Inverter

Prof. Eric Cheng

Dept. of EE, HK PolyU

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Converter
• AC-DC converter
• Simple rectifier

EE529 Prof. Cheng

1
 Three-phase rectifier

DR1 DY1 D B1

VR C R
VY VO
VB DR2 DY2 D B2

EE529 Prof. Cheng

The 3-phase rectifier waveforms

a) VR

b) VY

c) VB

d) V O
(c=0)

e) V O
(c≠0)

EE529 Prof. Cheng

2
 Problems of rectifier
• Poor harmonics
• EMI problem
• For low power only

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Power factor
• What is power factor
Total average input power
PF =
total RMS input volt amperes

• Simple AC, single frequency

Vin, rms I in(1) cos φ (1) I in(1) cos φ (1)
PF = =
Vin, rms I in, rms I in, rms

EE529 Prof. Cheng

3
 Distortion factor
• Defined as the ratio of rms of the
fundamental current to the total rms
amplitude:
I in, (1) , rms
µ=
I in, rms

• PF = µ cos φ (1)
• µ < 1 in general,
EE529 Prof. Cheng

Unity power factor

• the displacement angle is zero
• the harmonics of the input current is zero

EE529 Prof. Cheng

4
 Non-unity power factor

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Total harmonic distortion (THD)

• Defined as the ratio of total rms value
without the fundamental to the rms value
of the fundamental:

∑∞n=2 I in2 ,( n)
THD =
2
I in ,(1)

EE529 Prof. Cheng

5
 Power factor correction-why:
• Electricity company does not like the low power factor, it
increases the cost of power transmission
• When the current transmitted contains harmonics, it
increases the power loss.
• The harmonic current causes Electromagnetic Inference
(EMI)
• (4) EMI affects the operations of much equipment
especially important for the lifesaving and
telecommunication system
• (5) Improve power factor will also improve the THD

EE529 Prof. Cheng

PFC-Why
• The switching mode operation of the power
electronics generates harmonic current. The
recent advancement in power electronics
worsens the problem.
• The international stands such as IEC and EN
have specified the requirement of the
requirement of PF and THD otherwise it cannot
be sold in many minor countries.
• The current trend of all the equipment must
together be installed with a power factor
correction unity in order to suppress the
harmonics.
EE529 Prof. Cheng

6
 Power factor correction circuits:

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Simple rectifier.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

7
 Power factor correction (PFC)
circuit using power electronics

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Current-mode control
• Usually, the input current is controlled by
comparing it with a reference waveform.
• The reference waveform is a pure sine
wave and derived from the source voltage.
• A current mode controller will be used to
generate suitable gate signal and ensure
the current is sinusoidal.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

8
 Discontinuous mode PFC
• The switching device
is turned on in
proportional to the
required sinusoidal
current.
• The inductor current
is reset to zero in
every cycle.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Peak current-mode control

• A sinusoidal iref is used to detect the peak value of the inductor current iL.
• Once this peak value is reached, the transistor is turned off until next cycle.

• Usually the input voltage is used as a reference current.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

9
Average current mode control

EE529 Prof. Cheng

complete PFC boost circuit with

output voltage feedback

EE529 Prof. Cheng

10
 Equations for the control

Vin k = I ref

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Three phase PFC circuit - boost

EE529 Prof. Cheng

11
 Three phase PFC using 3 single
phase converter

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Simple Inverter
• The operation is single. The phase-leg A and
phase leg B differs from 180°.

GA1 GB1
QA1 QB1

A
Vin C Vout
B
GA2 GB2
QA2 QB2

EE529 Prof. Cheng

12
 Waveforms for single-phase inverter

GA1 GB1
QA1 QB1

A
Vin C Vout
B
GA2 GB2
QA2 QB2

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Single phase inverter logic

Logic

GA1 1 0
QA1 Close Open
VQA1 0V Vin
GA2 0 1
QA2 Open Close
VQA2 Vin 0V
EE529 Prof. Cheng

13
 Amplitude of fundamantal

δ = Dπ = D × 180°
4Vin δ
V1 = sin
π 2

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Simple 3-phase inverter

QR1 QY1 QB1

R Y B

QR2 QY2 QB2

VR VY VB

EE529 Prof. Cheng

14
 Waveforms

QR1 QY1 QB1

R Y B

QR2 QY2 QB2

VR VY VB

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Fundamental waveforms
vin
vRY1

vRY

-vin
vin
vYB1

vYB

-vin

vin
vBR1

vBR

-vin

EE529 Prof. Cheng

15
 Correct circuit
• Because the inverter is usually allowed fro
bidirectional power flow and the transistor itself
has a power diode connected in anti-parallel,
therefore the actual inverter circuit

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Three-phase correct circuit

EE529 Prof. Cheng

16
 PWM inverter
• all the inverter is operated on sinusoidal
sampling. The output waveforms are PWM.
• Below shows the illustration of the PWM related
to sinusoidal waveform.

