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Provides instructions and guidelines to prospective authors who wish to submit manuscripts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a high-efficiency single-phase T-type boundary conduction mode (BCM) microinverter. The conventional full-bridge BCM microinverter has achieved zero voltage switching (ZVS) and thereby improved the efficiency, but it suffers from high switching losses under light load conditions. The proposed T-type BCM microinverter reserves ZVS and uses a multilevel technique to further decrease the switching losses. The BCM operation with multilevel technique will have too low switching frequency when the grid voltage approaches half of the dc link voltage. To solve this problem, this paper adopts a third operation mode for the T-type switching leg to maintain the switching frequency above a minimum value. The corresponding mode transitions are also detailed to ensure a smooth operation. Because of the turn-offdelay of the freewheeling transistor, the actual lower current boundary deviates from the programmed one, which will distort output current. To address this issue, this paper also proposes a boundary compensation method. A prototype has been built for performance verification, which can test both full-bridge and T-type topology. Compared with the full-bridge BCM microinverter, the proposed T-type BCM microinverter has a higher efficiency over the whole load range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel platform for accurate mathematical modeling of the propulsion system of electric cars. It provides, for the first time, a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) real-time experimental verification case study of a General Motor Chevrolet Volt for power, control systems, and the mechanical systems. The contribution of this paper can be categorized into three approaches: First, each component of the powertrain is accurately modeled taking transient dynamics of all components of the electric vehicle into consideration. Further, a PSIM simulation platform is consequently developed to demonstrate the validity of this mathematical modeling. Finally, the Typhoon HIL is used to provide the experimental verification of the proposed model in real time, which precisely validates the viability of the model. HIL technology is used to prototype and test the proposed control system while simulating the power circuit on the HIL module platform. The permanent magnet synchronous motor and the power electronics hardware components are simulated in real time at which the parameters can be changed during the simulation. However, the control algorithm is generated as a C code and downloaded to the TI controller that exists on a digital signal processing board. The results from the simulation based on PSIM environment and hardware validations using HIL are in agreement, which validates the developed model. The performance has been investigated under different load operating conditions in real time to verify its robustness. The case study can be extended for any electric car as it provides a generic platform for modeling any propulsion system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacitor-current-feedback active damping has been widely used in LCL-type grid-connected inverters. However, the damping performance is deteriorated due to the negative equivalent resistance resulted by the digital control delays, and thus the grid-connected inverter is apt to be unstable under the grid impedance variation. To address this issue, this paper proposes the capacitor-current proportional-integral (PI) positive feedback active damping method that can ensure a positive equivalent resistance almost within the Nyquist frequency, i.e., the full controllable frequency range. In theory, the proposed damping method can be implemented by feeding back the capacitor current through a PI function. However, the integral term will continuously accumulate the noise and dc bias arising from the feedback signal. To overcome this drawback, a more practical implementation solution is drawn in this paper. Furthermore, a straightforward design procedure is presented for the convenience of selecting the proper controller parameters. With the proposed damping method and its practical implementation, high inverter robustness against the grid impedance variation can be achieved. Experiments are performed on a 6-kW prototype and the experimental results are in well agreement with the theoretical expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we design a voltage-modulated direct power control (VM-DPC) for a three-phase voltage source inverter (VSI) connected to a weak grid, where the phase-locked loop (PLL) system may make the system unstable if the conventional vector current control (VCC) method is applied. Compared with the conventional VCC method, the main advantage of the proposed VM-DPC method is that the PLL system is eliminated. Moreover, in order to inject the rated real power to the weak grid, the VSI system should generate some certain amount of reactive power as well. An eigenvalues-based analysis shows that the system with the proposed method tracks its desired dynamics in the certain operating range. Both simulation and experimental results match the theoretical expectations closely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a variable off-time control method for a single-phase microinverter operating in the discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) for efficiency improvement. First, the fixed off-time control method is analyzed. The concept is to fix the off-time of the active switch throughout a line cycle for all output powers and scale the on-time of the active switch to shape a sinusoidal output current. Then, based on the fixed off-time control method, a variable off-time control method is proposed to modulate the preset fixed off-time in order to decrease the switching frequency during ac line zero-crossings and light load conditions. Compared with existed fixed-frequency DCM control or boundary conduction mode control, the variable off-time control is more flexible to optimize the efficiency under different load conditions as the switching frequency range can be automatically adjusted according to the output power. The switching frequency is high at heavy loads to limit the maximum peak current and is low at light loads to increase the light load efficiency. In addition, a predictive on-time method is adopted to simplify inverter control and reduce hardware costs. The parameter design principle is detailed in this paper. A 300 W prototype is built to verify the performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an experimental and theoretical