MODULE 4

DC – AC Switch-Mode Inverter
Inverter topologies, Driven Inverters : Push-Pull, Half
bridge and Full bridge configurations, Three phase
Inverter, Sinusoidal and Space vector modulation PWM in
three phase inverters
 INVERTER
• The device that converts dc power into ac power at desired output voltage
and frequency is called an inverter.
• Inverters transfer power from a dc source to an ac load.
• Inverters are used in applications such as,
▫ adjustable speed ac motor drives
▫ uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)
▫ running ac appliances from an automobile battery
▫ HVDC transmission lines
For sinusoidal ac outputs, the magnitude, frequency, and phase should be
controllable.

DC INPUT AC OUTPUT
INVERTER
VOLTAGE VOLTAGE
 TYPES OF INVERTERS
• According to method of commutation:
 Line commutated inverters
 Self commutated inverters
 Load commutated inverters
 Forced commutated inverters
▫ According to connection
 Series Inverter
 Parallel Inverter
 Bridge Inverter (Single phase HW, Single phase FW and Three Phase
Bridge)
 TYPES OF INVERTERS
• According to no of phase of load:
 Single phase
▫ Single phase half bridge inverter
▫ Single phase full bridge inverter
 Three phase

• According to the type of ac output waveform, these topologies can be

considered as
 Voltage source inverters (VSI) or Voltage fed inverters (VFI)
 Current source inverters (CSI) or Current fed inverters (CFI)

 Based on output waveform

 Square Wave
 Modified sine wave
 Pure sine wave
 Single phase Half Bridge Voltage Source
Inverter

• Each thyristor conduct for the duration of its gate pulse and gets commutated
as the signal is removed.

• The circuit is designed in such a way that T1 and T2 will not be ON at same
time (SCRs on at same time cause short circuit).

• Load is resistive.
 Single phase Half Bridge Voltage Source Inverter
𝑇
• During time (0 – )
2
▫ T1 is turned ON by Ig1
𝑉𝑠 𝑉
▫ Voltage across resistive load is due to the upper voltage source 𝑠.
2 2
𝑻
▫ At t =
𝟐
 T1 is forced commutated and T2 is turned ON by applying Ig2.

𝑻
▫ During time ( - T)
𝟐
𝑉𝑠
 Thyristor T2 conducts and the voltage across the load is - due to the lower
2
𝑉
voltage source 𝑠.
2
𝑉𝑠
▫ Thus the load voltage. Vo is an alternating wave with amplitude and frequency
2
1
.
𝑇
▫ For R load V and I are in phase.
• The o/p is square wave
• Draw back: It requires 3 wire DC supply and can be
overcome by single phase full bridge inverter.
• The average output voltage is
 Single phase Half Bridge Voltage Source
Inverter With Resistive Inductive Load
• The switch T1 will conduct
when the voltage is positive
and current is positive

• The switch T2 will conduct

when the voltage is negative,
and the current is negative.

• The diode D1 will conduct

when the voltage is positive
and current is negative.

• Diode D2 will conduct when

the voltage is negative, and
the current is positive.
Operation of Single Phase Half Bridge Inverter
with RL- Load
• (i) Interval I (0<t<t1):
▫ both the switches are OFF and diode D2 is in reverse bias condition.
▫ In this interval, the inductor releases its energy through diode D1, and
output current decreases exponentially from its negative max value
(-Imax) to zero.
▫ The output voltage V0>0(+ve); The output current flows in the
reverse direction, therefore, i0<0(-ve); switch current iS1=0 and
diode current iD1= -i0

• (ii) Interval II (t1<t<T/2):

▫ Switch T1 is closed and T2 is OFF and both the diodes are in reverse bias
condition.
▫ In this interval, the inductor starts to store the energy, and output
current increases from zero to its positive max value (Imax).
▫ The output voltage V0>0(+ve); The output current flows in the
forward direction, therefore, i0>0(+ve);
 Operation of Single Phase Half Bridge
Inverter with RL- Load
• (iii) Interval III (T/2<t<t2):
▫ Both the switch T1 and T2 are OFF and the diode D1 is in reverse bias and
D2 is in forwarding bias condition.
▫ In this interval, the inductor releases its energy through diode D2. The
output current decreases exponentially from its positive max value (Imax) to
zero.
▫ The output voltage V0<0 (-ve); The output current flows in the
forward direction, therefore, i0>0 (+ve);
• (iv) Interval IV (t2 <t<T):
▫ Switch T1 is OFF and T2 are closed and the diodes D1 and D2 are in reverse
bias. In this interval, the inductor charged to negative max value (-Imax) to
zero.
▫ The output voltage V0<0 (-ve); The output current flows in the
opposite/reverse direction therefore i0<0 (-ve);
Single Phase Half Bridge Inverter with RLC- Load