所
的

00 90 0 180 0 270 0 360 0

QR1 QR2 QR1 QR2 QR1 QR2 QR1 QR2 QR1

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Inverter concept

EE529 Prof. Cheng

17
 Waveforms of 2 kinds of phase
voltages
VAN
Vin
2
V
f

Vin
2

VA
Vin
V
f
Vin
2
V
N
0

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Phase voltage and line voltage of

single-phase inverter
VA
Vin

Vin
2

VB
Vin

Vin
2

VAB
Vin

Vin
EE529 Prof. Cheng

18
 3-phase inverter -- line and phase
voltage UC UR UY UB

ωt

V in
VRN 2

V in ωt
2

Vin VYN
VY
2 ωt

N R Y B
VVBNB
ωt
Vin
2 V in

VV
RY
RY

ωt
VRN VRY VYB
V in

VBR
VYB
VBN
ωt

V
BR

ωt

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Voltage and current source

inverters

(a) Voltage source inverter

(b) Current source inverter

EE529 Prof. Cheng

19
 The schematic of the CSI derived
from VSI.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Multilevel inverter
The above inverter is 2-level inverter. It suffers
from the following problem under high power
applications:
• The PWM will increase the switching loss and
may not be suitable for high voltage applications
• The DC voltage applied to inverter will require
high voltage IGBT. For very high voltage
applications, the high voltage IGBT is very
expensive and not able to procure.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

20
 Multi-level
• It uses cascaded
method to connect a
number of H-bridge
converters.
• Figs 31 and 32 show
the multi-level inverter
using separated
sources.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

11-level of the output

EE529 Prof. Cheng

21
 Block representation of 3-phase
11-level inverter
• The block
configuration of the
multilevel inverter is
shown in Fig 33.
• The isolated DC
source can be
generated by isolated
transformer as shown
in Fig 34.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Isolated version of the Multi-level

inverter

EE529 Prof. Cheng

22
 Diode clamped multilevel
• The diode can be sued to
produce the conduction of
the DC link capacitor and
the diode to give different
voltage level.
• Fig 35 shows the 5-level
version. Fig 36 shows
the conduction of the
diode for different voltage
output.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

How the voltage is produced for

Vdc/4 and Vdc/2.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

23
 Asymmetric diode-clamped
clamped multilevel

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Conclusion
• The application of inverters for utility
includes the power delivery to large
machines such as traction drive, HVDC,
HVAC and FACTS (Flexible AC
Transmission Systems.
• The switching pattern for the multi-level is
specific and it can reduce switching loss
and reduce voltage stress on components.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

24
 Tutorial 1
A 3-level inverter is supplied by two isolated power
sources with voltage Vin1 and Vin2 for the lower
circuit and upper circuit. If the turn-on and the
turn-off angles are α1 and β1 for the lower
circuit; α2 and β2 for the upper circuit;
(a) What is the relationship between α1 and β1.
What is the relationship between α2 and β2.?
(b) What is the ratio of the power handled by the
lower circuit to the upper circuit, assuming that
the current of the output is sinusoidal?

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Answer
a) Due to symmetry, β1 =π-α1 and. β2 =π-α2
b)
If the current is Iosinωt
The power handled by the lower circuit is:
π π −α 1
π −α 1
P1 = ∫ Vin1 I o sin θdθ = ∫ Vin1I o sin θdθ = − Vin1I o cos θ |α1 = 2Vin1 I o cos α1
α1
---(1) 0

Similarly The power handled by the upper circuit

is: π π −α 2
π −α
P2 = ∫ Vin 2 I o sin θdθ = ∫ Vin 2 Io sin θdθ = − Vin 2 Io cos θ |α 2 2= 2Vin 2 I o cos α 2
0 α2
---(2)
EE529 Prof. Cheng

25
• The power ratio is:
P2 2Vin 2 I o cos α 2 Vin 2 cos α 2
= =
P1 2Vin1I o cos α1 Vin1 cos α1
• ---(3)
• In general, Vin1=Vin2, then
• P2 cos α 2
=
P1 cos α1
• --- (4)
EE529 Prof. Cheng

Tutorial 2
A Multi-level inverter with 3 levels and the modulation method is seen in Fig
below.
If the power level of the two circuits must be equal, assume the total voltage
Vin has the following relationship:
Vin1 V
R= = in1
Vin1 + Vin 2 Vin
where the two supply voltages for each sub-circuit are Vin1 and Vin2
a) Derive the equation α1 and α2 in terms of R
b) Calculate α1 , α2 , Vin1 and Vin2 for input DC voltage is 100kV.

EE529 Prof. Cheng

26
 Answer

EE529 Prof. Cheng

Answer

EE529 Prof. Cheng

27
 Tutorial 3:
For the multilevel circuit as shown in Tutorial 2,
derive the amplitude of the nth harmonic of the
inverter in terms of the α1 α2 Vin1 and Vin2
Hence reduce the case to Vin1=Vin2 and write
down the relationship between output voltage
and input voltage Vin. Compare the expression
with conventional 2-level inverter modulation
equation: ^
Modulation index V
M = ac
Vdc / 2
EE529 Prof. Cheng

EE529 Prof. Cheng

28