discussion on dynamic braking for a medium-voltage induction motor fed by a modular multilevel double-star chopper-cell (DSCC) inverter. It is intended to apply the motor drive to large-capacity fans and compressors with a large moment of inertia. Each chopper cell consists of a bidirectional chopper and a braking chopper connecting a single small-rated braking resistor in series with a single IGBT. This configuration results in a “distributed” dynamic brake that provides a distinctive welcomed side effect of protecting all the bidirectional-chopper cells against sudden overvoltage. An experimental system rated at 400 V and 15 kW is designed, constructed, and tested to verify operating performance of the distributed dynamic brake. Experimental waveforms, along with simulated waveforms, confirm firmly that the distributed dynamic brake is feasible and effective in an induction motor fed by a medium-voltage high-power DSCC inverter for fans and compressors. Finally, this paper gives a design example of a distributed dynamic-braking resistor for the 11-kV, 12-MW induction motor driving a large-capacity fan equipped with a large moment of inertia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent paper by M. Zaky & M. Metwaly (doi: 10.1109/TPEL.2016.2583660) proposed a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) to mitigate the negative effects of motor parameter variation influence on indirect rotor field oriented control (IRFOC) without proposing a tuning method. However, neither rotor nor magnetizing inductances were investigated. Instead, the variation in stator resistance and load inertia—which have less effect on the orientation algorithm—is demonstrated. This correspondence introduces a typical system model with similar simulation platform and parameters. With identical tests, two errors to the original paper have been found. First, the reported speed which is in rev/min should be in rad/s. Second, the motor speed response to increasing inertia is opposite. The obtained results from the evaluation model confirm the claimed issues which conflict with the interpretations of the commented paper results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a modified small-signal model of a voltage source inverter (VSI) and a voltage source converter (VSC) that captures model nonlinearities such as deadtime and modulation effects that were not presented in the literature. Previous research has concentrated on developing compensation methods for these types of phenomena in a switching model, but very little on predicting them. In this paper, the small-signal model of the VSI in literature is used, and the different phenomena are then incorporated into the model to get a complete one. In addition, the effect of voltage and current feedback control is also analyzed. The output impedance of the VSI is derived with the modified small-signal model, compared to the conventional one and validated with switching model and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern power systems, the increasing penetration of renewables and power electronics, particularly inverter-based wind and solar power generation, is altering power system dynamics and bringing new stability concerns. One challenging issue that is attracting considerable attention is the wide range of power oscillations associated with multiple parallel grid-connected inverters. In such systems, the characteristics in terms of resonance and oscillation are significantly different from single-inverter systems. This paper investigates the mutual interaction and stability issues of multiple grid-interfacing inverters with LCL-filters in power-electronics-based power systems under various grid conditions. The investigation reveals that such interactions between power inverters and the grid may excite multiple resonances at various frequencies under certain grid conditions. The nodal admittance matrix concept, which was originally from power systems engineering, is adopted here. Moreover, this paper further develops an Interaction-Admittance model that can effectively describe these mutual interactions in terms of a physical network admittance. We apply our model to various scenarios such as stiff grid conditions and inductive grids with/without power factor correction capacitors. The results with the proposed framework demonstrate an intuitive interpretation of multi-inverter system resonance and instabilities. Finally, simulations and experiments on a lab-scale system are provided to verify the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The instantaneous output power of the two-stage single-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) inverter pulsates at twice the line frequency ($2f_{{\text{o}}}$), generating second harmonic current (SHC) in the front-end dc–dc converter and PV panel, which will affect the maximum power point tracking operation and deteriorate the overall conversion efficiency. The generating mechanism of the SHC is analyzed in this paper and it is pointed that in order to eliminate the SHC in the front-end dc–dc converter and PV panel, the voltage loop gain of the front-end dc–dc converter should be high enough at $2f_{{\text{o}}}$. Since there is a −180° phase abrupt at the resonant frequency of the input side filter capacitor and the inductor, the system may be unstable. To cope with this problem, the inductor current feedback active-damping scheme (ADS) is adopted. For further improving the loop gain at $2f_{{\text{o}}}$ , proportional–integral–resonant regulator with ADS (PIR + ADS) is proposed in this paper. Besides, a step-by-step closed-loop parameters design method is presented. Finally, a 3-kW two-stage single-phase grid-connected PV inverter has been fabricated and tested, and the experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed control schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel method to determine and control active and reactive power output of the virtual ocillator control-based inverter in grid-connected mode. An analytical expression is introduced to describe the quasi-steady-state relationship between the parameters of the inverter including its controllers, and the power injection and voltage at the inverter terminals. We introduce a new, complex valued parameter (K) to the conventional virtual oscillator control (VOC) scheme in order to control the inverter output power. We compare analytic and numeric solutions of the above analytical expression with time-domain simulation results, using different K values and line impedances to validate the analytical expression. In the second part of the paper, we design a controller: we use the above expression to derive K for given reference powers and use adaptive integrators