Multilevel Voltage-Source-Converter Topologies for Industrial Medium-Voltage Drives
22 Oct 2007-IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics (IEEE Industrial Electronics Society)-Vol. 54, Iss: 6, pp 2930-2945
TL;DR: This paper covers the high-power voltage-source inverter and the most used multilevel-inverter topologies, including the neutral-point-clamped, cascaded H-bridge, and flying-capacitor converters.
Abstract: This paper presents a technology review of voltage-source-converter topologies for industrial medium-voltage drives. In this highly active area, different converter topologies and circuits have found their application in the market. This paper covers the high-power voltage-source inverter and the most used multilevel-inverter topologies, including the neutral-point-clamped, cascaded H-bridge, and flying-capacitor converters. This paper presents the operating principle of each topology and a review of the most relevant modulation methods, focused mainly on those used by industry. In addition, the latest advances and future trends of the technology are discussed. It is concluded that the topology and modulation-method selection are closely related to each particular application, leaving a space on the market for all the different solutions, depending on their unique features and limitations like power or voltage level, dynamic performance, reliability, costs, and other technical specifications.
Citations
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TL;DR: This paper first presents a brief overview of well-established multilevel converters strongly oriented to their current state in industrial applications to then center the discussion on the new converters that have made their way into the industry.
Abstract: Multilevel converters have been under research and development for more than three decades and have found successful industrial application. However, this is still a technology under development, and many new contributions and new commercial topologies have been reported in the last few years. The aim of this paper is to group and review these recent contributions, in order to establish the current state of the art and trends of the technology, to provide readers with a comprehensive and insightful review of where multilevel converter technology stands and is heading. This paper first presents a brief overview of well-established multilevel converters strongly oriented to their current state in industrial applications to then center the discussion on the new converters that have made their way into the industry. In addition, new promising topologies are discussed. Recent advances made in modulation and control of multilevel converters are also addressed. A great part of this paper is devoted to show nontraditional applications powered by multilevel converters and how multilevel converters are becoming an enabling technology in many industrial sectors. Finally, some future trends and challenges in the further development of this technology are discussed to motivate future contributions that address open problems and explore new possibilities.
3,415 citations
Cites background from "Multilevel Voltage-Source-Converter..."
...are an important alternative that competes with PWM-CSI in classic applications: compressors, pumps, fans, rolling mills and conveyors to name a few [2], [3], [5]–[9]....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the most relevant characteristics of multilevel converters, to motivate possible solutions, and to show that energy companies have to bet on these converters as a good solution compared with classic two-level converters.
Abstract: This work is devoted to review and analyze the most relevant characteristics of multilevel converters, to motivate possible solutions, and to show that we are in a decisive instant in which energy companies have to bet on these converters as a good solution compared with classic two-level converters. This article presents a brief overview of the actual applications of multilevel converters and provides an introduction of the modeling techniques and the most common modulation strategies. It also addresses the operational and technological issues.
1,847 citations
Cites background from "Multilevel Voltage-Source-Converter..."
...Multilevel converters present great advantages compared with typical and very well known two-level converters [1],[3]....
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TL;DR: The basic operation and the most used modulation and control techniques developed to date of neutral-point-clamped inverters are presented and some technological problems such as capacitor balance and losses are presented.
Abstract: Neutral-point-clamped (NPC) inverters are the most widely used topology of multilevel inverters in high-power applications (several megawatts). This paper presents in a very simple way the basic operation and the most used modulation and control techniques developed to date. Special attention is paid to the loss distribution in semiconductors, and an active NPC inverter is presented to overcome this problem. This paper discusses the main fields of application and presents some technological problems such as capacitor balance and losses.
1,556 citations
Cites background from "Multilevel Voltage-Source-Converter..."
...It comprises two phase legs and is suitable for use in an H-bridge configuration....
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...Highly popular are the voltage-source multilevel inverters, which can be divided into three categories, according to their topology: neutral point clamped (NPC), flying capacitor (FLC), and cascade H-bridge [1], [2]....
