losses. The switching state redundancies are used in a novel way to balance the dc-link capacitor voltages without using any additional hardware. The proposed technique to balance the dc-link capacitor voltage gives lower switching frequency. The MATLAB/Simulink environment is used for the simulation and the results are validated through experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new feed-forward strategy for suppressing low-order harmonic circulating currents in pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) based modular multilevel converters (MMCs). The approach is based on the new average model approach established in this paper, which identifies cross-coupling interactions between the system-level and submodule elements using decomposed dependent sources. As well as improving the damping of the system, the major advantage of this approach is that it maintains the natural DC bus balance property of a PWM modulated MMC by considering the upper and lower arms together (unlike existing feed-forward schemes which treat each MMC arm independently). Moreover, unlike existing direct control resonant strategies, which require careful gain tuning and are highly dependent on the ac system frequency, the proposed approach achieves wideband circulating current ripple suppression without requiring knowledge of the circulating current harmonic frequencies and needs only a simple proportional–integral (PI) controller to regulate the circulating current dc component for power balance. This makes it particularly suitable for use in multifrequency or variable-frequency ac systems. Extensive simulation and matching experimental results, including steady-state and transient responses compared against existing circulating current suppression approaches, validate the effectiveness and benefits of this new feed-forward compensation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a hybrid seven-level converter based on T-type converter and H-bridge cascaded suitable for low-voltage and high-power-density applications. The operation principles and conduction paths are analyzed comprehensively. Voltage balance control of the floating capacitors is the key point of this paper. Mathematical expressions of capacitor voltage balance conditions are deduced based on sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM). The results show that floating capacitor voltages are only balanced when the modulation index is below 0.82 under SPWM. In order to enlarge the modulation index ensuring the capacitor voltage balance, space vector modulation (SVM) is also applied to regulate floating capacitor voltages taking advantage of redundant switching vectors. Meanwhile, in SVM, there are no additional control requirements for the capacitor voltage. Taken both SPWM and SVM into consideration, the limit to the range of operation for this seven-level converter is presented, which is a function of the modulation index and the power factor. The merit of dc voltage utilization improvement in this topology is also analyzed based on simulation results. Simulations and experimental results under different modulation index and RL load are presented to verify the modulation strategies illustrated in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a new zero voltage zero current transition (ZVZCT) boost DC–DC converter using a coupled inductor is proposed. This topology provides the main switch ZVZCT for the turn-on and zero voltage switching (ZVS) for the turn-off. Moreover, the auxiliary switch turns on at zero current switching (ZCS) and turns off at ZVS. The main diode turns on with ZVT and turns off with ZCS, and other diodes also operate under soft-switching conditions. Besides, due to the coupling effect, the proposed converter improves efficiency additionally since resonant energy in the resonance tank could be transferred to the output, and the circulating current can be limited as well. The soft-switching can be realized in almost all the load rang. In this design, there always exist energy releasing circuits to conduct magnetic flux leakage currents, such that the surge currents are eliminated and switch current stress can be accordingly reduced. All the devices resonate in a unique direction within less than half of a resonance period, so power losses with respect to the resonance can be decreased. In this paper, the converter design and operation principles of the converter are given. It also has been verified by a 1-kW experimental prototype with switching frequency of 100 kHz, and the related experimental results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An extended-duty-ratio (EDR) boost converter is studied extensively in this paper for high voltage gain applications with a wide input (and/or output) voltage range. The EDR is a unique combination of an interleaved, multiphase boost converter and switched capacitor configuration that achieves high voltage gain with significantly lower switch voltage stress and switching losses compared to conventional high-gain solutions. Most of the switches in the multiphase EDR experience only a fixed fraction of the output voltage ($1/M, 2/M$ , etc., where $M$ is the number of phases). Through extensive analysis over a wide operating range, it is shown here that the EDR boost converter has inherent current sharing among the phases only in a limited range of duty ratio— $(M-1)/M \leq D \leq 1$. As the duty ratio reduces beyond this range as required in wide input voltage applications, inherent current sharing property is lost. In this paper, techniques to ensure current sharing under all operating zones without requiring current sensors are presented. Instead of having equal duty ratio for each phase, it is adjusted for each phase according to the operating region of the converter. Extensive analysis is presented to derive the required duty ratio changes for the different phases. The proposed concept is validated with