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This paper investigates the inverter nonlinearities in a drive system based on silicon carbide metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (SiC-mosfets) and compares its performance with that of an equivalent silicon insulated-gate bipolar transistor (Si-IGBT) system. Initially, a novel comprehensive analytical model of the inverter voltage distortion is developed. Not only voltage drops, dead time, and output capacitance, but also switching delay times and voltage overshoot of the power devices are taken into account in the model. Such a model yields a more accurate prediction of the inverter's output voltage distortion, and is validated by experimentation. Due to inherent shortcomings of the commonly used double pulse test, the switching characteristics of both SiC-mosfets and Si-IGBTs in the pulse width modulation inverter are tested instead, such that the actual performances of the SiC and Si devices in the motor drive system are examined. Then, the switching performance is incorporated into the physical model to quantify the distorted voltages of both the SiC-based and Si-based systems. The results show that, despite its existing nonlinearities, the SiC-based drive has lower voltage distortion compared to the conventional Si-based drive as a result of its shorter switching times and smaller voltage drop, as well as a higher efficiency. Finally, the overriding operational advantages of the SiC-based drive over its Si-based counterpart is fully demonstrated by comprehensive performance comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

DC-link voltage fluctuation, originated from the single-phase power supply, has a significant impact on the railway traction drive system. Instead of employing a large LC filter to suppress the fluctuation, software solutions are of more interests, since they do not add additional components to the system. A state-of-the-art feedforward strategy predicts the dc-link voltage pattern based on its repetitive nature and directly modifies the duty cycle fed to the inverter to eliminate the impact of the fluctuation. Yet this strategy requires a symmetrical and consistent pulse pattern. In this paper, a compensation approach for synchronous space vector modulation with multiple pulse patterns is proposed. It utilizes the prediction of the dc-link voltage pattern and, based on the volt–second balancing principle, modifies the switching instants corresponding to different pulse patterns. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method can significantly eliminate the impact of the fluctuation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cell voltage equalizers are necessary to ensure years of operation for series-connected supercapacitors (SCs) by eliminating cell voltage imbalance. Conventional equalizers require numerous switches and/or magnetic components; hence, the circuit complexity and size tend to increase. In this paper, a double-switch single-transformer equalizer, which is based on the combination of a half-bridge inverter and a voltage multiplier, is proposed. The operation of the proposed equalizer is analyzed in detail, and a dc equivalent circuit is mathematically derived. Experimental equalization tests were performed for eight SCs connected in series under a voltage-imbalanced condition. The energy of the series-connected SCs was preferentially redistributed to SCs with low voltages, and eventually, the voltage imbalance was eliminated, demonstrating the equalization performance. Simulation-based equalizations using the derived dc equivalent circuit were also performed under the same condition as the experiments. The experimental and simulation results were in good agreement, indicating that the derived dc equivalent circuit can adequately express real equalization profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]