• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.811-818
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• 2011

Modulation strategies for multilevel inverters have typically focused on synthesizing a desired set of sinusoidal voltage waveforms using a fixed number of dc voltage sources. This makes the average power drawn from different dc voltage sources unequal and time varying. Therefore, the dc voltage sources are unregulated and require that corrective control action be incorporated. In this paper, first two new selections are proposed for determining the dc voltage sources values for asymmetric cascaded multilevel inverters. Then two modulation strategies are proposed for the dc power balancing of these types of multilevel inverters. Using the charge balance control methods, the power drawn from all of the dc sources are balanced except for the dc source used in the first H-bridge. The proposed control methods are validated by simulation and experimental results on a single-phase 21-level inverter.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2231-2242
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• 2016

A simplified model predictive control method is presented in this paper. This method is based on a future reference voltage vector for a three-phase four-leg voltage source inverter (VSI). Compared with the three-leg VSIs, the four-leg VSI increases the possible switching states from 8 to 16 owing to a fourth leg. Among the possible states, this should be considered in the model predictive control method for selecting an optimal state. The increased number of candidate switching states and the corresponding voltage vectors increase the calculation burden. The proposed technique can preselect 5 among the 16 possible voltage vectors produced by the three-phase four-leg voltage source inverters, based on the position of the future reference voltage vector. The discrete-time model of the future reference voltage vector is built to predict the future movement of the load currents, and its position is used to choose five preselected vectors at every sampling period. As a result, the proposed method can reduce calculation load by decreasing the candidate voltage vectors used in the cost function for the four-leg VSIs, while exhibiting the same performance as the conventional method. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated with simulation and experiment results.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1087-1096
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• 2016

This paper reports an investigation conducted on two diagnostic methods based on the switching voltage pattern of IGBT open-circuit faults in voltage-source inverters (VSIs). One method was based on the bridge arm pole voltage, and the other was based on bridge arm line voltage. With an additional simple circuit, these two diagnostic methods detected and effectively identified single and multiple open-circuit faults of inverter IGBTs. A comparison of the times for the diagnosis and anti-interference features between these two methods is presented. The diagnostic time of both methods was less than 280ns in the best case. The diagnostic time for the method based on the bridge arm pole voltage was less than that of the method based on the bridge arm line voltage and was 1/2 of the fundamental period in the worst case. An experimental study was carried out to show the effectiveness of and the differences between these two methods.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.815-820
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• 2004

The parallel operation of voltage source inverters using stator windings of high power three-phase induction motors was proposed in this paper. Most current high power induction motors with more than 4 electric poles have their external terminals installed so that windings of each phase can be approached from the outside. High power induction motors can be driven by parallel-operating several voltage source inverters through these external terminals. This way, in case a certain inverter breaks down, the operation torque will get decreased but the system can maintain its operation with the other inverters, so it can cope more effectively with breakdowns. Moreover, by providing phase difference to the switching movements of each inverter, it can increase equivalent switching frequency, which helps achieve good characteristics such as the reduction in the ripple of output torque, the reduction in the ripple of input current, and the reduction in the size of DC capacitors. Besides, since power is divided into each inverter, it can also decrease the ifluence of EMI occurring in the system. The characteristics of the proposed method were proved through computer simulations in this paper.

• KIEE International Transaction on Electrical Machinery and Energy Conversion Systems
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• v.5B no.1
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• pp.6-12
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• 2005

This paper presents Z-source inverters, their controls,, and their systems for motor drives. System configurations, analysis, controls, and unique features of the new Z-source motor drive systems will be summarized and given. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate advantageous features over the traditional voltage- and current-source inverter systems.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.120-126
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• 2021

DC-link capacitors are one of the main components in two-level three-phase voltage source inverters (VSIs); they provide the pulsating input current and stabilize the vacillating DC-link voltage. Ideally, the larger the capacitance of DC-link capacitors, the better the DC-link voltage stabilizes. However, high capacitance increases the cost and decreases the power density of VSI systems. Therefore, the capacitance should be chosen carefully on the basis of the DC-link voltage ripple requirement. However, the DC-link voltage ripple is dependent on the pulse-width modulation (PWM) strategy. This study especially presents a DC-link voltage ripple analysis when the minimum loss discontinuous PWM strategy is applied. Furthermore, an equation for the selection of the minimum capacitance of DC-link capacitors is proposed. Experimental results with R-L loads are also provided to verify the effectiveness of the presented analysis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.154-154
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• 2012

