A simplified structure for three‐phase 4‐level inverter employing fundamental frequency switching technique. Issue 14 (1st November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Masaoud, Ammar; Mekhilef, Saad; Wooi Ping, Hew; Ing Wong, Kiing
• Is Part Of: IET power electronics. Volume 10:Issue 14(2017)
• Page Start: 1870
• Page End: 1877
• Publication Date: 2017-11-01
• Subjects: invertors; fundamental frequency switching technique -- 4‐level dc‐link -- symmetrical dc voltage supplies -- controlled switches -- three‐phase 3‐level neutral point clamped bridge inverter -- 3‐level NPC bridge inverter -- three‐phase 4‐level NPC inverter -- inverter topology -- high quality voltage waveform -- modulation technique; Power electronics -- Periodicals; 621.31705
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-pel.2017.0123
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1755-4535

Abstract

Abstract : This study describes the design and control of simplified structure of three‐phase 4‐level inverter. A 4‐level dc‐link derived from three symmetrical dc voltage supplies and two controlled switches is connected to a three‐phase 3‐level neutral point clamped (3‐level NPC) bridge inverter. By employing the fundamental frequency switching technique, the simplified 4‐level inverter can have two distinct modes of operation: 4‐level and 2‐level. Compared to the well‐known three‐phase 4‐level NPC inverter, the proposed inverter topology comes with series of features including a minimum number of power components, high quality voltage waveform, lower losses and higher efficiency. To ensure the feasibility of the proposed topology with its suggested modulation technique, the prototype of the proposed 4‐level inverter is built and the experimental results are given.