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This paper proposes a bidirectional three-level LLC resonant converter with a new pulse width and amplitude modulation control method. With different control signals, it has three different operation modes with different voltage gains. Therefore, it can achieve wide voltage gain range by switching among these three modes, which is attractive for energy storage system applications needing wide voltage variation. The proposed topology operates with constant switching frequency, which is easy to implement with digital control, and it can achieve soft switching for all the switches and diodes in the circuit as a conventional LLC resonant converter. The performance of the proposed converter is validated by the experimental results from a 1-kW prototype with 20 A maximum output current. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recently, novel direct pulse width modulated (PWM) ac–ac converters using coupled inductors with switching cell structure have been introduced as an alternative to the conventional ac–ac converter topology. The converters can effectively solve the commutation problem associated with the conventional direct PWM ac–ac converters. However, the two coupled inductors used in the topology make the converters less attractive for use in practical applications. This paper proposes magnetic integration of the discrete-coupled inductors in single-phase ac–ac converters. The dc offset fluxes generated by the common-mode currents are cancelled out perfectly when the windings on the common core are appropriately arranged, resulting in ac flux only. The proposed inductor shows significant improvements over discrete-coupled inductors, in that the proposed inductor does not have an air gap, it exhibits symmetrical winding currents, and it has smaller volume with large current handling capability. The proposed inductor can handle an unlimited amount of current due to the absence of core saturation caused by the current and is well suitable for high power ac–ac conversion applications. The performance evaluation and comparison of the experimental results show that the net volume of the coupled magnetic components can be reduced by more than 50% with the proposed integration scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a simplified space vector modulation (SVM) scheme for multilevel converters. Compared with earlier SVM methods, the proposed scheme simplifies the detection of the nearest three vectors and the generation of switching sequences, and therefore is computationally more efficient. Particularly, for the first time, the proposed scheme achieves the same easy implementation as phase-voltage modulation techniques. Another superior characteristic of the proposed scheme over earlier methods is its potential for multiphase multilevel applications. The proposed scheme also offers the following significant advantages: 1) independence of the level number of the converter; 2) more degrees of freedom, i.e., redundant switching sequences and adjustable duty cycles, to optimize the switching patterns; and 3) no need for lookup tables or coordinate transformations. These advantages make the proposed scheme well suited to large level-number applications, such as modular multilevel converters and high voltage direct current systems. Simulation and experimental results verify this new concept. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) has several submodules in cascade. To control the submodule capacitors voltage, a new generalized dynamic voltage balancing algorithm along with a simple pulse width modulator structure is proposed in this paper. With proposed pulse width modulator structure, the dynamic voltage balancing algorithm can be easily implemented with any type of carrier based pulse width modulation (including level-shifted and phase-shifted pulse width modulation) scheme without any modifications. This method does not require the sorting technique for selection of submodule capacitors voltage. The performance of the proposed voltage balancing algorithm is presented for MMC with three-level flying capacitor submodules (MMC-3L-FC). The proposed method is also applicable to the conventional two-level half bridge submodules as well. The effectiveness of the proposed voltage balancing algorithm is verified with the phase-shifted carrier-based pulse with modulation scheme. The results obtained from the MATLAB/SIMULINK simulations on 6-kV/ 2.5-MW system and the dSPACE DS1103-based laboratory prototype of 208-V/3-kVA MMC-3L-FC system are in close relationship, and thus, the proposed methodology is validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel single-phase ac–ac Z-source converter based on the Γ-structure. The proposed converter uses a coupled transformer to produce the required gain. The obtained gain can be tuned by varying the turn ratio $\gamma _\Gamma$ of the transformer within the narrow range of $1 < \gamma _\Gamma < 2$. Also, the gain factor increases with decrease of the transformer turns ratio, $\gamma _\Gamma$ . Small transformer turn ratio results in more practical topology in some voltage gains. It makes the transformer design easier and reduces construction cost. Also, in the proposed topology, the input and output voltages share the same ground. In order to avoid voltage and current spikes on the switches, a commutation strategy is proposed and safe commutation is achieved without using a snubber circuit. The operating principles and steady-state analyses are presented to verify the operational concept of the proposed topology. Also, experimental results are given to verify the validation of the proposed converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an indirect matrix converter (IMC) topology to supply a five-phase load directly from three-phase ac power sources without bulky electrolytic capacitors and explains its operating principle. Using the emerging topology, which combines the five-leg inverter into the rectifier stage of the conventional IMC, the three-to-five-phase IMC topology reduces the number of power switches and results in a simpler commutation compared with the conventional three-to-five-phase direct matrix converter. In addition, a simple approach to realize the carrier-based pulsewidth modulation (CBPWM) method for a three-to-five-phase IMC is presented, and the proposed CBPWM method is analyzed based on the space-vector approach. As a result, the IMC with the proposed CBPWM method can be more