EE 2213

POWER ELECTRONICS
Inverters

Department of ECE, KUET 1

 Inverter Basic
 DC to AC converters are known as inverters.
 The function of an inverter is to change a dc input voltage to a symmetric ac
output voltage of desired magnitude and frequency.
 The output voltage could be fixed or variable at a fixed or variable frequency.
A Variable output voltage can be obtained by varying the gain of the inverter,
which is normally accomplished by pulse-width-modulation (PWM) control
within the inverter.
 The inverter gain may be defined as the
ratio of the ac output voltage to dc input
voltage.

Department of ECE, KUET 2

 Inverter Basic
 Inverters are widely used in industrial applications (e.g., variable-speed
ac motor, renewable energy, transportation, induction heating, IPS, and
uninterruptible power supplies).
 The input of inverter may be a battery, fuel cell, solar cell, or other dc
source.
 Inverters can be broadly classified into two types:
1. Single-phase inverters
2. Three-phase inverters.

Department of ECE, KUET 3

 Single-phase half-bridge inverter
• Consists of 2 choppers, 3-wire DC source
• Transistors switched on and off alternately
• Need to isolate the gate signal for Q1 (upper device)
• Each provides opposite polarity of Vs/2 across the load

Fig: Circuit diagram of Single-phase half-bridge inverter.

Department of ECE, KUET 4

 Single-phase half-bridge inverter

• 𝑄1 on, 𝑄2 off, 𝑣0 = 𝑉𝑠 /2

Department of ECE, KUET 5

 Single-phase half-bridge inverter

• 𝑄1 off, 𝑄2 on, 𝑣0 = −𝑉𝑠 /2

Department of ECE, KUET 6

 Single-phase half-bridge inverter

Fig: Waveforms with resistive load

1
𝑇0 2 2
2 𝑉𝑠 𝑉𝑠
• The rms value of the output voltage, 𝑉0 = ‫׬‬ 2 𝑑𝑡 =
𝑇0 0 4 2

Department of ECE, KUET 7

 Fourier Series of the instantaneous output voltage
• The instantaneous output voltage can be expressed in Fourier series as

Department of ECE, KUET 8

 Fourier Series of the instantaneous output voltage

• So, the instantaneous output voltage 𝑣0 is

∞
2𝑉𝑠
𝑣0 = ෍ sin 𝑛𝑤𝑡
𝑛𝜋
𝑛=1,3,5,..

• For n = 1, the rms value of fundamental component is

2𝑉𝑠
𝑉01 = = 0.45𝑉𝑠
2𝜋

Department of ECE, KUET 9

When the load is highly inductive

𝑉𝑠
v

Department of ECE, KUET 10

 When the load is highly inductive
• Turn off 𝑄1 at t = 𝑇0 /2
• Current falls to 0 via 𝐷2 , L, 𝑉𝑠 /2 lower

v
v
𝑉𝑠

Department of ECE, KUET 11

 When the load is highly inductive
• Turn off 𝑄2 at t = 𝑇0
• Current falls to 0 via 𝐷1 , L, 𝑉𝑠 /2 upper

v
𝑉𝑠 v
v

Department of ECE, KUET 12

 Load current with highly inductive load

v
v

• Transistors are only switched on for a quarter-cycle, or 90°

Department of ECE, KUET 13

 Load current & output power
• For an RL load, the instantaneous load current 𝑖𝑜 can be found by dividing
the instantaneous output voltage by the load impedance Z = R + jnωL.

v
• If 𝐼01 is the rms fundamental
v load current, the fundamental output power
(for n = 1) is

Department of ECE, KUET 14

 Performance Parameters
 Harmonic factor of nth harmonic (HF𝑛 ): The harmonic factor (of the nth
harmonic), which is a measure of individual harmonic contribution, is
defined as

where 𝑉𝑜1 is the rms valuevv of the fundamental component and 𝑉𝑜𝑛 is the
rms value of the nth harmonic component.

Department of ECE, KUET 15

 Performance Parameters
 Total harmonic distortion (THD): The total harmonic distortion, which is a
measure of closeness in shape between a waveform and its fundamental
component, is defined as

v
v

Department of ECE, KUET 16

 Performance Parameters
 Distortion factor (DF): The DF indicates the amount of HD that remains in
a particular waveform after the harmonics of that waveform have been
subjected to a second-order attenuation.

v
v

Department of ECE, KUET 17

 Performance Parameters

 Lowest order harmonic (LOH): The LOH is that harmonic component

whose frequency is closest to the fundamental one, and its amplitude is
greater than or equal to 3% of the fundamental component.