experimental results from a 250 W, 3-phase EDR boost, and GaN-based hardware prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an improved direct torque control (DTC) method for an asymmetrical six-phase induction motor using a two-level six-phase inverter. As is well known, a simple extension of three-phase DTC technique to an asymmetrical six-phase motor, using large vectors only, introduces significant current harmonics of the order 6 n±1 (n = 1, 3, 5,…), which are mapped into the nonflux/torque producing (xy) plane. These harmonics cause only losses in the motor winding as they do not take part in torque production. Hence, a number of different improved DTC techniques have been developed in the past for multiphase motor drives. The paper takes one such DTC method as the starting point and improves it further by using the concept of virtual voltage vectors. Developed vector selection algorithm, based on two virtual voltage vectors, requires the information on position of the flux in the auxiliary (xy) subspace and provides stator current quality commensurate with the currently available best DTC algorithm for six-phase drives. However, use of two virtual voltage vectors enables a substantial reduction of the torque ripple, which is achieved by means of a five-level torque comparator. Extensive experimentation is performed and it is shown that the reduction of the current harmonics is in essence almost the same as in another recently developed DTC scheme, based on the use of a single virtual voltage vector. However, the achieved torque ripple reduction, which is verified experimentally, makes the scheme superior when compared to the existing approaches. At the same time, developed scheme retains qualities of conventional DTC schemes, such as simple structure and fast response. Its additional beneficial feature is the easiness of implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Conventional single-phase power-factor-correction (PFC) rectifiers with active power decoupling capability typically require more than three active switches in their circuits. By exploring the concept of power-buffer cell, a new single-stage PFC rectifier with two active switches, one inductor and one small power-buffering capacitor is reported in this paper. The proposed converter can achieve high-power factor, wide output voltage range, and power decoupling function without using electrolytic capacitor. Additionally, an automatic power decoupling control scheme that is simple and easy to implement is proposed in this paper. The operating principle, control method, and design considerations of the proposed rectifier are also provided. A 100-W prototype with ac input voltage of 110 Vrms and a regulated dc output voltage ranging from 30 to 100 V has been successfully designed and practically tested. The experimental results show that with only a 15 μF power-buffering film capacitor, the proposed converter can achieve an input power factor of over 0.98, peak efficiency of 93.9%, and output voltage ripple of less than 3%, at 100-W output power. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Wide bandgap semiconductor switches have been increasingly utilized to improve the power density and efficiency of power converters, as such devices are able to operate at very high frequencies, e.g., up to 100 MHz, with reduced power losses. However, such a high-frequency operation may impose a challenge to the digital control system, and the system clock frequency should be up to 100 GHz in high-precision applications, which is difficult to realize in low-cost microprocessors. Instead of using extremely high-frequency clocks, preprocessing-based solutions that utilize digital pulse-width-modulated (DPWM) dither techniques can also enhance the DPWM resolution with moderate frequency clocks. Unfortunately, this is usually achieved at the expense of introducing low-frequency harmonics, which may complicate system controller and output filter design. In this paper, an optimal dither technique is proposed to enhance the resolution of DPWM power converters. The concepts of positive dither and negative dither are first proposed in this paper. Furthermore, vector-diagram-based analysis indicates that with proper utilization of positive dithers and negative dithers and carefully selected dither sequences, the lowest order harmonic introduced by the conventional dither technique can be completely eliminated when the dither period is multiples of six switching periods. In other cases, the proposed optimal dither technique can produce minimized lowest order harmonic. Finally, experimental results obtained from a Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices-based synchronous buck converter validate the feasibility of the proposed dither technique. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a comparative investigation, design and development issues about six different single-stage topologies, applied as electronic ballasts, for electrodeless fluorescent lamps. The ballast is intended to feed a 100 W lamp at 250 kHz, with dimming feature. The proposed topologies use different converters for the power factor correction (PFC) stage: Buck-Boost, SEPIC, Zeta, Cúk, Flyback, and Boost. All of them operate in discontinuous conduction mode. A resonant half-bridge inverter is used as lamp power control (PC) stage. The integration of both stages (PFC and PC) is proposed in this paper. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of active switches, as well as simplify the required driving and control circuitry. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed dimming technique that achieved around 56% lamp power dimming, from 100 W down to 44 W. The implemented topologies attained high average power factor (>0.98), and low line current average total harmonic distortion (<;15.3%). A comparison among all the proposed topologies in terms of power factor, harmonic distortion, efficiency and number of components is presented. Finally, a comparison between an integrated and a nonintegrated SEPIC half-bridge converter is also performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a fast and generalized space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) scheme for any multilevel inverter. The SVPWM scheme generates all the available switching states and switching sequences based on two simple and general mappings, and calculates the duty cycles simply as if for a two-level SVPWM, thus independent of the level number of the inverter. Because the switching states, duty cycles, and switching sequences are all obtained by simple calculation in the proposed SVPWM scheme, no lookup table is needed and the scheme is computationally fast. The generalized method of generating the switching states (first mapping), calculating the duty cycles, and determining the switching sequence (second mapping) is described in this paper. The scheme is suitable for any reference vector with any modulation index, and can be conveniently extended to meet specific requirements, such as symmetric switching sequences. Compared with prior methods, the SVPWM scheme proposed in this paper provides two more degrees of freedom, i.e., the adjustable switching sequences and duty cycles, thus offering significant flexibility for optimizing the performance of multilevel inverters. The influence of redundant switching sequences in the output phase voltage of inverters is demonstrated for a nine-level inverter. This paper also thoroughly compares the proposed SVPWM scheme with prior methods. Both simulation and experimental results are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy generations have been attracting sustained attentions in academic and industry. Current-fed-isolated-bidirectional dc/dc converters (CF-IBDCs) are widely adopted in low-voltage high-current applications such as solar photovoltaic fuel cell with energy storage. This paper gives an overview and a comprehensive comparative evaluation of CF-IBDCs. The active clamped, dual half-bridge, L-L type dual active bridge, resonant-type, naturally clamped, and other type topologies of CF-IBDCs are investigated, analyzed, and compared regarding their circuit topological structures, operation characteristics, modulation methods, and soft-switching technologies. In addition, component cost models and loss models of converters are deduced and presented. On this basis, quantitative and comprehensive performance comparison of seven typical CF-IBDC topologies selected from each type is conducted in terms of costs, losses, weight, volume, and power density for the given system specifications and design constraints. Finally, the application range of different CF-IBDCs and future trend are presented to encourage further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new approach for the capacitor balancing of a dual three-level T-type converter based on silicon carbide discrete semiconductors. This study is performed while the converter feeds an open-end induction motor. The model predictive control (MPC) scheme is developed to balance the dc-link capacitors and to control the machine torque simultaneously. The proposed technique for MPC reduces the number of redundant switching states that are used in computations without affecting the operating voltage vectors. This reduces the computational time substantially. In addition, the proposed control strategy mitigates the weighting factor tuning problem of capacitor balancing in addition to the conventional MPC cost function. MATLAB simulation results for the proposed drive system under different case studies are presented. Hardware experimental setup for the proposed converter is built, tested, and verified. A comparison between experimental and simulation results is presented. It is observed that the theoretical as well as the experimental results are in full agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel topology combining reconfigurability and hybridization is presented. Reconfigurability allows the proposed converter to operate in three different operating modes, yielding a wide range of step-up conversion ratios. The combination of two charge-pump cells and an inductor allows to reduce the average inductor current if compared to a standard equivalent boost converter. A prototype with integrated MOS, drivers, and logic but external passives was built. Experimental results show that with $\mathbf {f_{s} }=\text{300}\,$ kHz, $\mathbf {V_{in} = \text{6}}\,$ V, and $\mathbf {I_o = \text{70}}\,$ mA, the converter can cover conversion ratios in the range from $\text {2.5}$ to $\text {10}$ , with a maximum output voltage equal to $\text {60}\,$ V. Peak efficiency is $\text {91}$ %. When the output current is increased to $\text {100}\,$ mA peak efficiency is $\text {92.8}$ %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the influence of active zero vector pulsewidth modulation (AZPWM-1) and space vector pulsewidth modulation (SVPWM) on the design of passive common-mode (CM) attenuation methods to reduce CM current and shaft voltage in inverter-fed V/f-controlled induction motor drives. The passive CM attenuation methods examined here are the CM choke, the CM electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter, and the CM transformer. The attenuation requirement of AZPWM-1 and SVPWM is identified to design the passive CM choke and EMI filter. Based on the attenuation requirement, the design guidelines are revisited for SVPWM, and design rules are proposed for AZPWM-1. However, the CM transformer is designed based on the step change in magnitude of CM voltage of both the pulsewidth modulations (PWMs). The limitations in design, regarding switching frequency and component size for each case, are also established. It is shown that to have a similar attenuation in the considered two PWM cases, AZPWM-1 requires smaller passive components compared to SVPWM. The