• The output waveform feeds the load which may in general

comprise RLC components.
• During the interval 0 < t < T/2,
 • The nature of the waveform will depend upon the circuit damping.
Single Phase Half Bridge Inverter with RLC Load underdamped
• The current of thyristor T1 becomes zero and the thyristor turns off before
T2 is gated.
• The circuit conditions cause the diode D1 to become forward-biased
conducting the free-wheeling current iD1.
• As soon as T2 is triggered, D1 is reverse-biased and the current is
transferred from D1 to T2.
• This process then repeats for T2 and D2 and so on.
Single Phase Half Bridge Inverter with RLC load overdamped case
• T1 is forced to switch off (at T/2) while it is still carrying current.
• The voltage across the L-component of the load reverses, causing D2 to
become forward-biased which then conducts the free-wheeling current.
• As the circuit current tends to reverse, D2 switches off and the current is
conducted by T2 which has already been gated at t = T/2.
Single Phase Half Bridge Inverter with RLC load
overdamped case
• VO = +ve IO = - ve current will flow through D1
• VO = +ve IO = + ve current will flow through T1
• VO = - ve IO = + ve current will flow through D2
• VO = - ve IO = - ve current will flow through T2

Single Phase Half Bridge Inverter with RLC load

underdamped case

• T1 > D1>T2>D2
Operation of Single Phase Half Bridge
Inverter with RLC- Load
Single phase Full Bridge Voltage Source
Inverter
 Voltage source inverters –single phase

• Single-phase voltage source inverters (VSIs) can be found as

▫ half-bridge
▫ full-bridge topologies

• Although the power range they cover is the low

one, they are widely used in power supplies, single phase UPSs,
and currently to form elaborate high-power static power topologies, such as
for instance, the multi-cell configurations.
 Steady state analysis of single phase half
bridge inverter

• At time 0 to T/2
𝑽𝒔 𝒅𝒊 𝟏
= 𝑹𝒊𝒐 + 𝑳 + 𝒊𝒐 𝒅𝒕 + 𝑽𝒄𝟏
𝟐 𝒅𝒕 𝑪

• At time T/2 to T
𝑽 𝒅𝒊 𝟏
- 𝒔 = 𝑹𝒊𝒐 + 𝑳 + 𝒊𝒐 𝒅𝒕 + 𝑽𝒄𝟐
𝟐 𝒅𝒕 𝑪
Single Phase Full Bridge Inverter
Single Phase Full Bridge Inverter
• Full bridge inverter is a topology of H-bridge
inverter used for converting DC power into AC
power.

• The components required for conversion are two

times more than that used in single phase Half
bridge inverters.

• The circuit of a full bridge inverter consists of 4

diodes and 4 controlled switches as shown.

• The SCR in same branch should not be conducting

at same time t avoid short circuit.
• The diodes are known as freewheeling diodes or
feedback diodes because these diodes feedback
the stored energy in the load back into the DC
source.

• The feedback action happens only when load is

other than pure resistive load.

• The controlled switches for Full-bridge inverters

can be BJT, IJBT, MOSFET or thyristors.

•
• The general concept of a full bridge inverter is to
alternate the polarity of voltage across the load
by operating two switches at a time.

• Positive input voltage will appear across the

load by the operation of T1 and T2 for a half time
period.

• The polarity of voltage across load will be

changed for the other half period by operating
T3 and T4.
•
Operation of Full Bridge with R Load
• The working operation of Full bridge for pure
resistive load is simplest as compared to all loads.

• As there is not any storage component in the load

so, only control switches operate while feedback
diodes do not operate through the operation of the
inverter.

• Only two modes are enough for understanding the

working operation of a full bridge inverter for R
load.
• Mode 1
• Consider all the switches are initially off.

• By triggering T1 and T2, the input DC voltage

(+Vdc) will appear across the load. The current
flow in clockwise direction from source to the
series connected load.