to compensate for the remaining errors. We compare this control scheme to a method that uses PI controllers, and also to a simple decoupling method for independent control of active and reactive power. The controller based on the analytical method exhibits very good dynamic and decoupling performance. A single VOC-controlled inverter connected to a nonstiff grid is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink for demonstration, and is also validated using real-time simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a generalized droop control (GDC) is proposed for a grid-supporting inverter based on a comparison between traditional droop control and virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control. Both the traditional droop control and VSG control have their own advantages, but neither traditional droop control nor VSG control can meet the demand for different dynamic characteristics in grid-connected (GC) and stand-alone (SA) modes at the same time. Rather than using a proportional controller with a low-pass filter, as in a traditional droop control, or fully mimicking the conventional synchronous generator parameters in a VSG control, the active power control loop of the GDC can be designed flexibly to adapt to different requirements. With a well-designed controller, the GDC can achieve satisfactory control performance; unlike a traditional droop control, it can provide virtual inertia and damping properties in SA mode; unlike a VSG control, the output active power of an inverter with GDC can follow changing references quickly and accurately, without large overshoot or oscillation in the GC mode. Moreover, given specific controller parameters, the GDC can function as both a traditional droop control and a VSG control. The GDC's controller parameter design is more intuitive and flexible, and this paper provides a distinct design process. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control method is validated by the simulation and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non-segmented PSpice model of silicon carbide metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (SiC mosfet) with temperature-dependent parameters is proposed in this paper, which can improve the model's convergence and temperature characteristics. The non-segmented equations and the parameter-extraction method for the proposed SiC mosfet PSpice model are introduced first. Simulation and experiment results are given to verify the correctness of the model while considering the temperature-dependent parameters. The static characteristics of the model are verified by comparing the simulation curves with the static characteristic curves in the SiC mosfet's datasheet, and its dynamic characteristics are verified by comparing the simulation results with experimental results under different ambient temperatures (25, 75, and 125 °C) based on a double-pulse test platform. Moreover, the proposed non-segmented model, the conventional segmented model, and the model from the manufacturer are adopted and simulated in a full-bridge inverter. The simulation results show better convergence of the proposed non-segmented model. Therefore, an accurate and practical simulation model of SiC mosfet is provided for circuit design in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new controller for a grid-connected inverter with an LCL filter is proposed in this paper. The system is described by its complex representation, and the controller is designed using the complex root locus method. The complex representation allows a considerable reduction in the order of the system, simplifying the design task and making it possible to use advanced techniques, such as the complex root locus. The new complex controller adds an extra degree of freedom that makes it possible to move the poles of the systems and to improve the stability and speed of response compared with the conventional controls. This paper includes a detailed discussion of the effect of the gains of the controller on the root locus. The proposal is validated with simulation and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the influence of phase-locked loop (PLL) on the stability of LCL-type single-phase grid-connected asymmetrical cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter (ACHMI) with synchronous reference frame proportional-integral (SRF-PI) grid current control under weak grid scenarios. The ACHMI system is composed of power stage circuit and control system, where the control system contains the dual-loop current control strategy established in the hybrid reference frame, the SRF-PLL, and the hybrid modulation method employed to synthesize the multilevel output voltage. The small-signal model of the whole ACHMI system is first established by using a simple step-by-step derivation method, and then, the small-signal analysis method is adopted to linearize the ACHMI, which is then utilized to derive the impedance model of the ACHMI system. Furthermore, an improved impedance stability criterion is derived, which is then employed to analyze the system stability. By using this criterion, the stability of the ACHMI can be evaluated with the variation of the bandwidth of PLL, the output power factor angle of the ACHMI, and the amplitude of the grid current reference signal under weak grid conditions. In this paper, a systematic design procedure for the optimal selection of the PI controller of the PLL is presented, which guarantees the steady-state performance and dynamic response of the ACHMI system. With this design method, the dual-loop current control and PLL can be taken into account simultaneously when analyzing the stability margin of the ACHMI. Finally, the simulation and experimental results from a down-scaled grid-connected ACHMI prototype system are provided to confirm the validity of theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancement of dc bus voltage utilization for a five-level inverter with single dc source and capacitor-fed H-bridge (CHB) units is investigated in this paper. A carrier-based modulation technique is used for boosting the dc bus utilization, which is established by providing detailed mathematical analysis. The five-level inverter used here is realized by cascading a CHB unit to each phase of a three-level neutral point clamped inverter. The increase in dc bus voltage utilization owes to the pole voltage redundancies offered by CHB units. The floating capacitors of H-bridge units are balanced within a quarter fundamental cycle using the switching state redundancies of pole voltage levels. The aforementioned modulation technique allows the inverter to enhance the dc bus utilization from 0.577 $\text{V}_{\text{dc}}$ to 0.63 $\text{V}_{\text{dc}}$ under unity power factor. This enhancement is obtained in the linear modulation range without increasing the dc bus voltage, and thus, the inverter can operate without the presence of low-order harmonics in its phase voltages. The strength of this paper lies in its detailed mathematical analysis for finding out the limiting modulation index and power factor condition in the light of floating capacitor voltage balancing issue. Simulation as well as experimental verification of the modulation scheme is carried out on an induction motor drive under various operating conditions. It is shown that this carrier-based modulation technique is suitable for any single source inverter topology with one CHB unit per phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finite control set-model predictive torque control (FCS-MPTC) has a fast dynamic response because this algorithm directly selects the optimal voltage vector by its cost function for induction machine drives fed by voltage source inverter (VSI). However, belonging to open-loop control paradigm, the FCS-MPTC has torque tracking error due to inevitable load disturbance and mismatched model parameters in reality. In traditional FCS-MPTC, the outer loop, i.e., speed loop, adopts a classic proportional integral (PI) controller, abbreviated as PI-MPTC. The lumped disturbance is only suppressed by a PI controller. However, pole placement of the PI controller is usually designed by cut-and-trial, which is difficult to simultaneously achieve optimal dynamic performance and optimal suppression of lumped disturbance. In this paper, the FCS-MPTC with mismatched parameters is first analyzed. Second, the deficiencies of the traditional PI controller are introduced. Third, disturbance feedforward compensation-based-model predictive torque control (DFCB-MPTC) of induction machine is proposed to compensate lumped disturbance and improve the performance of the system. Furthermore, a simplified stator flux observer is proposed, whose gain matrix is independent of rotor speed. Experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed DFCB-MPTC. Compared with traditional PI-MPTC, the proposed DFCB-MPTC has better dynamic performance, steady performance, and stronger robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a split-capacitor four-wire current source inverter, which is the dual of the split-capacitor four-wire voltage source inverter. Since the midpoint of the dc link is tied to the neutral point of ac filter capacitors, the common-mode voltage (CMV) is reduced significantly. Consequently, the leakage current issue is effectively addressed. The proposed circuit is cost-effective as no extra switch is added. This paper, first, establishes the equivalent common-mode circuit of the proposed inverter. The impact of the neutral line inductance on CMV is also analyzed. Then, a specific modulation is introduced to balance the dc-link voltages/currents. To achieve good input/output performance, a nonlinear control method is developed based on time-domain models. Finally, all the proposed methods and related theoretical analysis are verified by simulations and experimental results. [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 provides a theoretical discussion and comparison in energy balancing between a modular multilevel cascade inverter based on single-star bridge cells (SSBC) and that on single-delta bridge cells (SDBC). Attention is paid to applications involving asymmetric active-power generation in utility-scale grid-tied photovoltaic systems. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluation metrics to assess the energy-balancing capability are introduced and applied to both SSBC and SDBC inverters. As for the SSBC inverter, six zero-sequence voltage waveforms with different harmonic content enabling enhanced energy-balancing capability are analyzed and compared regarding their effectiveness. This paper also emphasizes on the SDBC as an alternative to the SSBC and highlights its superior operating characteristics under asymmetric active-power generation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Paralleling is the development tendency of the auxiliary inverter. This paper analyzes the problems of the parallel process in detail. First, for inherent contraction between voltage regulation performance and current sharing performance, the paper adopts the resistive droop method. Second, the paper improves dynamic performance and reliability of the droop method by improving power calculation and introducing the whole cycle adaptive droop method. Third, in order to solve the unshared current problem caused by inconsistent parameters, the paper increases active power proportion droop coefficient, and introduces voltage compensation strategy to compensate voltage drop caused by increased proportion droop coefficient. Fourth, the auxiliary parallel system has complicated load characteristics; the paper proposes voltage compensation strategy to compensate voltage drop caused by the pump load. This paper utilizes three-phase total reactive power to droop frequency and active power of each phase to droop amplitude, unbalanced current can be shared. This paper introduces special virtual impedance technology to solve the harmonic current sharing problem caused by the nonlinear load. Finally, the effectiveness of above theory is fully verified by simulation and experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With increasingly prominent role of rail transit in the entire urban transport system, an auxiliary inverter is used increasingly. The complicated and fluctuating load condition of the auxiliary inverter implies special designs about structure and control strategy are necessary. For this purpose, a comprehensive control strategy is proposed. First of all, this paper proposes a structure that is capable of suppressing unbalanced voltage. Second, the control strategy based on the resonant controller is proposed, which can balance split capacitors voltage, is capable of suppressing the effect of unbalanced load and nonlinear load. This paper introduces the design method of the control system in detail. Then, this paper simulates the proposed comprehensive control strategy in MATLAB. Finally, experimental results are presented, which fully demonstrate the excellent performance of the comprehensive control 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]