proposed design guidelines are substantiated with experimental results on a 1.1-kW induction motor drive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilevel converters are widely applied in medium voltage (MV) drive systems due to the attractive features, such as the ability to use devices with lower voltage ratings, high equivalent switching frequency, etc. Recently, a multilevel topology, named seven-level hybrid clamped (7L-HC), is proposed for MV drives. It has a competitive number of devices, showing the potential to build low-cost 7L converters. However, to ensure the wide frequency range operation and power quality of MV drives, its dc-link capacitors and floating capacitors must be controlled properly with balanced voltages. In this paper, an active voltage balancing method is proposed for the 7L-HC converter. This method can effectively balance all the capacitor voltages under a wide frequency range. The method is embedded in the PWM procedure without modifying the control strategies. Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a voltage multiplier topology that is a hybrid between a Cockcroft–Walton multiplier and a Dickson charge pump. The Cockcroft–Walton structure exhibits significant output voltage drop under load as the number of multiplier stage increases. This is because all coupling capacitors are connected in series. Dickson charge pump mitigates this issue by connecting all capacitors in parallel. But this solution comes at the expense of large capacitor voltage stress at the last multiplier stage. The proposed hybrid structure arranges some capacitors in parallel and others in series, thereby achieving low output voltage drop and low capacitor voltage stress at the same time. We develop a model that predicts hybrid multiplier's performance and validates it experimentally. We also demonstrate a 60–2.25 kV dc–dc converter based on a 16-stage hybrid voltage multiplier which achieves a voltage gain of 12.8 while keeping the highest capacitor voltage stress to 660 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power efficiency and weight of present point-of-load (POL) dc–dc converters for drone applications are often compromised because they suffer from large switching losses at continuous conduction mode for heavy loads and excessive hardware overheads at discontinuous conduction mode for light loads. This paper presents a boundary conduction mode (BCM) control scheme for POL converters embodying a single operation mode. This is achieved by means of a hysteresis voltage controller to turn on/off the output power stage when necessary. The proposed BCM control scheme achieves high power efficiency (≥91.2%) over a wide load range (5 mA–1 A) by means of fully soft switching. Specifically, a hysteretic current controller is proposed to realize ZCS, and an adaptive dead time controller is proposed to realize ZVS. Further, the proposed BCM control scheme requires a small output inductor (0.82 μH) by means of designing the customizable peak inductor current. To verify the proposed BCM control scheme, we realize a BCM-based POL converter that features an input voltage range of 5–16 V, output voltage range of 2.5–8 V, switching frequency of 1.5 MHz, peak power efficiency of 96.8%, and ≤35 mV output voltage undershoot/overshoot for 1-A load step. When being benchmarked against state-of-the-art counterparts, the proposed design features the lowest voltage undershoot/overshoot, the highest switching frequency, ∼5.7× smaller inductor, and ∼11% higher power efficiency at light loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A matrix converter (MC) with model predictive control based on the source reactive power control usually fails to show sinusoidal source currents. The analysis presented in this paper shows that this common combination of a converter and control has the inherent inability to suppress some harmonics in the source currents, even with additional passive or active damping control. Direct source current control can be implemented to give sinusoidal source currents and intrinsic active damping. However, the issue of steady-state error in output currents then arises, as the MC topology does not allow of the independent control of source and output currents. Therefore, feedback control of load active power is proposed to address this issue without degrading the fast dynamic performance. Benefiting from the direct source current control, a simplified implementation is also proposed to decrease the number of candidate switching states from 27 to 5, which significantly reduces the computational burden. Experimental results have verified the theoretical analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel dual active bridge (DAB)-based high-frequency-isolated dc–ac converter topology suitable for photovoltaic microinverter applications. The circuit configuration on the secondary sides of the employed three-winding transformer results in high-frequency current injection into each of the switch nodes, thereby making zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) operation of the devices possible. The topology achieves this functionality while using the same number of devices as conventional two-stage and single-stage high-frequency-link or DAB-based solutions. Furthermore, following a control-oriented power pulsation decoupling strategy involving dynamic variation of phase shift, twice line-frequency energy buffering can be handled on the high-voltage secondary side, thereby resulting in reduction in decoupling capacitance requirement. The working principle of the circuit and the associated control scheme is described followed by a detailed ZVS analysis. Simulation studies and experimental tests on a 310 W prototype verify circuit operation and exhibit efficiency improvements compared to a similar two-stage solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new single-phase ac–dc–ac three-level three-leg converter