Using Pulse Density Modulation to Improve the
Efficiency of IGBT Inverters in Induction Heating
Applications
V. Esteve1, J. Jordán1, E. J. Dede1,2, C. Cases1,2, J.M. Magraner2, E. Sanchis-Kilders1, E. Maset1
1 2
Department of Electronic Engineering
ETSE, University of Valencia
Dr. Moliner 50, E.-46100 Burjassot, Spain
e-mail: vesteveg@uv.es
Abstract- This paper analyses a high power (50 kW), high
frequency (150 kHz) voltage fed inverter with a series resonant
load circuit for industrial induction heating applications which is
characterized by a full bridge inverter made with IGBT and the
power control based on pulse density modulation (PDM). This
power control strategy allows that the inverter works close to the
resonance frequency for all output power levels. In this situation
zero-voltage switching (ZVS) and zero-current switching (ZCS)
conditions are performed and the switching losses are minimized.
The results are verified experimentally using a prototype for
induction hardening applications. A comparative study between
the PDM and the classical frequency power control will be made.
Keywords: Series resonant inverter. Induction heating,
power supplies. Pulse density modulated control.
I. INTRODUCTION
Voltage or current fed inverters have been developed for
induction heating applications such as melting, forging and
surface hardening [1]. A voltage-source inverter is a cost
effective solution, however, it doesn’t have the ability to
control the output power by itself, so that the output power of
such an inverter has to be controlled by adjusting the dc input
voltage. A thyristor bridge rectifier having input inductors and
a dc link capacitor has been conventionally used as a variable
dc-voltage power supply. This causes some problems in size
and cost. In order to overcome these problems, inverter
frequency control [2] [3] or phase-shift control [4] are
normally used to regulate the output power and use a diode
bridge rectifier like a dc voltage source. These power control
schemes, however, may result in an increase of switching
losses and electromagnetic noise because it is impossible for
switching devices to be always turned on and off at zero
current. Therefore, in high frequency induction heating
applications only MOSFET inverters can be used.
1-4244-0655-2/07/$20.00©2007 IEEE 1370
Department of Research and Development
GH Electrotermia S.A.
Vereda Real s/n, E-46184, S. Antonio de Benageber, Spain
e-mail: ghe@ghe.es
Nevertheless, IGBT’s are preferred in high power industrial
applications (availability, cost, etc.) and it will only be
possible if a low losses power control scheme is found. This
paper describes an induction heating system of 50 kW, 150
kHz for industrial applications. The induction system consists
of a three-phase diode rectifier, a single-phase voltage-source
inverter using four IGBT’s, and a series resonant circuit with a
matching transformer. The working frequency is automatically
adjusted close to the resonance frequency in order to allow
ZCS inverter operation for any load condition. Exactly
speaking, the inverter performs as a quasi-ZCS because the
transistors are always turned off at almost zero current. The
output power control based on PDM maintains this condition
in a wide range of output power. The blanking time of the
inverter transistors is designed to maintain ZVS mode [6].
With this circuit an important improvement of the inverter
efficiency is expected in high frequency working conditions.
II. INDUCTION HEATING PRINCIPLE
Many practical work-pieces in induction heating
applications have cylindrical form and are heated by being
placed inside of coils with one or more turns. The magnetic
field, induced in the coil when it is fed with an alternate
current, causes eddy currents in the work-piece and these give
rise to the heating effect. Theoretical analysis [1] demonstrates
that most of the heat, generated by eddy currents in the work-
piece, is concentrated in a peripheral layer of thickness į
U
given by G where ȝ and ȡ are the magnetic
SP f
permeability and electrical resistivity of the work-piece
respectively and f is the applied frequency. The induction
heating load (heating coil and work-piece) can be modelized
by means of a series combination of its equivalent resistance
RL and inductance LL. These parameters depend on several
variables including the shape of the heating coil, the spacing A PLL based switching frequency control and a blanking
between the work-piece and coil, the work-piece temperature, time generator circuits, discussed in the following section,
its electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability, and the makes the PDM inverter achieve ZCS and ZVS.
frequency [1][5].
III. SYSTEM CONFIGURATION Q1 Q4
Fig. 1 shows a system configuration of the induction heating IO
Vd
generator. The output power stage consists of a single-phase
voltage-source inverter using four IGBT’s. The output of the
VO
inverter is connected to a series resonant circuit with a
matching transformer. The dc power supply for the inverter is Q2 Q3
a three-phase diode bridge rectifier connected to the 400 V, 50
(a) Mode I (b) Mode II
Hz power line. The working frequency is 150 kHz, the rms
value of the output voltage and current are 425 V and 125 A
respectively, and the output power is 50 kW. The values of the
components of the resonant circuit are shown in Fig. 1.
IV. PULSE DENSITY MODULATION
Fig. 2 shows the equivalent the switching modes of an
equivalent circuit of the voltage source series resonant PDM
inverter. A conventional voltage source series-resonant (c) Mode III (d) Mode IV
inverter takes alternate mode I and mode II in Fig. 2 (a) and
(b) to produce a square-wave ac voltage state. In addition to
Fig. 2. Switching modes in PDM. (a) Mode I. (b) Mode II.
modes I and II, the PDM inverter introduces mode III and
(c) Mode III. (d) Mode IV.
mode IV to produce a zero voltage state at its output terminals
as show in Fig. 2 (c) and (d). During mode III or mode IV, a
gate turn-on signal is provided to either lower or upper leg
Io
IGBT’s respectively. As a result, both, one IGBT and a diode
connected in anti-parallel to the other IGBT, remain turned on.
Fig. 3 illustrates the principle of the PDM-based power
Vo
control. The PDM inverter frequently repeats “run and stop” in
accordance with a control sequence to adjust its average
output voltage. In the final paper it will be demonstrated that Q1
the inverter output power [6] is given by Q3
ªT W § 1  e Ton / W · Ton / W º
P Pmax « on  ¨¨ T / W ¸