Flexible complementary inverters based on thin-film transistors (TFTs) are important because they have low power consumption and high voltage gain compared to single type circuits. We have manufactured flexible complementary inverters using pentacene and amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) for the p-channel and n-channel, respectively. The circuits were fabricated on polyimide (PI) substrate. Firstly, a thin poly-4-vinyl phenol (PVP) layer was spin coated on PI substrate to make a smooth surface with rms surface roughness of 0.3 nm, which was required to grow high quality IGZO layers. Then, Ni gate electrode was deposited on the PVP layer by e-beam evaporator. 400-nm-thick PVP and 20-nm-thick ALD Al2O3 dielectric was deposited in sequence as a double gate dielectric layer for high flexibility and low leakage current. Then, IGZO and pentacene semiconductor layers were deposited by rf sputter and thermal evaporator, respectively, using shadow masks. Finally, Al and Au source/drain electrodes of 70 nm were respectively deposited on each semiconductor layer using shadow masks by thermal evaporator. The characteristics of TFTs and inverters were evaluated at different bending radii. The applied strain led to change in voltage transfer characteristics of complementary inverters as well as source-drain saturation current, field effect mobility and threshold voltage of TFTs. The switching threshold voltage of fabricated inverters was decreased with increasing bending radius, which is related to change in parameters of TFTs. Throughout the bending experiments, relationship between circuit performance and TFT characteristics under mechanical deformation could be elucidated.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1178-1189
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• 2018

In grid-connected voltage-source inverters (VSIs), when compared with a simple inductive L filter, the LCL filter has a better performance in attenuating the high frequency harmonics caused by the pulse-width modulation of power switches. However, the resonance peaks generated by the filter inductors and capacitors can make a system unstable. In terms of simplicity and filter design cost, a passive damping method is generally preferred. However, its high power loss and degradation in high frequency harmonic attenuation are significant demerits. In this paper, a mathematical design solution for a passive LCL filter to derive filter parameters suppressing the high frequency current harmonics to 0.3% is proposed. The minimum filter inductance can be obtained to reduce the size of the filter. Furthermore, a minimum damping resistance design considering a current controller is analyzed for a stable closed-loop system. The proposed design method is verified by experimental results using a 5-kW three-phase prototype inverter.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.1716-1724
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• 2016

This paper proposes both an active-switched quasi-Z-source inverter (AS-qZSI) and an extended active-switched qZSI (EAS-qZSI), which are based on the classic qZSI. The proposed AS-qZSI adds only one active switch and one diode to the classic qZSI for increasing the voltage boost capability. Compared with other topologies based on the switched-inductor/capacitor qZSI, the proposed AS-qZSI requires fewer passive components in the impedance network under the same boost capability. Additionally, the proposed EAS-qZSI is designed by adding one inductor and three diodes to the AS-qZSI, which offers enhanced boost capability and lower voltage stress across the switches. The performances of the two proposed topologies are verified by simulation and experimental results obtained from a prototype with a 32-bit DSP built in a laboratory.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1054-1065
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• 2015

Multi-functional voltage source inverters (VSIs) have attracted increasing attention in recent years for their advantageous auxiliary services for power quality enhancement in autonomous microgrids. These types of VSIs can not only achieve a proper control scheme in autonomous mode but also cope with the prescribed power quality and stability requirements. These functionalities are integrated within the same device, thereby significantly improving the cost-effectiveness of microgrids while decreasing the investment and bulk compared with those of multiple devices with independent functionalities. Control strategies for power quality enhancement in autonomous microgrids using multi-functional VSIs are comprehensively reviewed in this paper. In addition, such VSIs are discussed in detail, and comparisons of which are also provided. Lastly, a number of future research directions for multi-functional VSIs are recommended.