composed of three coupled-inductors and six active switches. The system model, operation principles, and a control strategy are presented and discussed. Additionally, a space-vector pulsewidth modulation technique is developed to double the effective frequency of the grid and load voltages and to reduce the switching losses. The proposed converter is compared to other similar converters in terms of switch count, harmonic distortion, and power losses. The results show that the proposed topology has improved power quality and uses fewer switches and gate drive circuits. These characteristics can potentially reduce the costs and the complexity of the system. In addition, the proposed converter eliminates the requirement for dead time to prevent short circuit of the dc-link. In order to validate the theoretical analysis, simulated and experimental results are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the conventional secondary phase-shifted (PS) control, a semidual-active-bridge (S-DAB) dc–dc converter suffers from low efficiency at light load in buck mode due to hard switching and high tank current. In order to avoid this phenomenon and extend soft-switching range, a hybrid control including the primary pulsewidth modulation plus secondary phase-shifted (PWM+PS) is proposed in this paper. Under the proposed hybrid control, all steady-state operation modes with distinctive features are identified and analyzed. Based on the operation range, power characteristics and switching behaviors in each mode, a minimum peak current control route is developed, which can enable the converter to work with low tank current and soft switching over the whole load range. A lab-scale S-DAB converter is implemented to validate the theoretical analysis, and experimental results reveal that the higher efficiency can be achieved using the proposed control route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Battery energy storage system based on the modular multilevel converter (MMC-BESS) is able to realize the decentralized management of battery packs, which is suitable for the retired battery utilization to improve the efficiency of battery recycling. With multiple submodules (SM), the corresponding SM fault ride-through method is mandatory to improve operational reliability. This paper proposes a redistributed pulsewidth modulation method for MMC-BESS to ride-through the SM fault through employing the simple logic operation, which could avoid the unexpected carrier shift under various modulation indexes induced by the SM fault or grid voltage rise. MATLAB simulations and experimental results are presented to verify the performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a pulsed power modulator with a new structure that utilizes the reverse recovery characteristics of diodes to achieve an effective pull-down circuit configuration. The proposed configuration for active pull-down applicable to negative pulsed power applications with a high-voltage direct switching method is implemented by adding a diode to the pulse discharging path of the modulator, instead of using a pull-down resistor. The diode is forward-biased while an output pulse voltage is applied to the load. When the pulse voltage applied to the load is removed, the residual energy in the load is quickly discharged through the reverse recovery path of the diode so that the pull-down function of the pulsed power supply system is efficiently performed. The operating principle of the proposed system is described, and each operating mode is analyzed in detail. In addition, the feasibility of the proposed system configuration is examined through various simulation results. Finally, it is proven that the proposed system can be used effectively in pulsed power application fields through a practical experiment in plasma source ion implantation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of fast voltage and current transients of Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices requires high bandwidth (BW) probes. Commercially available voltage and current probes can be expensive, and, in addition, the delay introduced by them must be compensated to achieve a proper time alignment (de-skew). Determining this de-skewing value is not a trivial task. In this paper, a simple and affordable measurement method is presented for the simultaneous measurement of the voltage and current transients of SiC devices. The voltage is measured by means of a high BW RC attenuator, while the current is estimated from the voltage drop in the stray inductance of the switching loop. Since both voltages are measured with two equal and matched high BW passive voltage probes, there is no need to apply any de-skew. This is one of the most important advantages of the method. The presented method is experimentally evaluated and used for the estimation of energy switching losses in the tested SiC-mosfet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the design, robustness analysis, and implementation of a zero average dynamics sliding mode control (ZAD–SMC) for a multiphase step-down converter. The ZAD–SMC operates at fixed switching frequency and allows to implement an interleaving technique providing current-ripple cancellation at the converter output. Moreover, the proposed control structure, which is based on a master–slave strategy, includes an equalization technique guaranteeing current sharing among the phases and avoiding undesirable power unbalance. Additionally, a stability analysis considering unmatched losses in the converter phases shows that the design provides asymptotic stability for the overall load range. The controllers are implemented in an FPGA, and all the expected features, such as fast transient response, robustness, fixed switching frequency, interleaving, and current equalization are sustained by the experimental results obtained from using a 1.5-kW prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]