• The output current across the load will be

Io=Vdc/RL

• Where RL is the load resistance, While the

output voltage across the load will be
Vo= Vdc
• Mode 2
• Thyristors T3 and T4 are triggered immediately
after completely commutating T1 and T2.

• The polarity of voltage immediately reverses after

switching complementary switches T1 and T2 with
T3 and T4.

• The DC input voltage across the load appear with

the negative voltage which
Vo= -Vdc

• While the output appearing current is

Io = – Vdc/RL
T3 & T4
conducting
• The current flowing through load and voltage appearing
across the load are both in square wave form as shown in the
third wave of the figure.
 Full Bridge Operation with L and RL Load

• The working operation of Full bridge for both L load and RL

load is exactly the same with a slight shift of phase angle.

• Secondly, a pure inductive load does not exist as the resistance

of the winding is included. Therefore, the operation of RL load
is explained.

• The working operation for both L and RL can be interpreted

in 4 modes.

• The 2 extra modes show the freewheeling action.

• The polarity of voltage across the load does not change

immediately.

• The polarity remains the same due to the free-wheeling

action.
 Full Bridge Operation with L and RL Load

• The feedback diodes will conduct the damping current to the source
from load when the polarity of voltage and current is not the same.

• Diode D1 and D2 will conduct when voltage is positive and current is

negative.

• The damping current will continue to flow till the negative current
through the load gradually reduces and finally approaches to zero.

• Then after, thyristor T1 and T2 are triggered so the polarity of

current and voltage become positive and feedback diodes stop
conducting.

• The other two diodes, D3 and D4 immediately start conducting as

soon as T1 and T2 and commute.

• These modes of operations are discussed by taking two assumptions.

▫ All the switches are initially closed.
▫ There is initially zero energy stored in the load.
 Full Bridge Operation with L and RL
Load
• Mode 1 (t1<t<t2)

• T1 and T2 will conduct from time interval t1 to t2.

• Thyristors T1 and T2 will conduct current from source to load as

soon as these thyristors are triggered.

• After triggering the whole input voltage will appear across the load
with positive polarity while current will gradually increase till it
achieves maximum peak.

• The current does not rise to the peak immediately as it rises in pure
resistive load because the inductor resists the change.

• The inductor will store energy in this mode.

• The reason behind it is that the polarity of voltage and current is the
same.
 Full Bridge Operation with L and RL
Load
• Mode 2 (t2<t<t3)

• In this mode, feedback diodes D3 and D4 will conduct the stored

energy in the load back to the source.

• The feedback diodes will immediately start conduction by

commutating thyristors T1 and T2. These diodes also reduce the
di/dt spike.

• Negative voltage will appear across the load as soon as previously

triggered thyristors are commutated.

• The polarity of current remains the same, but it gradually decreases

till the current flowing through load becomes zero.

• As the current flows due to the stored energy therefore, the current
stops flowing when stored energy approaches to zero.
 Full Bridge Operation with L and RL
Load
• Mode 3 (t3<t<t4)

• Thyristors T3 and T4 are triggered immediately after the complete

discharge of inductive load.

• By triggering T3 and T4, the current starts to flow in the opposite.

The current gradually increases till it achieves the negative peak.

• During this interval, both current and voltage are negative. Therefore,
inductive load charge once again.

• Mode 4 (t0<t<t1)

• The feedback diodes D1 and D2 will conduct in this mode.

• These diodes will start conducting immediately after commutating

the previously triggered T3 and T4.
• Waveform of Full Bridge with L and RL Load
• The voltage waveform in both L and RL load is square wave while
the current wave in both loads are triangular.
 Full Bridge with RLC load
• In this topic, the response of RLC (Resistive, Inductive and Capacitive) load is discussed.

• The RLC load shows two types of responses.

• The response may be overdamped, or it may be underdamped.

• Both these responses are briefly discussed here.

 RLC Overdamped Response
• In this case, the inductive impedance is dominant with respect
to capacitive impedance.

• Therefore, its response is more like RL load response with a

slight voltage shift in the current voltage waveform.

• The voltage leads while current lags in RLC load with

overdamped response.

• There is no need to explain it again as the working operation

is more like RL load.