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...[63] M. A. Perez, P. Cortes, and J. Rodriguez, “Predictive control algorithm technique for multilevel asymmetric cascaded H-bridge inverters,” IEEE Trans....
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...Aside from the wellknown two-level VSC, there are 3L-NPC-VSCs [46], [47], four-level FLC VSCs [48], [49], multilevel series-connected H-bridge (SCHB) VSCs (e.g., five-level SCHB VSCs, seven- level SCHB VSCs, and nine-level SCHB VSCs) [50], [51], and five-level NPC H-Bridge VSCs....
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TL;DR: The feasibility and great potential of FCS-MPC due to present-day signal-processing capabilities, particularly for power systems with a reduced number of switching states and more complex operating principles, such as matrix converters are found.
Abstract: This paper presents a detailed description of finite control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) applied to power converters Several key aspects related to this methodology are, in depth, presented and compared with traditional power converter control techniques, such as linear controllers with pulsewidth-modulation-based methods The basic concepts, operating principles, control diagrams, and results are used to provide a comparison between the different control strategies The analysis is performed on a traditional three-phase voltage source inverter, used as a simple and comprehensive reference frame However, additional topologies and power systems are addressed to highlight differences, potentialities, and challenges of FCS-MPC Among the conclusions are the feasibility and great potential of FCS-MPC due to present-day signal-processing capabilities, particularly for power systems with a reduced number of switching states and more complex operating principles, such as matrix converters In addition, the possibility to address different or additional control objectives easily in a single cost function enables a simple, flexible, and improved performance controller for power-conversion systems
1,554 citations
TL;DR: In this article, two types of pulsewidth-modulated modular multilevel converters (PWM-MMCs) with focus on their circuit configurations and voltage balancing control are investigated.
Abstract: A modular multilevel converter (MMC) is one of the next-generation multilevel converters intended for high- or medium-voltage power conversion without transformers. The MMC is based on cascade connection of multiple bidirectional chopper-cells per leg, thus requiring voltage-balancing control of the multiple floating DC capacitors. However, no paper has made an explicit discussion on voltage-balancing control with theoretical and experimental verifications. This paper deals with two types of pulsewidth-modulated modular multilevel converters (PWM- MMCs) with focus on their circuit configurations and voltage-balancing control. Combination of averaging and balancing controls enables the PWM-MMCs to achieve voltage balancing without any external circuit. The viability of the PWM-MMCs, as well as the effectiveness of the voltage-balancing control, is confirmed by simulation and experiment.
1,506 citations
Cites background from "Multilevel Voltage-Source-Converter..."
...(13) The waveform of v0 is slightly different from that in a DCMC and an FCMC, due to the existence of the second term of the right hand in (14)....
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...However, the high expense of flying capacitors at low carrier frequencies (say, lower than 1 kHz) is the major disadvantage of the FCMC [13]....
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...Two of the representatives are: 1) the diode-clamped multilevel converter (DCMC) [6], [7]; 2) the flying-capacitor multilevel converter (FCMC) [8]....
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...This is similar to flying capacitors in the FCMC....
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...Note that both DCMC and FCMC have a complete staircase waveform with a constant (not curved) voltage level....
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References
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TL;DR: The most important topologies like diode-clamped inverter (neutral-point clamped), capacitor-Clamped (flying capacitor), and cascaded multicell with separate DC sources are presented and the circuit topology options are presented.
Abstract: 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.
6,472 citations
"Multilevel Voltage-Source-Converter..." refers background or methods in this paper
...Although ML-VSIs were originally developed to reach higher voltage operation, before being restricted by semiconductor limits, the extra switches and sources (provided by multiple dc-link capacitors) could be used to generate different output-voltage levels, enabling the generation of a stepped waveform with less harmonic distortion, reducing dv/dt’s and common-mode voltages, and enabling operation under fault conditions and converter modularity [21]....
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...Multilevel-converter technology has experienced a fast growing attention in the last decade, and several topologies have been reported [21]....
