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 aim of this paper is to present a review of current control techniques for three-phase voltage-source pulsewidth modulated converters. Various techniques, different in concept, have been described in two main groups: linear and nonlinear. The first includes proportional integral (stationary and synchronous) and state feedback controllers, and predictive techniques with constant switching frequency. The second comprises bang-bang (hysteresis, delta modulation) controllers and predictive controllers with on-line optimization. New trends in current control-neural networks and fuzzy-logic-based controllers-are discussed, as well. Selected oscillograms accompany the presentation in order to illustrate properties of the described controller groups.

Current control techniques for three-phase voltage-source PWM converters: a survey

Solid-state switch-mode rectification converters have reached a matured level for improving power quality in terms of power-factor correction (PFC), reduced total harmonic distortion at input AC mains and precisely regulated DC output in buck, boost, buck-boost and multilevel modes with unidirectional and bidirectional power flow. This paper deals with a comprehensive review of improved power quality converters (IPQCs) configurations, control approaches, design features, selection of components, other related considerations, and their suitability and selection for specific applications. It is targeted to provide a wide spectrum on the status of IPQC technology to researchers, designers and application engineers working on switched-mode AC-DC converters. A classified list of more than 450 research publications on the state of art of IPQC is also given for a quick reference.

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A review of single-phase improved power quality AC-DC converters

This chapter gives a description and overview of power electronic technologies including a description of the fundamental systems that are the building blocks of power electronic systems. Technologies that are described include: power semiconductor switching devices, converter circuits that process energy from one DC level to another DC level, converters that produce variable frequency from DC sources, principles of rectifying AC input voltage in uncontrolled DC output voltage and their extension to controlled rectifiers, converters that convert to AC from DC (inverters) or from AC with fixed or variable output frequency (AC controllers, DC–DC–AC converters, matrix converters, or cycloconverters). The chapter also covers control of power converters with focus on pulse width modulation (PWM) control techniques.

https://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/9781447151036-c2.pdf?SGWID=0-0-45-1404710-p175009438

Fundamentals of Power Electronics

The efficient and fast control of electric power forms part of the key technologies of modern automated production It is performed using electronic power converters The converters transfer energy from a source to a controlled process in a quantized fashion, using semiconductor switches which are turned on and off at fast repetition rates The algorithms which generate the switching functions-pulsewidth-modulation techniques-are manifold They range from simple averaging schemes to involved methods of real-time optimization This paper gives an overview >

/pdf/pulsewidth-modulation-for-electronic-power-conversion-5cq0tloqlk.pdf

Pulsewidth modulation for electronic power conversion

For a medical research project it has been required to design an ergometer which produces a defined force via a handle to the human finger. This force has to be dependent on the position of the handle. The drive of the handle is realized with a solenoid motor with a four-quadrant DC chopper. The force control is realized via current control of the chopper. The reference value is given from a microcontroller which also transmits the data (position and force of the handle-necessary for medical research) to a PC for further processing.

F.C. Zach

Papers

Finger-force-control system for medical purposes