This paper presents a generalized power-decoupling control scheme using a multiport isolated bidirectional converter for a multilevel inverter, which has multiple dc links inside. In the proposed method, a single power-decoupling capacitor is needed for all the dc links in the multilevel inverter cell. First, a prototype of the power-decoupling concept of individual H-bridge cells in the multilevel inverter is proposed, using a separate power-decoupling circuit. Then, a more advanced one-step power-decoupling method is proposed. The lifetime and reliability of the multilevel inverter is improved as film capacitors replace the large capacitance electrolyte capacitors. A multi-input ports/single output voltage-fed dual half-bridge converter (MDHB) is used for the power-decoupling circuit. A steady-state analysis for the peak and root mean square of the MDHB current is carried out for the loss breakdown. The currents are functions of the switching frequency, phase shift, leakage inductance, turn ratio, and output voltage, which make the multiport transformer design complex. A design methodology is proposed, which takes into account the design of the copper and core losses as functions of the switching frequency and number of turns. Furthermore, a special winding method for the input port is illustrated to obtain identical leakage inductances for the uniform current distribution in the multiport transformer. The proposed MDHB employs a current-sensorless power-decoupling control that contributes to the spontaneous ripple rejection of all the dc links without individual link current information, as well as to the cost and size reduction. Hence, the ripple-rejection controller is independent of the control configuration of the multilevel inverter, and also available for universal applications of various inverter topologies. Since the primary-input ports of MDHB share a single magnetic core for interfacing the ripple power to the unified secondary ripple capacitor, the controller design becomes difficult in considering the dynamic interaction among the ports, along with the average-voltage control loop design. In this paper, the dynamic analysis and controller design procedure of the circuit is also presented. The power decoupling is achieved even when the ripple frequency is other than the double frequency of the inverter output, since the single-pole transfer function of the small-signal model of the MDHB allows sufficient phase margin, along with high bandwidth. The proposed power-decoupling method for the multilevel inverter is validated with the help of simulation and 1.2-kW hardware prototype experimental results. [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]

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 proposes an optimized mathematical model of the voltage-source inverter parallel-operation system (VSIPS) and proposes an improved droop control method based on this model, which can realize accurate power sharing in VSIPS. First, this paper analyzes VSIPS as a multi-input and multioutput system and proposes a precise definition of circulating current. The circulating-current model, the steady-state model, and the small-signal model are proposed subsequently based on the optimum design of wire impedance, which constitute the optimized mathematical model of VSIPS in s-domain. The circulating-current phasor model and the circulating-current power phasor model (CCPPM) are also proposed. Second, the mathematical model of traditional droop control is built and analyzed based on CCPPM, which elaborates the tradeoff of droop control between the steady-state voltage bias and the load-sharing accuracy, and proves that the $V- Q$ droop control cannot realize accurate reactive-power sharing. Third, an improved droop control method ( $\omega - P_{{\text{cir}}}$ and $V- Q_{{\text{cir}}}$ control) is proposed, which can realize the accurate active- and reactive-power sharing and eliminate the steady-state voltage bias simultaneously. Finally, simulation and experimental results are presented, which validate the proposed mathematical model of VSIPS, the analysis of droop control, and the performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the benefits of the active damping applied to transformerless three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) inverters using modified LCL (MLCL) filter for leakage current reduction. In comparison with passive damping techniques, the active damping can reduce the MLCL filter resonance peaks, improving the dynamic performance of the control system without addition of power losses. Besides these classical advantages, this paper demonstrates that the active damping also contributes for PV leakage current reduction, preserving the high-frequency attenuation of the MLCL filter. Additionally, an active damping for the inverter common-mode circuit is also proposed, reducing the low-frequency leakage current caused by the common-mode signal used to extend the inverter modulation index. Experimental results are given to demonstrate the leakage current reduction and the grid current control for a 10 kW PV inverter. [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]

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 the analysis and experiments of a variable inductor (VI) based LED driver for dc grid lighting applications. The proposed driver requires only a series inductor and a transformer as major components to drive the LED lamp from a half-bridge inverter. By introducing a VI as the series inductor, the LED current can be controlled independently from any other parameter, which makes it possible to drive and regulate several LED branches from the same half-bridge output. Other advantages of the proposed converter include inherent open-circuit and short-circuit protections, zero-voltage switching for the bridge transistor and zero-current switching for the output rectifier diodes, simple dynamics, possibility of analog and pulse width modulation dimming, constant switching frequency operation, and high efficiency. The converter is thoroughly analyzed and modeled for both steady-state and dynamic operation. As another novelty of this paper, the dynamic response of the VI has been studied and taken into account to obtain the complete transfer function of the VI-controlled system. In addition, some housekeeping issues that usually arise when dealing with VI, e.g., how to drive the VI bias winding, are solved in this work. Experimental results provided from a 50 W laboratory prototype demonstrate the correctness of the performed analysis and the good possibilities of the proposed converter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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]