easily implemented compared with IMCs with the space-vector PWM method. A three-to-five-phase IMC control platform is realized by coordinating a TMS320F28335 DSP (Texas Instruments) with an EPM7128SLC84-15 field-programmable gate array (Altera). The simulation and experimental results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the CBPWM strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel complementary phase disposition pulsewidth modulation method for the modular multilevel converter (MMC) with a limited number of submodules is proposed in this paper. Compared with the previous works, more practical issues have been considered, and the corresponding solutions have been provided. First, a new preset PWM signal mapping sequence and an improved virtual loop mapping (VLM) are used in the modulation. This method not only achieves a favorable capacitor voltage balance in the symmetry system but lowers the switching frequency of MMC's devices. Second, to further reduce the switching frequency, the unbalance margin of capacitor voltages is adopted to achieve the switching between the VLM and the selective VLM (SVLM). Moreover, the system robustness has been improved by considering the situation of symmetry losing, like cell fails; in these cases, the capacitor voltages of the upper and lower arms are balanced through the collaboration of the SVLM and the reconfigurable VLM. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method has been verified with simulation and experimental studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a family of three-phase direct pulse-width modulated (PWM) ac–ac converters consisting of buck, boost, and buck–boost converters is proposed. The proposed converters have no commutation problem even if all of the switches are turned on or off simultaneously. They do not use lossy snubbers and do not sense the voltage polarity for commutation, and produce high-quality output voltage waveforms. The proposed converters allow the use of power MOSFETs and fast recovery freewheeling diodes independently. The use of power MOSFETs as active switches and freewheeling diodes with extremely fast recovery features lower the switching losses and enable us to reduce the volume of passive components by increasing switching frequency. The input (or output) filter inductor experiences twice of the converter switching frequency and thus can be designed with minimum size. To increase power density of the proposed converters, a three-phase three-limb coupled inductor is proposed. Three-phase coupled inductor integrates three separate coupled inductors of the proposed converters in one three-limb core. In comparison with separate coupled inductors, the three-phase coupled inductor has a smaller size with large current-handling capability. Experimental results obtained for the boost-type converter show the robustness of the proposed three-phase ac–ac converters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a hybrid modulation strategy for asymmetrical cascaded multilevel converters operating under normal and faulty conditions on power cells. The proposed algorithm explores the advantages of both space vector (SV) and carrier-based modulation approaches. An SV is used for higher voltage cells to properly choose their voltage vectors in a way such as to avoid converter saturation, particularly under fault conditions. A generic algorithm to identify the domains of higher voltage vectors in which a reference lies, without the need for separation lines, is proposed. Then, to simplify the implementation of the algorithm, carrier-based modulation is employed for lower voltage cells, which switch with pulsewidth modulation. This suppresses the need for defining multiple switching sequences for different operational conditions, and it avoids converter saturation as much as possible, particularly under fault conditions on power cells. Simulation and experimental results for normal and faulty operational conditions are given, validating the theoretical analysis and demonstrating the good performance of the proposed hybrid modulation approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel CLL resonant converter with a semi-bridgeless active rectifier (S-BAR) is analyzed, and its hybrid control strategy is proposed in this paper. This topology is developed by replacing rectifier lower diodes with synchronous switches and regulation by a phase-shifted pulsewidth-modulation signal. Theoretical and simulation results show that the performance of the proposed S-BAR is appropriate for resonant converters and secondary-side controlled infrastructure requiring a wide voltage range control at the secondary side. The hybrid control algorithm is obtained with the phase-shift and frequency tuning considering the voltage at the load terminal. High efficiency can be maintained by this proposed control, reducing conduction losses and providing zero-voltage switching soft-switching condition with a wide output voltage range. To confirm the performance of the proposed converter, experimental results are provided for which the output voltage/current range from 0 to 80 V/0 to 8.75 A with an input of 120 V and an average efficiency value of 93%. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The three-level boost power factor correction (PFC) converter has advantages of lower inductor current ripple and lower switch withstanding voltage compared with the boost PFC converter. Interleaved pulsewidth modulation had been used in the multiphase boost PFC converter. In the literature, interleaved current sensorless control (ICSC) for the multiphase boost PFC converters had been proposed. In this paper, the behavior of the three-level boost PFC converter is first analyzed. The results show that three-level converter has the same average equation as the interleaved boost PFC converter. Then, ICSC is modified for the three-level boost PFC converter with considering the voltage imbalance and the zero-crossing current distortion. The proposed modified ICSC (MICSC) is implemented in a field-programmable gate array board. Simulation results and experimental results are also provided to validate the proposed MICSC. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a three-phase isolated bidirectional ac/dc converter. The converter achieves buck–boost ac/dc bidirectional conversion, sinusoidal ac current, and high-frequency electrical isolation with single-stage structure. The traditional SVPWM algorithm should be modified to keep the voltage–second balance of the transformer. The circuit derivation, operation principles, and SVPWM algorithm are presented specifically. The solution for shoot-through problem is proposed, which does not need extra dead time. To verify the theoretical analysis, the proposed converter was simulated by MATLAB/SIMULINK and a 3 kW prototype was built in the lab. The simulation and experimental results show the high power factor and the low harmonic distortion characteristics of the circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A family of “Two-Switch Boosting Switched-Capacitor Converters (TBSC)” is introduced, which distinguishes itself from the prior arts by symmetrically interleaved operation, reduced output ripple, low yet even voltage stress on components, and systematic expandability. Along with the topologies, a modeling method is formulated, which provokes the converter regulation method through duty cycle and frequency adjustment. In addition, the paper also provides guidance for circuit components and parameter selection. A 1-kW 3X TBSC was built to demonstrate the converter feasibility, regulation capability via duty cycle and frequency, which achieved a peak efficiency of 97.5% at the rated power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new modulation scheme for the three-level active neutral-point-clamped (ANPC) converter. This scheme yields new commutation loops for the three-level ANPC phase leg, which contain paralleled switching devices during commutation. The new commutation loops have better switching performance with smaller switching stress for some devices. There are also more evenly distributed loss and stress for each switching device on the phase leg. Moreover, the switching states of the new modulation scheme also reduce the conduction loss of the neutral current. In addition, the proposed modulation scheme needs less pulsewidth modulation (PWM) comparators per phase compared with the conventional scheme. The simple gate signal logic can be applied to any sinusoidal PWM or space vector modulation strategies. Double pulse tests for the new commutation loops show the improved switching characteristics under different load current cases. In addition, the quantitative analysis of the system loss breakdown and the phase leg loss distribution verifies the loss reduction and redistribution result. The proposed method is also applied on a 200-kW three-level ANPC converter for verification. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Five-level active neutral-point clamped (5L-ANPC) converter is an attractive topology for high-power medium-voltage motor drives. This paper presents a capacitor voltage-balancing method for the 5L-ANPC converter, including the voltage balancing of dc-link capacitors and flying capacitors. In order to ensure that the series-connected or high-voltage switches of the 5L-ANPC converter are operated at fundamental frequency and the other switches are operated at a constant switching frequency, phase-shifted pulse width modulation is used to control this converter. The relationship between the average neutral-point current and zero-sequence voltage is investigated, and an optimum zero-sequence voltage is calculated to regulate the neutral-point potential. The voltage across the flying capacitor is also regulated by adjusting the switching duty cycles of two PWM signals, which varies the operation time of redundant switching states in each switching period. Simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the validity of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new modulated carrier control method for an interleaved continuous conduction mode (CCM) power factor correction (PFC) boost converter. The proposed method allows precise sinusoidal line current shaping for a PFC boost converter operating in CCM. This is accomplished by simply comparing modulated carrier signal with switch current, such that inner current loop compensation design and rectified line voltage sensing are not required. The proposed control method greatly simplifies current sensing and control circuitry of multiphase converters since average current control is available by just sensing the switch current for each module. This also enables simple current balancing between parallel converters by employing modulated carrier signals with same amplitude. The principle of the control method is presented. The performance of the proposed control method is experimentally verified on a 600-W PFC converter. The measured power factor remains above 94.9% down to 20% of a full load for 110-Vrms and 220-Vrms line voltages. The line current harmonics also meet the IEC61000-3-2 Class D standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) is attractive for medium- and high-power applications because of its high modularity, availability, and power quality. In this paper, the current ripple on the dc link of the three-phase MMC derived from the phase-shifted carrier-based pulse-width modulation scheme is analyzed. A control strategy is proposed for the current ripple elimination. Through the regulation of the phase-shifted angles of the carrier waves in the three phases of the MMC, the current ripple on the dc link of the three-phase MMC can be effectively eliminated. Simulations and experimental studies of the MMC were conducted, and the results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed current ripple elimination control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) has been a subject of increasing importance for medium/high-power energy conversion systems. Over the past few years, significant research has been done to address the technical challenges associated with the operation and control of the MMC. In this paper, a general overview of the basics of operation of the MMC along with its control challenges are discussed, and a review of state-of-the-art control strategies and trends is presented. Finally, the applications of the MMC and their challenges are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates two different concepts for the control of the modular multilevel converter (MMC). Generally aiming at medium voltage applications, the considered MMC topology has a low number of submodules, and a pulse-width modulation (PWM) scheme is applied. A model predictive control (MPC) algorithm is developed and experimentally compared to a cascaded control scheme based on conventional PI controllers, which has been proposed by Hagiwara and Akagi. Steady-state