¸ e 
 e T / W » (1) Mode (a) (b) (c) (c) (a) (b) (a) (b) (a) (b) (d) (d) (a) (b)
«¬ T T © 1 e ¹ »¼ Ton
T is the period of the PDM sequence, Ton is the time where the T
inverter is “running”, W Q /(S f o ) where Q and fo are the
Fig. 3. Switching pattern in PDM.
quality factor and the resonant frequency of the load circuit
respectively, and Pmax (2 / S ) Vd I max cos T where ș is the
phase shift between output voltage and current. V. CONTROL CIRCUIT

Ld Fig. 4 shows a block diagram of the control circuit

C
T1 developed for the PDM inverter. The control circuit is divided
Cd LL
into the following three parts:
Cs RL - a PLL circuit for phase control between Io and Vo. It
maintains the switching frequency close to the resonance
frequency in order to achieve ZCS condition. It consists of a
Ld=100ȝH; Cd=Cs =100ȝF; T1=5:1; C=2ȝF; LL=560nH; RL=144mȍ
phase detector (PD), a low-pass filter (LPF) and a voltage
Fig. 1. System configuration. controlled oscillator (VCO).

1371
 - a PDM circuit for output power close-loop control.
Comparison of the reference of the output power Pref and the
actual average value Po generates a control value that is
compared with the absolute value of the output current to
obtain a synchronized logic signal that controls the sequence
of the PDM circuit. It consists of an actual output power
sensor, a power reference, a proportional and integral
controller (PI), an absolute value circuit (ABS), an analog
comparator and a flip-flop based circuit for synchronization
and a combinational logic circuit.
- a blanking time generator. It obtains the IGBT drive
signal (Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4) in order to achieve ZVS operation.