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01 Jan 1980
TL;DR: In this article, a neutral-point-clamped PWM inverter composed of main switching devices which operate as switches for PWM and auxiliary switching devices to clamp the output terminal potential to the neutral point potential has been developed.
Abstract: A new neutral-point-clamped pulsewidth modulation (PWM) inverter composed of main switching devices which operate as switches for PWM and auxiliary switching devices to clamp the output terminal potential to the neutral point potential has been developed. This inverter output contains less harmonic content as compared with that of a conventional type. Two inverters are compared analytically and experimentally. In addition, a new PWM technique suitable for an ac drive system is applied to this inverter. The neutral-point-clamped PWM inverter adopting the new PWM technique shows an excellent drive system efficiency, including motor efficiency, and is appropriate for a wide-range variable-speed drive system.
4,432 citations
TL;DR: The neutral-point-clamped PWM inverter adopting the new PWM technique shows an excellent drive system efficiency, including motor efficiency, and is appropriate for a wide-range variable-speed drive system.
Abstract: A new neutral-point-clamped pulsewidth modulation (PWM) inverter composed of main switching devices which operate as switches for PWM and auxiliary switching devices to clamp the output terminal potential to the neutral point potential has been developed. This inverter output contains less harmonic content as compared with that of a conventional type. Two inverters are compared analytically and experimentally. In addition, a new PWM technique suitable for an ac drive system is applied to this inverter. The neutral-point-clamped PWM inverter adopting the new PWM technique shows an excellent drive system efficiency, including motor efficiency, and is appropriate for a wide-range variable-speed drive system.
4,328 citations
"Multilevel Voltage-Source-Converter..." refers background in this paper
...Many topologies have been developed, among them, the neutral-point clamped (NPC) [22], flying capacitor (FC) [23], and the cascaded H-bridge (CHB) [24], are the most studied and commercialized by major manufacturers....
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...1) Topology Description: In the early 1980s, a new pioneering converter topology was proposed [22], [27]: the three-level NPC voltage-source converter (3L NPC-VSC), also known as diode-clamped converter....
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TL;DR: New trends in power electronics for the integration of wind and photovoltaic (PV) power generators are presented and a review of the appropriate storage-system technology used for the Integration of intermittent renewable energy sources is introduced.
Abstract: The use of distributed energy resources is increasingly being pursued as a supplement and an alternative to large conventional central power stations. The specification of a power-electronic interface is subject to requirements related not only to the renewable energy source itself but also to its effects on the power-system operation, especially where the intermittent energy source constitutes a significant part of the total system capacity. In this paper, new trends in power electronics for the integration of wind and photovoltaic (PV) power generators are presented. A review of the appropriate storage-system technology used for the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources is also introduced. Discussions about common and future trends in renewable energy systems based on reliability and maturity of each technology are presented
3,799 citations
"Multilevel Voltage-Source-Converter..." refers background in this paper
...industry [8], grid integration of renewable-energy sources [9]– [11], reactive-power compensation [12]–[14], and other applications [15], [16]....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a limit cycle control of both flux and torque using optimum PWM output voltage; a switching table is employed for selecting the optimum inverter output voltage vectors so as to attain as fast a torque response, as low an inverter switching frequency, and as low harmonic losses as possible.
Abstract: New quick-response and high-efficiency control of an induction motor, which is quite different from that of the field-oriented control is proposed. The most obvious differences between the two are as follows. 1) The proposed scheme is based on limit cycle control of both flux and torque using optimum PWM output voltage; a switching table is employed for selecting the optimum inverter output voltage vectors so as to attain as fast a torque response, as low an inverter switching frequency, and as low harmonic losses as possible. 2) The efficiency optimization in the steady-state operation is also considered; it can be achieved by controlling the amplitude of the flux in accordance with the torque command. To verify the feasibility of this scheme, experimentation, simulation, and comparison with field-oriented control are carried out. The results prove the excellent characteristics for torque response and efficiency, which confirm the validity of this control scheme.
3,316 citations