• The working operations are exactly the same as the RL load

that Thyristors will conduct when current and voltage have
the same polarities while diodes will conduct when current
and voltage have opposite polarities.
 RLC Overdamped Response
• The conduction time of diodes and switches are
different.

• As, thyristors will conduct for T/3 period which is

more than the conduction time of thyristors for RL
load.

• Diodes will conduct for T/6 period which is less

than the conduction of RL load.

• The output waveform of the current will be nearly

sinusoidal wave with the use of a filter.
• Mode 1 (T1 and T2 Conduct)
• Feedback diodes are conducted initially.
• After triggering thyristors T1 and T2, the polarity of
current reverses and load starts charging itself from
source.
• During this mode, the current gradually increases in
a positive direction till it achieves maximum peak.
• After achieving the maximum peak, the load current
gradually decreases till the anode current becomes
zero.
• The zero-anode current naturally commutates the
thyristors T1 and T2.
• These thyristors conduct for T/3 of total time.
• Mode 2 (D3 and D4 Conduct)
• The mode changes from mode 1 to mode 2 after T1 and T2 are
commutated.

• In this mode feedback diodes D3 and D4 start conducting.

These feedback diodes keep conducting till thyristor T3 and
T4 are triggered.

• The feedback diodes will conduct to the T/6 of the full time.

• Mode 3 (T3 and T4 Conduct)

• The direction of the flow of current through the load changes

after triggering thyristor T3 and T4.

• In this mode, both the current and voltages are negative.

• Therefore, the load is charged throughout this period.

 RLC Underdamped Response
• The RLC shows the under damped response when
the capacitor is dominant with respect to inductive
impedance.

• Therefore, its working operation is a bit different

and it needs to be discussed separately.

• As the capacitive impedance is dominant in the load.

Therefore, the load current leads while the load
voltage lags.

• The working operations is briefly discussed in 4

modes;
• Mode 1 (D1 and D2 Conduct)
• Initially thyristors T1 and T2 are in conducting mode.

• After the current through thyristors approaches

zero, the current direction through the load is
changed and feedback diodes D1 and D2 start
conducting.

• The time duration of mode1 is considered from the

time when feedback diodes start conducting till
these feedback diodes stop conducting.

• The conduction time is comparatively smaller as

compared to RL load which T/6 of the total time.
• Mode 2 (T3 and T4 Conduct)

• After triggering thyristors T3 and T4 the voltage polarity

reverses. The current direction is already in reverse
direction.

• As both current and voltage are in reverse direction.

• Therefore, the RLC loads charge through-out this mode.

The load charges for T/3 time where T is the time period.

• Negative voltage i.e. -Vdc appears across the load while

current gradually increases till it reaches the maximum
negative peak.

• After touching the maximum negative peak, the load

current gradually decreases till it becomes zero.
• Mode 3 (D3 and D4 Conduct)

• The feedback diodes D3 and D4 immediately start conduction after thyristors

are being commutated due to zero anode current.

• In this mode the feedback diodes D3 and D4 start feeding the source from the
stored energy in the load.

• The polarity of load current has been changed already after switching from
mode 3 to mode 4 while the polarity of voltage remains negative.

• Mode 4

• Thyristors T1 and T2 are triggered when anode current reaches sufficient

current level.

• The polarity of load voltages changes i.e., input voltage appears with positive
polarity.

• The load will charge once again due to the same polarity of current and voltage.
 Steady state analysis of single phase
full bridge inverter

• At time 0 to T/2
𝒅𝒊𝒐 𝟏
𝑽𝒔 = 𝑹𝒊𝒐 + 𝑳 𝒅𝒕
+ 𝑪 𝒊𝒐 𝒅𝒕 + 𝑽𝒄𝟏 ----------------1
• At time T/2 to T
𝒅𝒊𝒐 𝟏
-𝑽𝒔 = 𝑹𝒊𝒐 + 𝑳 𝒅𝒕
+ 𝑪 𝒊𝒐 𝒅𝒕 + 𝑽𝒄𝟐 ----------------1

𝑽𝒄𝟏 - initial value of capacitor at t=0; 𝑽𝒄𝟐 - initial value of

capacitor at t’=0.
• Differentiating eqn 1 & 2,
𝒅𝟐 𝒊𝒐 𝑹 𝒅𝒊𝒐 𝟏
• + + 𝒊𝒐 =0
𝒅𝒕𝟐 𝑳 𝒅𝒕 𝑳𝑪

• The solution for the above equation isobtained

by using initial condition
• 𝒊𝒐 = ± 𝑰𝒐 at t=0,T,2T,3T,…..
• 𝒊𝒐 = ± 𝑰 at t=0,T/2,3T/2,5T/2…..
 single phase full bridge inverter with
transistors
• Same working and waveform,Only switching component changes.
Push Pull Inverter
• A push–pull converter is a type of DC-to-DC converter,
a switching converter that uses a transformer to change
the voltage of a DC power supply.

