EEE 4227: Power Electronics

Inverters
Contents

• Introduction
• Classifications
• Performance Parameters
• Single-Phase Bridge Inverters
• Three-Phase Inverters
• Voltage Control of Single-Phase Inverters
• Voltage Control of Three-Phase Inverters
• Current -Source Inverters
• Series Resonant Inverters

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Introduction

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Introduction

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Introduction

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Classifications

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Classifications

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Performance Parameters

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Performance Parameters

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Single Phase Bridge Inverter
A single-phase bridge inverter is shown in Fig. 8-2a. It consists of four choppers. When transistors Q1
and Q2 are turned on simultaneously, the input voltage Vs appears across the load. If transistors Q3
and Q4 are turned on at the same time, the voltage across the load is reversed and is - Vs • The
waveform for the output voltage is shown in Fig. 8-2b.

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Single Phase Bridge Inverter

Purpose of Feedback Diodes in Inverters

􀂃 When switching transistors (either Q1,Q2 or Q3,Q4) are ON, they carry the load current and
energy is transferred from source to load. This time feedback diode does not conduct.
􀂃 When the transistor is switched off, the load current still tries to flow in the same direction
due to heavy load inductance. The load current flows through feedback diodes. But this time the
stored energy in the load is transferred to the source. Therefore the name feedback diode is
given. 11
Single Phase Bridge Inverter
A single-phase bridge inverter in Fig. 8-2a has a resistive load of R = 2.4 ohm and the dc input
voltage is Vs = 48 V. Determine the (a) rms output voltage at the fundamental frequency, V0; (b)
output power, Po; (c) average and peak currents of each transistor; (d) peak reverse blocking voltage
of each transistor, VB; (e) total harmonic distortion, THD; (f) distortion factor, DF; and (g) harmonic
factor and distortion factor of the lowest-order harmonic.

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Single Phase Bridge Inverter

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Single Phase Bridge Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

below

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Three Phase Inverter

below.

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Three Phase Inverter

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Voltage Control of Single-Phase Inverters
In many industrial applications, it is often required to control the output voltage
of inverters
(1) to cope with the variations of dc input voltage,
(2) for voltage regulation of inverters, and
(3) for the constant volts/frequency control requirement.

There are various techniques to vary the inverter gain. The most efficient method of
controlling the gain (and output voltage) is to incorporate pulse-width modulation
(PWM) control within the inverters. The commonly used techniques are:

1. Single-pulse-width modulation
2. Multiple-pulse-width modulation
3. Sinusoidal pulse-width modulation
4. Modified sinusoidal pulse-width modulation
5. Phase-displacement control

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Single-Pulse width modulation

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Single-Pulse width modulation

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Multiple-Pulse width modulation

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Multiple-Pulse width modulation

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Sinusoidal Pulse width modulation

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Modified Sinusoidal Pulse width modulation

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Voltage Control of Three Phase Inverters
A three-phase inverter may be considered as three single-phase inverters and the output of
each single-phase inverter is shifted by 120°. The voltage control techniques discussed
earlier are applicable to three-phase inverters. As an example, the generations of gating
signals with sinusoidal pulse-width modulation are shown in Fig. 8-17. There are three
sinusoidal reference waves each shifted by 120°. The carrier wave is compared with the
reference signal corresponding to a phase to generate the gating signals for that phase. The
output voltage is also shown in Fig. 8-17.

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Figure 8-17 Sinusoidal pulse width modulation for three-phase inverter.
Current source Inverters
Single-Phase Transistorized CSI

In the previous sections the inverters are fed from

a voltage source and the load current is forced to
fluctuate from positive to negative, and vice versa.
To cope with inductive loads, the power switches
with a freewheeling diodes are required, whereas
in a current-source inverter, the input behaves as
a current source. The output current is
maintained constant irrespective of load on the
inverter and the output voltage is forced to
change. The circuit diagram of a single-phase
transistorized inverter is shown in Fig. 8-35a.
Since there must be a continuous current flow
from the source, two switches must always
conduct-one from the upper and one from the
lower switches. The conduction sequence is 12,
23, 34, and 41. The output current waveform is
shown in Fig. 8-35b. The diodes in series with the
transistors are required to block the reverse
voltages on the transistors.
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Current source Inverters

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Current source Inverters

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Filters to reduce harmonics

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Disadvantages of PWM Inverters
The disadvantages of PWM controlled switching devices in converters are as follows:
1. The devices are turned “on” or “off” at the load current with a high di/dt value,
2. The switches are subjected to a high-voltage stress,
3. The switching power loss of a device increases linearly with the switching frequency.
4. The electromagnetic interference (EMI) is produced due to high di/dt and dv/dt in the
converter wave forms.
The above mentioned disadvantages can be eliminated or minimized if the switching
devices are turned “on” and “off” when the voltage across a device and/or its current
becomes zero.
The inverter in which the voltage and current are forced to pass through zero crossing by
using an LC-resonant circuit, is called calling a resonant pulse inverter.

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Classifications of Resonant Pulse Converters
The resonant converters can be classified into eight types:
1. Series-resonant inverters,
2. Parallel-resonant inverters,
3. Class E resonant converters,
4. Class E resonant rectifiers,
5. Zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) resonant inverters,
6. Zero-current-switching (ZCS) resonant inverters,
7. Two-quadrant zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) resonant inverters, and
8. Resonant dc-link inverters.

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Series Resonant Inverters
The series resonant inverters are based on resonant current oscillation. The
commutating components and switching device are placed in series with the load to
form an underdamped circuit. The current through the switching devices falls to
zero due to the natural characteristics of the circuit. If the switching element is a
thyristor, it is said to be self-commutated. This type of inverter produces an
approximately sinusoidal waveform at a high output frequency, ranging from 200 Hz
to 100kHz, and is commonly used in relatively fixed output applications (e.g.,
induction heating, sonar transmitter, fluorescent lighting, or ultrasonic generators).

There are various configurations of series inverters, depending on the

connections of the switching devices and load. The series inverters may be
classified into two categories:
1. Series resonant inverters with unidirectional switches
2. Series resonant inverters with bidirectional switches

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Series Resonant Inverters

Figure 8-21 Basic series resonant inverter.

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Series Resonant Inverters

Figure 8-21 Basic series resonant inverter. 46

Series Resonant Inverters

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Series Resonant Inverters

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Series Resonant Inverters

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Series Resonant Inverters

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Series Resonant Inverters

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Questions?
Confusions!

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