Multilevel inverter technology has emerged recently as a very important alternative in the area of high-power medium-voltage energy control. This paper presents the most important topologies like diode-clamped inverter (neutral-point clamped), capacitor-clamped (flying capacitor), and cascaded multicell with separate DC sources. Emerging topologies like asymmetric hybrid cells and soft-switched multilevel inverters are also discussed. This paper also presents the most relevant control and modulation methods developed for this family of converters: multilevel sinusoidal pulsewidth modulation, multilevel selective harmonic elimination, and space-vector modulation. Special attention is dedicated to the latest and more relevant applications of these converters such as laminators, conveyor belts, and unified power-flow controllers. The need of an active front end at the input side for those inverters supplying regenerative loads is also discussed, and the circuit topology options are also presented. Finally, the peripherally developing areas such as high-voltage high-power devices and optical sensors and other opportunities for future development are addressed.

Multilevel inverters: a survey of topologies, controls, and applications

The global electrical energy consumption is rising and there is a steady increase of the demand on the power capacity, efficient production, distribution and utilization of energy. The traditional power systems are changing globally, a large number of dispersed generation (DG) units, including both renewable and nonrenewable energy sources such as wind turbines, photovoltaic (PV) generators, fuel cells, small hydro, wave generators, and gas/steam powered combined heat and power stations, are being integrated into power systems at the distribution level. Power electronics, the technology of efficiently processing electric power, play an essential part in the integration of the dispersed generation units for good efficiency and high performance of the power systems. This paper reviews the applications of power electronics in the integration of DG units, in particular, wind power, fuel cells and PV generators.

Power electronics as efficient interface in dispersed power generation systems

Power Electronics as Efficient Interface in Dispersed Power Generation Systems

The ever increasing progress of high-voltage high-power fully controlled semiconductor technology continues to have a significant impact on the development of advanced power electronic apparatus used to support optimized operations and efficient management of electrical grids, which, in many cases, are fully or partially deregulated networks. Developments advance both the HVDC power transmission and the flexible ac transmission system technologies. In this paper, an overview of the recent advances in the area of voltage-source converter (VSC) HVdc technology is provided. Selected key multilevel converter topologies are presented. Control and modeling methods are discussed. A list of VSC-based HVdc installations worldwide is included. It is confirmed that the continuous development of power electronics presents cost-effective opportunities for the utilities to exploit, and HVdc remains a key technology. In particular, VSC-HVdc can address not only conventional network issues such as bulk power transmission, asynchronous network interconnections, back-to-back ac system linking, and voltage/stability support to mention a few, but also niche markets such as the integration of large-scale renewable energy sources with the grid and most recently large onshore/offshore wind farms.

VSC-Based HVDC Power Transmission Systems: An Overview

This paper addresses real and reactive power management strategies of electronically interfaced distributed generation (DG) units in the context of a multiple-DG microgrid system. The emphasis is primarily on electronically interfaced DG (EI-DG) units. DG controls and power management strategies are based on locally measured signals without communications. Based on the reactive power controls adopted, three power management strategies are identified and investigated. These strategies are based on 1) voltage-droop characteristic, 2) voltage regulation, and 3) load reactive power compensation. The real power of each DG unit is controlled based on a frequency-droop characteristic and a complimentary frequency restoration strategy. A systematic approach to develop a small-signal dynamic model of a multiple-DG microgrid, including real and reactive power management strategies, is also presented. The microgrid eigen structure, based on the developed model, is used to 1) investigate the microgrid dynamic behavior, 2) select control parameters of DG units, and 3) incorporate power management strategies in the DG controllers. The model is also used to investigate sensitivity of the design to changes of parameters and operating point and to optimize performance of the microgrid system. The results are used to discuss applications of the proposed power management strategies under various microgrid operating conditions

Power Management Strategies for a Microgrid With Multiple Distributed Generation Units