and dynamic system performance as well as computational power requirements are discussed. The basis for the comparison is a scaled converter test bench operating from 560-V dc voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular multilevel converter (MMC) has become one of the most promising converter topologies for future high-power applications. A challenging issue of the MMC is the voltage balancing among arm capacitors. A good overall control system is also vital for the MMC, which should be based on sound mathematical model, readily adaptable for different applications, and capable of high performance. This paper presents a general control structure for MMC inverters, which is suitable for both voltage-based and energy-based control methods, and includes voltage balancing between the upper and lower arms. A new method for voltage balancing among arm capacitors, which is based on an improved pulse-width modulation, is also presented. The proposed method avoids some major disadvantages found in present voltage balancing methods, such as dependence on computation-intensive voltage sorting algorithms, extra switching actions, interference with output voltage, etc. Furthermore, all switching actions are evenly distributed among power devices. The proposed control system as a whole can serve as a promising solution for practical applications, especially when the number of submodules is fairly high. Simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a voltage balancing method for a flying capacitor multilevel converter based on the phase-disposition sinusoidal pulsewidth modulation (PD-SPWM). This voltage balancing method uses redundant switching states, which are determined by the minimization of a cost function. The implementation of the PD-SPWM using standard triangular carriers leads to additional switching events that are due to the transitions within the same voltage level, thus increasing the switching frequency of the power devices. Such drawback can be avoided by using sawtooth carrier waveforms. Another characteristic of the proposed voltage balancing method is that it does not require the tuning of parameters to achieve optimal performance. Simulation and experimental results confirm the robustness of the proposed method operating with different loads and transient conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a buck-boost dc-dc converter for LED drivers capable of delivering an output current ranging from 0.1 to 2 A and a variable output voltage ranging between 2 and 5 V, starting from an input voltage spanning from 2.7 to 5.5 V. The dc-dc converter, realized in a 0.18-μm CMOS technology with 5-V option, occupies an area of 4 mm2 including pads. The circuit features automatic mode switching and dynamic sizing of the power transistors to achieve a peak efficiency of 91%. With a switching frequency of 2.5 MHz, the achieved line regulation is lower than 0.1% V-1 and the output voltage ripple is less than 10 mV. The obtained turn-on and load transient settling time are lower than 40 μs, thus allowing pulsed operation of the LEDs, as well as switching among LEDs of different colors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel wide-range soft-switching pulse-width modulation three-level (TL) combined dc-dc converter characterized with no added primary clamping devices and reduced output inductance value. It is well suited for high input voltage dc-dc industrial applications due to following desirable features: all the switches sustain half of the input voltage; off state voltage of the switches is directly clamped by the bulky input capacitors, and no added primary clamping devices such as clamping diodes, flying capacitors, are required; TL waveform before output filter can be achieved, which significantly reduces the value of the output inductance; the modified phase-shift control method can be utilized to achieve wide output range. The converter can obtain zero-voltage switching (ZVS) for all power switches in wide load range; furthermore, less conduction loss is added to achieve ZVS. The operation and theoretical analysis of the proposed converter are presented. Experiments are carried out to validate the proposed converter, and efficiency curves are tested and given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a generalized switching technique for cascaded H -bridge (CHB) converters is proposed. To take advantage of both low- and high-frequency modulation techniques, a hybrid modulation method is utilized. The proposed technique employs the low-frequency switching for voltage balancing of the dc-link capacitors, and the high-frequency sinusoidal pulse-width modulation switching for shaping the input ac current. Using the proposed technique, the stable operating region of CHB converters is extended. The proposed technique is capable of maintaining the dc voltages balanced even under critical operating conditions in which the load of one H-bridge cell is removed. The validity and effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by several simulation and experimental tests on a seven-level CHB rectifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In electric vehicle (EV) energy storage systems, a large number of battery cells are usually connected in series to enhance the output voltage for motor driving. The difference in electrochemical characters will cause state-of-charge (SOC) and terminal voltage imbalance between different cells. In this paper, a hybrid cascaded multilevel converter which involves both battery energy management and motor drives is proposed for EV. In the proposed topology, each battery cell can be controlled to be connected into the circuit or to be bypassed by a half-bridge converter. All half-bridges are cascaded to output a staircase shape dc voltage. Then, an H-bridge converter is used to change the direction of the dc bus voltages to make up ac voltages. The outputs of the converter are multilevel voltages with less harmonics and lower dv/dt, which is helpful to improve the performance of the motor drives. By separate control according to the SOC of each cell, the energy utilization ratio of the batteries can be improved. The imbalance of terminal voltage and SOC can also be avoided, fault-tolerant can be easily realized by modular cascaded circuit, so the life of the battery stack will be extended. Simulation and experiments are implemented to verify the performance of the proposed converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]