• The distinguishing feature of a push-pull converter is that the

transformer primary is supplied with current from the input
line by pairs of transistors in a symmetrical push-pull circuit.

• The transistors are alternately switched on and off,

periodically reversing the current in the transformer.

• Therefore, current is drawn from the line during both halves

of the switching cycle.

• Push–pull converters have steadier input current, create less

noise on the input line, and are more efficient in higher power
applications.
• The term push–pull is sometimes used to generally refer to
any converter with bidirectional excitation of the transformer.
• For example, in a full-bridge converter, the switches
(connected as an H-bridge) alternate the voltage across the
supply side of the transformer, causing the transformer to
function as it would for AC power and produce a voltage on its
output side.
• However, push–pull more commonly refers to a two-switch
topology with a split primary winding.
Push Pull Inverter( with Resistive
Load )
• Mode I :
• When Q1 is turned on the dc source voltage appears across the left
half of the primary OA.
• The primary current flows from O to A. Due to the transformer
action the voltage between AB is 2V Volts.
• The load voltage is positive, so is the load urrent (Figure B). After
half time at t = T / 2 Q1 is turned off by reducing its base drive to
zero.
• Mode II :
• At t = T / 2 transistor Q2 is turned ON .
• The input dc voltage now gets connected across winding OB. The
primary current flows from O to B, through Q2 as shown in Figure C.
• The load voltage changes its polarity, and the direction of load current
is reversed.
• Q2 conducts for half time and is turned off at t = T.
•The square output waveform is thus obtained across the load. The load
voltage waveform is as shown in Figure D.
The voltage source inverter
• Input is maintained constant.
• Amplitude of Vo does not depends on load
• Waveform of load current and its magnitude
depends upon the nature of the load.
 CURRENT SOURCE INVERTER
• The current source inverter converts the input direct current into an
alternating current.

• In current source inverter, the input current remains constant but

this input current is adjustable.

• The current source inverter is also called current fed inverter.

• The output voltage of the inverter is independent of the load. The

magnitude and nature of the load current depends on the nature of
load impedance.

• An ideal current source is the kind of source in which current is

constant and it is independent of voltage.
APPLICATION
• Speed control of ac motor
• Induction heating
• Lagging VAR compensation
• Synchronous motor starting
single phase CSI with ideal switches

L
i
• 𝑉𝑜 =𝑉𝑖𝑛 ; 𝐼𝑜 = +ve
• 𝑉𝑜 =𝑉𝑖𝑛 ; 𝐼𝑜 = +ve
 Three Phase Bridge Inverter
• A basic three-phase inverter is a six-step bridge inverter. It uses
a minimum of six thyristors.
• Three phase inverters are normally used for high power
applications.
• The advantages of a three phase inverter are:
▫ The frequency of the output voltage waveform depends on the
switching rate of the switches and hence can be varied over
a wide range.
▫ The direction of rotation of the motor can be reversed by
changing the output phase sequence of the inverter.
▫ The ac output voltage can be controlled by varying the dc link
voltage.
• Two types of control signals can be applied to the
switches:
• 180o conduction
• 120o conduction
 Three Phase Bridge Inverter
• A careful observation of the circuit diagram reveals that power
circuit of a three phase bridge inverter is equivalent to three half
bridge inverters arranged side by side.
• The three phase load connected to the output terminals a, b and c of
inverter is assumed to be STAR connected.
• Working Principle of Three Phase Bridge
Inverter:
• There are two possible patterns of gating the thyristors.
In one pattern, each thyristor conducts for 180° and in
other, each thyristor conducts for 120°.

• But in both these patters the gating signals are applied

and removed at 60° interval of the output voltage
waveform.

• Therefore, both these models require a six step bridge

inverter.