Direct ac/ac topologies for ac-to-ac power conversion benefit from the absence of dc-link capacitors, and therefore, are highly reliable and have low cost as compared to the traditional voltage-source inverter (VSI)-based topologies. This paper deals with one of the more important tradeoffs considered in designing highly efficient converters: Losses. It is shown in this paper that the direct ac/ac converters have an inherently higher efficiency than their VSI-based back-to-back counterparts due to a dramatic reduction in switching losses (nearly 60%). Further, this paper compares the performance of three different device types (SiC MOSFETs, hybrid Si IGBT/SiC diode, and Si IGBTs) using wide-range device characterization that help to create detailed loss models. It is conjectured that traditional datasheets lack the level of detail needed for computing losses in direct ac/ac converters, and the availability of a multivalue voltage, current, and temperature-based loss profile is advocated. Using the obtained loss models, a comparison is drawn between the considered devices through simulations when operated in a 13-kV/1-MW direct ac/ac power flow controller, the controllable network transformer (CNT). The same loss-models are also used to compute losses in an experimental prototype of a 720-V, 10-kVA CNT and the results are compared with direct efficiency measurements. A similar computation is carried out for another experimental prototype at a 6.7-kV, 400-kVA, three-level, paralleled CNT. These experimental tests are used to confirm the validity of the analytical results presented in this paper. [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]

In this paper, a single-phase, single-stage current source inverter-based photovoltaic system for grid connection is proposed. The system utilizes transformer-less single-stage conversion for tracking the maximum power point and interfacing the photovoltaic array to the grid. The maximum power point is maintained with a fuzzy logic controller. A proportional-resonant controller is used to control the current injected into the grid. To improve the power quality and system efficiency, a double-tuned parallel resonant circuit is proposed to attenuate the second- and fourth- order harmonics at the inverter dc side. A modified carrierbased modulation technique for the current source inverter is proposed to magnetize the dc-link inductor by shorting one of the bridge converter legs after every active switching cycle. Simulation and practical results validate and confirm the dynamic performance and power quality of the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new structure of a proportional integral (PI) current controller implemented in a synchronous $d,q$ reference frame (SRF-PI), for grid-tied voltage inverters, is presented. The controller has deadbeat response for current reference tracking, reaching it in two samples. It also keeps the main feature of the SRF-PI controller: its ability to track without error, in the absence of other disturbances, a positive sequence current reference of fundamental frequency. Furthermore, the controller ensures the full decoupling between the currents of axes $d$ and $q$. The controller is compared, through simulation and experimental results, with one SRF-PI controller recently published in the literature. It is verified that the proposed controller introduces noticeable improvements in both the transient response and in the steady-state response to perturbations in the control loop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a multisource switched capacitor based boost multilevel inverter is proposed. The proposed topology features less number of components, high gain, self-charging capability of capacitors, reduced size of filter components. The modes of operation of the proposed converter and design guidelines of converter components are discussed. A comprehensive comparative study of the proposed converter topology with the topologies in the literature is given. Analytical expression for capacitor energy utilization (CEU) factor for the proposed topology is derived and the feasibility of the proposed converter with respect to CEU for the designed power rating is verified. The analytical performance of the proposed converter topology is verified through simulation studies. The common mode voltage and leakage current in the proposed topology are analyzed. Experimental prototype of the proposed converter topology with two sources and two capacitors for power rating of 500 W is developed and tested with resistive, inductive, and nonlinear loads. The experimental and simulated results are in close agreement with the analytical steady-state performance of the proposed converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize a soft-switching inverter with the advantages of a simple structure, high efficiency, low-voltage stress, and easy to control, a novel parallel resonant dc-link inverter with the function of pulse current regeneration is proposed in this paper. All switches in the inverter main circuit can achieve zero-voltage switching (ZVS) turn-on and ZVS turn-off. In addition, all switches in the auxiliary commutation circuit (ACC) can achieve soft switching. The power in the ACC is small. Freewheeling diodes in the inverter turn off under zero current condition, which can reduce the reverse recovery loss of freewheeling diodes. In addition, the bulk capacitors are avoided in the circuit and there is no neutral point potential variation problem. At the same time, the zero-voltage duration is independent of the load current, and the time of transition can be selected freely. According to the equivalent circuits in different operation modes under the proposed modulation strategy, the operation principle, soft-switching implementation condition, and parameter design procedure of the proposed inverter are analyzed successively in this paper. Finally, a 10 kW, 10 kHz soft-switching inverter prototype with insulated gate bipolar transistor based switches is built. Experimental results are given to demonstrate the validity and features of the soft-switching inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a reduced component count five-level inverter topology based on the stacked cell approach to multilevel inverters. The proposed topology utilizes the fundamental properties of three-phase voltages to reduce the number of switches and flying capacitors to cut size, weight and costs while facilitating higher reliability, simpler wiring and lesser electromagnetic interference. The operational aspects of the topology such as circuit structure, modulation and capacitor balancing are explained, followed by an account of device stresses and reliability. A discussion of certain additional features such as fault tolerant operation, loss steering and common-mode elimination addresses the usefulness of the topology in practical situations. A comparison of the proposed topology with existing methods in terms of several parameters is then used to highlight its merits and features. Finally, experimental results