Chapter 5 DC to AC Converters

Outline
5.1 Commutation
5.2 Voltage source inverters
5.3 Current source inverters
5.4 Multiple- inverter connections and multi- level
inverters

5.1 Commutation types

Basic operation principle of inverters

uo
S1 io load S3

io

u o S4

t1 t2

Ud
S2

A classification of inverters
Square- wave inverters (are discussed in this chapter)
PWM inverters ( will be discussed in Chapter 6)
The concept of commutation

4 types of commutation

1)Device commutation:
Fully- controlled devices: GTO, IGBT, MOSFET
2)Line commutation:
Phase- controlled rectifier,Phase- controlled AC controller,
Thyristor cycloconverter
3)Load commutation
4)Forced commutation

(1) Load commutation

uo
io

Ld

id
VT1
Ed

uo

C
R

io
VT2

VT3

L
uo

VT4

io
iVT iVT
1

O
i
O

uVT

O
a)

iVT2 iVT3

t1

uVT4

uVT1

t
t
t

b)

(2) Forced commutation (capacitance commutation)

S
VT

VD VT

VD VT

a)

Direct- Coupled

With Coupling-Inductor

b)

Another classification of commutations

4 types of Commutations
Device commutation

Self-commutation

For fully-controlled
devices

Forced commutation

External
commutation

Line commutation
Load commutation

For thyristors

2 classes of inverters

Voltage Source Inverter

Current Source Inverter

(VSI)

(CSI)
Ld

+
V1
Ud

C
V2

V3

VD1
R io L

u o V4
VD2

id
VT1

VD3
Ed
VD4

C
io

VT2

VT3

L
uo

VT4

5.2 Voltage source inverter (VSI)

Features

DC side is constant voltage, low impedance (voltage source, or bulk cap)

AC side voltage is square wave or quasi- square wave.
AC side current is determined by the load.
Anti- parallel diodes are necessary to provide energy feedback path.
(freewheeling diodes , feedback diodes)

Ud

V1
C
V2

VD1
R

VD 3

io L
uo

VD2
-

V3

V4

VD 4

Single-phase half bridge VSI

Ud
2
Ud
Ud
2

V1
L

io R
uo

V2

VD 1

VD2

The current conducting path is determined by the polarity of load voltage and load
current. (This is true for analysis of many power electronics circuits.)
The magnitude of output square- wave voltage is Ud/2.

Single-phase full bridge VSI

Operation principle

Ud
-

V3

V1
C
V2

VD1
R io L
uo
VD2
V4

VD3

VD4

Quantitative analysis
Fourier series extension of output voltage

uo

4U d
1
1

sin

sin
3

sin
5

3
5

5-1

Magnitude of output voltage fundamental component

4U d
U o1m
1.27U d

5-2

Effective value of output voltage fundamental component

U o1

2 2U d
0.9U d

5-3

Output voltage control by phase-shift

u G1
+

Ud
-

V3

V1
C
V2

VD1
R io L
uo
VD2
V4

u G2
VD3

u G3

VD4

u G4

o
uo
io

t
io
t1 t2

uo

t3

Inverter with center- tapped transformerpush-pull inverter

io

load
uo

+
Ud

V1

V2
VD1
VD 2

Three-phase VSI
uUN

V1
Ud
2
N

Ud
2
V4

V3
VD1
U

V5
VD3

VD5
N

V
VD4
V6

W
VD6

VD2

V2

180 conduction
Dead time (blanking time) to
avoid shoot through

a o
uVN
b o
uWN
c o
uUV

Ud

t
t
Ud

d o
uNN
e o
uUN
f o
iU
g o
id
h
o

t
Ud
6

2Ud
3

Ud
3

t
t
t
t

Basic equations to obtain voltage

For line voltage

For phase voltage of the load

u UN u UN' u NN'

u VN u VN' u NN'

uUV uUN' uVN'

uVW uVN' uWN'

uWU uWN' uUN'
u NN'

u WN u WN' u NN '

1
1
(u UN' uVN' u WN' ) (u UN uVN u WN )
3
3
uUN + uVN + uWN =0

u NN'

1
(u UN' u VN' u WN' )
3

Quantitative analysis
Fourier series extension of output line- to- line voltage

uUV

2 3U d
1
1
1
1

sin t sin 5t sin 7t sin 11t sin 13t

5
7
11
13

2 3U d

1
k
sin

1
)
sin
n

t
n n

n 6k 1

5-8

Magnitude of output voltage (line- to- line) fundamental component

U UV1m

2 3U d
1.1U d

5-10

Effective value of output voltage (line- to- line) fundamental component

U UV1

U UV1m
2

6
U d 0.78U d

5-11

5.3 Current source inverter (CSI)

Features
DC side is constant current , high
impedance (current source, or
large inductor)
AC side current is quasis-quare
wave. AC side voltage is
determined by the load.
No anti-parallel diodes are needed.
sometimes series diodes are
needed to block reverse voltage
for other power semiconductor
devices.

Ld
i d VT1
Ed
VT2

VT3

C
io

R
uo

VT4

Single-phase bridge CSI

Parallel Resonant Inverter
uG 1 , 4

Ld
I d VT1
LT1
LT2
VT2

VT 3

C
io

R uo

LT3
LT4
VT4

uG2O,3
O

iT
io

than the resonant frequency so that the

load becomes capacitive and load
current is leading voltage to realize
load commutation.

uo
O

iVT2, 3

Id

Switching frequency is a little higher

iVT1 , 4

t
t

t1

I d t2
t3

t6
t4
t t5
t7

t
t
t

uVT2, 3
O

uVT1 , 4
O

uAB
O

Three- phase self-commutated CSI

id
VT1 VT3 VT5
Ud

iU

iV
V

W
VT4 VT6 VT2

iW

uUV

Three- phase force- commutated CSI

L
Id VT1
VD1

VT3
C1
C5
VD3

Ud
VD4

VD6

C4

VT1
C13
+ VD1
U V

VT5
C3
VD5
VD2
C6

U
V
W

M
3

VT6

VD3

C2
VT4

VT3

VD2

VT2
Id

VT2

Three- phase load-commutated CSI

uU

uW

uV

Pulse Distributor

VT1
VT3
Ud
UdM
VT4

VT5

VT6

U
V
W

VT2

MS
3~

BQ

iU
O

iV
O

iW

VT4

VT6

uVT1

u dM

VT1 VT3

VT2

VT5

t
t

5.4 Multiple- inverter connections and multi-level inverters

Series connection of 2 single- phase VSIs

3rd Harmonics

u1

Ud

T1

u1

O
u2

t
180
60

3rd Harmonics

T2

u2

uo
120
O

Series connection of 2 3- phase VSIs

I

U U1
(U A1)
O

T1
A1

uU1

Ud

uUN
T2

C22 C
21
II

2 U
3 d

U U2

A22
B21

-U B22

C1

B22

t
1
Ud
3

U A21
O

B1

A 21

Ud

uU2

O
U UN

1 U
3 d
t

t
(1+ 1 U d )
3

(1+ 2 U d )
3
1 U t
3 d

5-24

Multi-level Inverters 3- level inverter

+
+

VD 11
VD 1

V 11

VD12
U

O'

Ud

VD4

Rs

V
VD41

VD42

iU

V12

V41

V42

Ls