Department of ECE, KUET 18

Single-phase full-bridge inverter

Department of ECE, KUET 19

 Operational Details

• Consists of 4 choppers and a 3-wire DC source

• 𝑄1 -𝑄2 and 𝑄3 -𝑄4 switched on and off alternately
• Need to isolate the gate signal for 𝑄1 and 𝑄3 (upper)
• Each pair provide opposite polarity of 𝑉𝑠 across the load

Department of ECE, KUET 20

 Operational Details (Highly Inductive Load)
 Mode 1 (𝑡1 <t<𝑡2 ): 𝑄1 and 𝑄2 will conduct current from source to load as
soon as these switches are triggered. The inductor will store energy in this
mode. The reason behind it is that the polarity of voltage and current is the
same (+ve).

• 𝑄1 -𝑄2 on, 𝑄3 -𝑄4 off, 𝑣0 = 𝑉𝑠

Department of ECE, KUET 21

 Operational Details (Highly Inductive Load)
 Mode 2 (𝑡2 <t<𝑡3 ): Feedback diodes 𝐷3 and 𝐷4 will conduct the stored energy
in the load back to the source. Negative voltage will appear across the load.
The polarity of current remains the same, but it gradually decreases till the
current flowing through load becomes zero.

Department of ECE, KUET 22

 Operational Details (Highly Inductive Load)
 Mode 3 (𝑡3 <t<𝑡4 ): 𝑄3 and 𝑄4 are triggered immediately after the complete
discharge of inductive load. By triggering 𝑄3 and 𝑄4 , the current starts to
flow in the opposite. During this interval, both current and voltage are
negative. Therefore, inductive load charge once again.

• 𝑄3 -𝑄4 on, 𝑄1 -𝑄2 off, 𝑣0 = −𝑉𝑠

Department of ECE, KUET 23
 Operational Details (Highly Inductive Load)
 Mode 4 (𝑡0 <t<𝑡1 ): Feedback diodes 𝐷1 and 𝐷2 will conduct the stored energy
in the load back to the source. Positive voltage will appear across the load
but the polarity of current are negative.

Department of ECE, KUET 24

Load current with highly inductive load

Department of ECE, KUET 25

 Output Voltage and Current

• The rms output voltage is,

• The instantaneous output voltage in a Fourier series as,

• For n = 1, the rms value of fundamental component is,

• The instantaneous load current
v 𝑖0 for an RL load becomes,

Department of ECE, KUET 26

 Three-phase inverters
• Consider three single-phase inverters in parallel, driven 120° apart.

Department of ECE, KUET 27

 Three-phase inverters
• Three single-phase full bridge inverters

• 12 transistors, 12 diodes, 3 transformers. Could it be simpler?

Department of ECE, KUET 28

 Alternative (Preferred) Configuration
• 6 transistors, 6 diodes
• Conduction for 120° or 180°

Department of ECE, KUET 29

 180° Conduction

• Three transistors ON at a time

Department of ECE, KUET 30

Delta- and Y-connected load

Department of ECE, KUET 31

Waveforms for 180° Conduction

Department of ECE, KUET 32

Summary Table

Department of ECE, KUET 33

Summary Table

Department of ECE, KUET 34

 Mode 1 Operation

• 𝑄1 , 𝑄5 , 𝑄6 conduct

Department of ECE, KUET 35

Mode 1 Operation

Department of ECE, KUET 36

Summary Table

Department of ECE, KUET 37

 Mode 2 Operation
• 𝑄1 , 𝑄2 , 𝑄6 conduct

Department of ECE, KUET 38

Mode 2 Operation

Department of ECE, KUET 39

Summary Table

Department of ECE, KUET 40

 Mode 3 Operation
• 𝑄1 , 𝑄2 , 𝑄3 conduct

Department of ECE, KUET 41

Mode 3 Operation

v 𝑖3 𝑅 𝑉𝑠
=
2 3

Department of ECE, KUET 42

Phase Voltages for 180° Conduction

Department of ECE, KUET 43

 Fourier Series for Line-to-Line Voltages
• The instantaneous line-to-line voltage can be expressed in a Fourier series,

Department of ECE, KUET 44

 Line-to-Line rms Voltage

• The line-to-line rms voltage,

• The rms nth component of the line voltage,

• For n = 1, gives the rms fundamental

v
line voltage,

• The rms value of line-to-neutral voltages,

Department of ECE, KUET 45

 Phase Voltages (Y-connected load)

• The instantaneous phase voltages (for a Y-connected load) are

Department of ECE, KUET 46

 Home Work

 120-Degree Conduction
 Example 6.1, 6.2.

Department of ECE, KUET 47

 Reference

[1] Muhammad H. Rashid – “Power Electronics: Circuits, Devices, and

Applications.”

Department of ECE, KUET 48