obtained using an induction motor drive incorporating the topology are given, so as to validate the feasibility of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small grid-tied wind turbines based on permanent magnet generators often use a cost-effective power converter topology consisting of a passive rectifier, a boost converter, and an H-bridge inverter. Speed or position sensors are rarely used due to cost issues. Model-based estimators relying on electrical magnitudes are used instead. However, such estimators are parameter sensitive, which limit their accuracy. Further concerns arise if these parameters change with the operating condition of the machine, mainly due to temperature. Speed sensorless control using the rectifier voltage ripple is analyzed in this paper. This technique provides good dynamic response and does not depend on machine parameters. Simulations are provided for speed and power tracking comparison with an accurate model-based speed estimation method operating at non-rated parameters. They show the speed accuracy and power tracking capability of the proposed method are similar to that provided by a speed sensor. This is translated into a 0.9% power increase when the model-based speed estimator shows 9% of error. Experimental results are carried out to test the effect of current and temperature in the estimation, showing temperature insensitivity and some distortion due to fast current transients. A speed estimation accuracy of zero mean error and 1.7% standard error is experimentally obtained in the regular operation of the wind turbine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates a robust model reference adaptive control (MRAC) method for a three-phase constant-voltage constant-frequency (CVCF) inverter with an output LC filter. The proposed MRAC method is designed to stabilize the error dynamics of the system by a feedback control term in the steady state and attenuate the parameter uncertainties of the system by an updated MRAC term. Unlike the conventional proportional–derivative control (PDC) scheme, the proposed MRAC scheme ensures the fast convergence of the output errors to the exponential trajectories predefined by the reference models. Furthermore, the adaptive state-feedback mechanism can guarantee the fast dynamic response in the transient state without using load current sensors or observers. The asymptotic stability is mathematically proven by a Lyapunov theory. The feasibility of the proposed controller is confirmed through extensive experimental studies on a prototype three-phase CVCF inverter with a TI TMS320LF28335 DSP. Finally, comparative experimental results of three control methods (i.e., conventional PDC, feedback linearization control, and proposed MRAC) are provided to validate the superior performance of the proposed method such as fast transient response, low total harmonic distortion, and robustness to parameter uncertainties under critical load conditions (i.e., abrupt load changes, unbalanced loads, and distorted nonlinear loads). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LCL resonance complicates the design of a current control loop and can even threaten its stability. Extensive approaches have been proposed to deal with this resonance, among which active damping (AD) schemes based on the feedback of a single filter variable have been shown to be effective and cost-efficient. This paper presents a study of such AD techniques, where a generalized approach to developing an AD controller by relating a control diagram to an equivalent circuit is proposed. Based on this approach, AD controller forms with any one of four commonly used filter variables to realize virtual resistors (VRs) in six different connections to the LCL filter are derived. Comparisons are then made between these 24 AD controller alternatives by considering the implementation complexity of the AD controller, the number of measuring sensors, and the effect of the AD controller on the power stage. Consequently, grid-side current feedback AD to realize a VR in parallel with the filter capacitor is selected as a considered alternative. Next, two issues associated with the practical implementation of the selected grid-side current feedback AD, caused by the second-order differential expression and the digital time delay, are discussed and solved. Finally, the selected AD method is analyzed in the discrete z-domain, and its effectiveness is experimentally verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an enhanced current controller for improving the performance of a class of single-phase grid-connected inverters operating in weak and distorted grid conditions. An inverter designed to operate at normal (strong or stiff and clean) grid conditions may not perform satisfactorily during weak and distorted grid conditions. One major reason is the interfering dynamics of the synchronization or phase-locked loop (PLL). This paper proposes an enhanced control structure for a popular class of single-phase inverters to address this problem. The proposed idea is to include the PLL state variables into the main inverter controller thereby minimizing the undesirable interactions of the PLL with the other components. A method for optimally designing the controller gains is also proposed. Compared to the conventional one, the proposed controller is shown to have a more robust performance over a substantially wider range of weak and distorted grid conditions. Extensive simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the proposed controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In self-commissioning, motor parameters are estimated by analyzing the measured currents and voltages. At standstill, the obtained voltages are low because the motor back EMF is zero. Therefore, the inverter nonlinearities are comparable with the estimated voltages and it is necessary to compensate for the nonlinearities. In order to model the inverters nonlinear characteristics, dc current test is conventionally used. However, this test results in a nonlinear equation that contains nonlinearities of two phases. Hence, a numerical solution must be carried out to achieve each inverter phase nonlinearity. Moreover, three-phase symmetry of the inverter is necessary in conventional methods, making them inappropriate to characterize the nonlinearities of multilevel inverters with bypassed cells. This paper proposes a novel characterization algorithm with no numerical solutions applied for motor self-commissioning of VSI-fed drives. Not only the proposed method improves the fundamental and the THD of the calculated phase voltage by 42% and 6% at low currents, respectively, but also it is suitable for characterizing the nonlinearities of