A power line conditioner (PLC) using a cascade multilevel inverter is presented for voltage regulation, reactive power (VAr) compensation and harmonic filtering in this paper. The cascade M-level inverter consists of (M-1)/2 H-bridges in which each bridge has its own separate DC source. This new inverter: (1) can generate almost an sinusoidal waveform voltage with only one time switching per line cycle; (2) can eliminate transformers of multipulse inverters used in the conventional static VAr compensators; and (3) makes possible direct connection to the 13.8 kV power distribution system in parallel and series without any transformer. In other words, the power line conditioner is much more efficient and more suitable to VAr compensation and harmonic filtering of distribution systems than traditional multipulse and pulse width modulation (PWM) inverters. It has been shown that the new inverter is specially suited for VAr compensation. This paper focuses on feasibility and control schemes of the cascade inverter for voltage regulation and harmonic filtering in distribution systems. Analytical, simulated and experimental results show the superiority of the new power line conditioner.

A power line conditioner using cascade multilevel inverters for distribution systems

An isolated and soft-switched power converter is used for DC/DC and DC/DC/AC power conversion. The power converter includes two resonant tank circuits coupled back-to-back through an isolation transformer. Each resonant tank circuit includes a pair of resonant capacitors connected in series as a resonant leg, a pair of tank capacitors connected in series as a tank leg, and a pair of switching devices with anti-parallel clamping diodes coupled in series as resonant switches and clamping devices for the resonant leg. The power converter is well suited for DC/DC and DC/DC/AC power conversion applications in which high-voltage isolation, DC to DC voltage boost, bidirectional power flow, and a minimal number of conventional switching components are important design objectives. For example, the power converter is especially well suited to electric vehicle applications and load-side electric generation and storage systems, and other applications in which these objectives are important. The power converter may be used for many different applications, including electric vehicles, hybrid combustion/electric vehicles, fuel-cell powered vehicles with low-voltage starting, remote power sources utilizing low-voltage DC power sources, such as photovoltaics and others, electric power backup systems, and load-side electric storage and generation systems.

Isolated and soft-switched power converter

Due to their long effective air gaps, permanent magnet motors tend to have low inductance. The use of ironless stator structure in present high power PM motors (several tens of kWs) reduces the inductance even further (<100 /spl mu/H). This low inductance imposes stringent current regulation demands for the inverter to obtain acceptable current ripple. An analysis of the current ripple for these low inductance brushless PM motors shows that a standard inverter with the most commonly used IGBT switching devices cannot meet the current regulation demands and will produce unacceptable current ripples due to the IGBT's limited switching frequency. This paper introduces a new multilevel DC link inverter, which can dramatically reduce the current ripple for brushless PM motor drives. The operating principle and design guidelines are included.

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Multilevel DC link inverter for brushless permanent magnet motors with very low inductance

This paper presents harmonic and reactive power compensation based on a generalized theory of instantaneous reactive power for three-phase power systems. This new theory gives a generalized definition of instantaneous reactive power, which is valid for sinusoidal or nonsinusoidal, balanced or unbalanced, three-phase power systems with or without zero-sequence currents and/or voltages. The properties and physical meanings of the newly defined instantaneous reactive power are discussed in detail. A harmonic and reactive power compensator based on the new theory for a three-phase harmonic distorted power system with zero-sequence components in the load current and/or source voltage is then used as an example to show harmonic and reactive power measurement and compensation using the new theory. Simulation and experimental results are presented.

Harmonic and reactive power compensation based on the generalized instantaneous reactive power theory for 3-phase 4-wire systems

This disclosure provides an integrated thermal management system and methods for managing the cooling of electrical devices and components and the heating and cooling of the passengers' compartment in a hybrid or full electric vehicle to reduce the cost and volume of such systems.

Donald J. Adams

Papers

A power line conditioner using cascade multilevel inverters for distribution systems

Isolated and soft-switched power converter

Multilevel DC link inverter for brushless permanent magnet motors with very low inductance

Harmonic and reactive power compensation based on the generalized instantaneous reactive power theory for 3-phase 4-wire systems

Methods and apparatus for thermal management of vehicle systems and components