Q1
Blanking Q2
Logic time
PD LPF VCO
circuit generator
Q3 Fig. 6. Experimental waveforms with pulse density 3/4.
Q4

Io
ABS
+
Syncron.
Fig. 7 illustrates experimental measures of power losses of
Comp.
Po
_
–
circuit each IGBT module versus total output power of the inverter
+ PI
+
working at 150 kHz for two output power control techniques:
Pref frequency modulation (FM) and the proposed control strategy
Fig. 4. Block diagram of the control circuit. (PDM). Induction heating applications and especially the
induction hardening processes require a repetitive sequence of
the inverter switch on and switch off. This type of inverter
VI. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS work implies the existence of a limited power cycling
The 50 kW, 150 kHz prototype described in section III is capability of power devices; the temperature excursion of the
being tested in order to meet the industrial application junction of IGBT modules depicts the quality of its solders and
requests. Fig. 5 and 6 show experimental waveforms of the bond wires [7]. In order to obtain a reliable operation of the
inverter output current and voltage, Io and Vo. Fig. 5 inverter after one million of power cycles with enough safety
corresponds to the case of a pulse density of 25%. The dc margin the junction temperature excursion must be limited to
input power of the inverter is 4 kW. Fig. 6 shows experimental 36 K. Dashed horizontal line in Fig. 7 shows the module
waveforms during operation at a pulse density of 75%. Now, power losses level that implies this junction temperature
the dc input power of the inverter is 31 kW. increment for a thermal resistance, junction to case of
RthJC= 0.05 K/W supposing invariable the case temperature for
time intervals of few seconds.

W TOTAL MODULE LOSSES vs OUTPUT POWER

1000
PDM
ǻTj = 36 K
FM
800

600

22.5 kW (FM)
400

200 33 kW (PDM)

0
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000

Fig. 7. Module power losses using Frequency Modulation (FM) and

Fig. 5. Experimental waveforms with pulse density 1/4. Pulse Density Modulation (PDM) control techniques

1372
 Using this practical power limitation criterion, the reliability
of the inverter can be assured. In these conditions, the inverter
output power obtained with PDM is more than 1.4 times
bigger than the achieved with frequency modulation control
method.
VII. CONCLUSIONS
This paper has proposed a voltage source series-resonant
PDM inverter for industrial applications of the induction
heating. This power control strategy allows that the inverter
works close to the resonance frequency for all output power
levels. In this situation zero-voltage switching (ZVS) and
zero-current switching (ZCS) conditions are performed and
the switching losses are minimized. Therefore IGBT
transistors can be used for an optimum design of the power
stage. A 50 kW, 150 kHz PDM inverter prototype with
IGBT is being tested successfully in order to meet the
industrial application requests.
REFERENCES
[1] E J. Davies and P Simpson, “Induction Heating Handbook”, McCraw-
Hill Book Company (UK) Limited, 1979.
[2] P. P. Roy, S. R. Doradla, and S. Deb, "Analysis of the series resonant
converter using a frequency domain model", in IEEE/PESC Rec., 1991,
pp. 482-489.
[3] J.M. Espí, E.J. Dede, J.Jordán, E. Navarro, S. Casans. "The New
Controlled Sources Method to Synthesize Large-signal Circuits of
Resonant Inverters". ISIE'99 International Symposium on Industrial
Electronics. Bled, Eslovenia 1999. pp. 345-350.
[4] L. Grajales, J. A. Sabate, K R. Wang, W. A. Tabisz, and F. C. Lee,
"Design of a 10 kW, 500 kHz phase-shift controlled series-resonant
inverter for induction heating," in IEEE/IAS Annu. Meet. 1993, pp. 843-
849.
[5] M Kamli, S. Yamamoto, and M. Abe, “An improved method for the
determination of induction heating loads parameters,” in IEEE Ind.
Applicat. Soc. Conf Rec., Aug. 1992, pp. 196-200.
[6] H. Fujita and H. Akagi, “Pulse-density-modulated power control of a 4
kW 450 kHz voltage-source inverter for induction melting applications,”
in IEEE Trans. Industry Appli., vol IA-32, no.2, pp. 279-286, 1996.
[7] T. Schuetze, H. Berg and O. Schilling, “The new 6.5kV IGBT module: a
reliable device for medium voltage applications” in PCIM Shanghai
2002 Rec., pp. 179-185.

1373