multilevel inverters with bypassed cells. A prototype of a five-level cascaded H-bridge inverter and a two-level inverter feeding a 2.2-kW three-phase induction motor is provided to verify the superiority of the proposed method specifically at very low currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a neutral point (NP) voltage balancing scheme suitable for three phase 5-level active NP clamped and T-type NP clamped (TNPC) inverters is discussed. Carrier-based pulsewidth modulation is used for the balancing of dc-link capacitors and floating capacitors (FC) in the inverter. The FC voltages are regulated with the help of redundant switching states of pole voltage levels and the dc-link capacitor voltages are controlled using zero-sequence voltage injection. Though the balancing approaches are different for dc-link capacitors and FCs, they are not decoupled from each other. This is due to the effect of certain redundant switching states used for FC balancing causing NP voltage variation. To address this issue, the redundant state time ratio is estimated online every sample and based on this dynamic time ratio, an optimal relationship between neutral current and zero-sequence voltage is established. It is found that the use of dynamic time ratio helps in achieving better transient performance than that of generally adopted fixed time ratio. Simulation and experimental results prove that the proposed balancing scheme works well under all operating conditions and exhibits fast and stable transient performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new space vector pulse width modulation method to extend the linear modulation range of a cascaded five level inverter topology with a single dc supply is presented. Using this method, the inverter can be controlled linearly and the peak phase fundamental output voltage of the inverter can be increased from 0.577 to 0.637 V\text{dc} without increasing the dc bus voltage and without exceeding the induction motor voltage rating. This new technique makes use of cascaded inverter pole voltage redundancy and property of the space vector structure for its operation. Using this, the induction motor drive can be operated till the full speed range (0–50 Hz) with the elimination of lower order harmonics in the phase voltage and phase current. The five-level topology presented in this paper is realized by cascading a two-level inverter and two full bridge modules with floating capacitors. The inverter topology and its operation for extending the modulation range is analyzed extensively. Simulation and experimental results for both steady-state and dynamic operating conditions are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing demands for power supplies have contributed to the population of high-frequency ac (HFAC) power distribution system (PDS), and in order to increase the power capacity, multilevel inverters (MLIs) frequently serving as the high-frequency (HF) source-stage have obtained a prominent development. Existing MLIs commonly use more than one voltage source or a great number of power devices to enlarge the level numbers, and HF modulation (HFM) methods are usually adopted to decrease the total harmonic distortion (THD). All of these have increased the complexity and decreased the efficiency for the conversion from dc to HF ac. In this paper, a nine-level inverter employing only one input source and fewer components is proposed for HFAC PDS. It makes full use of the conversion of series and parallel connections of one voltage source and two capacitors to realize nine output levels, thus lower THD can be obtained without HFM methods. The voltage stress on power devices is relatively relieved, which has broadened its range of applications as well. Moreover, the proposed nine-level inverter is equipped with the inherent self-voltage balancing ability, thus the modulation algorithm gets simplified. The circuit structure, modulation method, capacitor calculation, loss analysis, and performance comparisons are presented in this paper, and all the superior performances of the proposed nine-level inverter are verified by simulation and experimental prototypes with rated output power of 200 W. The accordance of theoretical analysis, simulation, and experimental results confirms the feasibility of proposed nine-level inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes an intensive comparison in operating performance between a modular multilevel double-star chopper-cells (DSCC) inverter and a modular multilevel triple-star bridge-cells (TSBC) converter. Both inverter and converter are intended to drive medium-voltage motors in industrial applications. First, it makes numerical comparisons, thus, resulting in revealing that the torque and frequency of a driven motor produce a significant effect on capacitor-voltage fluctuation and arm or cluster current in the individual DSCC inverter and TSBC converter. Next, a three-phase DSCC inverter and a three-phase TSBC converter with the same rating as 400 V and 15 kW are designed and compared to drive the following two general purposes and specially-designed induction motors; one is rated at the 380-V, 15-kW, 50-Hz four-pole motor, and the other is at the 320-V, 15-kW, 38-Hz six-pole motor. This experimental comparison based on the two downscaled drive systems confirms the validity of the numerical comparison. Finally, this paper concludes that the DSCC inverter is more suitable for driving medium-voltage high-speed motors loaded with quadratic-torque-to-speed profiles like fans, blowers, pumps, and centrifugal compressors. On the other hand, the TSBC converter is more suitable for driving medium-voltage low-speed high-torque motors like mills, kilns, conveyors, and extruders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new impedance-based stability criterion was proposed for a grid-tied inverter system based on a Norton equivalent circuit of the inverter [18]. As an extension of the work in [18], this paper shows that using a Thévenin representation of the inverter can lead to the same criterion in [18]. Further, this paper shows that the criterion proposed by Middlebrook can still be used for the inverter systems. The link between the criterion in [18] and the original criterion is the inverse Nyquist stability criterion. The criterion in [18] is easier to be used. Because the current feedback controller and the phase-locked loop of the inverter introduce poles at the origin and right-half plane to the output impedance of the inverter. These poles do not appear in the minor loop gain defined in [18] but in the minor loop gain defined by Middlebrook. Experimental systems are used to verify the proposed analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]