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PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER USING MATLAB/SIMULINK

A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DE


GREE OF
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF :MR. AHMAD FAIZ MINAI Assistant Professor Electrical & Ele
x. Engg. Deptt.
SUBMITTED BY:SHAHEER ANSARI SHAMS AKHTAR PAYAMI SHUBHENDRA SINGH SURJIT KUMAR
INTEGRAL UNIVERSITY, LUCKNOW
Kursi Road, Lucknow-226026 Uttar Pradesh (INDIA) Phone: 0522-2890812, 2890730, 3
296117, and 6451039 Fax No.:0522-2890809 Web: www.integraluniversity.ac.in
2011
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PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER USING MATLAB/SIMULINK


Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering Integral University, Lucknow
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the work in the project report entitled
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER USING MATLAB/SIMULINK
By
SHAHEER ANSARI SHAMS AKHTAR PAYAMI SHUBHENDRA SINGH SURJIT KUMAR
(0700113050) (0700113051) (0700113054) (0700113031)
has been carried out under my supervision in partial fulfilment of the requireme
nt for the degree of Bachelor of Technology
in
& Electronics Engineering during session 2010-11 in the Department of Electrical
& Electronics Engineering, Integral University, Lucknow and this work has not be
en submitted elsewhere for a degree.
Electrical
MR. AHMAD FAIZ MINAI (Project Guide)
MR. MOHD. ARIFUDDIN MALLICK (Head of the department)
MR. QAMAR ALAM (Project Coordinator)
MR. AKHLAQUE AHMAD KHAN (Project Coordinator)
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PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER USING MATLAB/SIMULINK


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
With a deep sense of gratitude, I wish to express my sincere thanks to my guide,
Mr. Ahmad Faiz Minai, Assistant Professor, Electrical & Electronics Engineering
Department for giving us the opportunity to work under him on this thesis.
I truly appreciate and value his esteemed guidance and encouragement from the be
ginning to the end of this thesis. We are extremely grateful to him.
We want to thank all my teachers for providing a solid background for my studies
and research thereafter. They have been great sources of inspiration to us and
we thank them from the bottom of my heart.
We also want to thank our parents, who taught us the value of hard work by their
own example. We would like to share this moment of happiness with our parents.
They rendered us enormous support during the whole tenure of our stay in Integra
l University, Lucknow. Finally, we would like to thank all whose direct and indi
rect support helped us completing our thesis in time. We would like to thank our
department for giving us the opportunity and platform to make our effort a succ
essful one.
Shaheer Ansari
(0700113050)
Shams Akhter Payami (0700113051) Shubhendra Singh Surjit Kumar (0700113054) (070
0113055)
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PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER USING MATLAB/SIMULINK


TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................
1-8 1.1Project outline 1.2 Inverter 1.3Classification of inverter 1.4 Basic desi
gn 1.5 Advanced design 1.6 Working 1.7 Output waveforms
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PULSE MODULATION SCHEME.......9-18 2.1 Pulse amplitude modulation 2.2 Pulse width mo
ion 2.3 Pulse position modulation 2.4 Pulse code modulation 2.5 Advantage of PWM
2.6 Single pulse width modulation 2.7 Multiple pulse width modulation 2.8 Sinus
oidal pulse width modulation 2.9 Single phase full bridge voltage source inverte
r 2.10 Unipolar switching scheme 2.11 Performance parameter of inverter
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CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION........................................................19-34
3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 IGBT(Insulated gate bipolar transistor) Con
structional feature of an IGBT Operating principle of an IGBT Switching characte
ristic of an IGBT Parameter of an IGBT Comparison with Power MOSFET The design o
f bilevel dc/ac inveter Simulation of single phase bridge inverter Simulation of
single phase bridge inverter using unipolar switching
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ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER....................35-43 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Int
roduction Basic principle of operation of cascade multilevel inverter Simulation
of multilevel inverter Merits of multilevel inverter Demerits of multilevel inv
erter
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HARMONICS ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER.....43-53 5.1 Harmonics optimization t
echnique in multilevel VSI 5.2 Harmonics evaluation 5.3 Application in harmonics
elimination
6 7
CONCLUSION......................................................................
...............54 REFERENCES....................................................
.................................55
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PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER USING MATLAB/SIMULINK


TABLE OF FIGURES
1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Simpler inverter circuit shown with an electromechanical swit
ch.4 1.2 Square waveform with fundamental sine wave component, 3rd harmonic and 5
th harmonics...7
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PULSE MODULATION SCHEME 2.1 Analog signal, s(t). (b) Pulse-amplitude modulation.
(c) Pulse-width Modulation (d) Pulse position modulation.10 2.2 sine modulated, unm
ted signal .11 2.3 Circuit configuration of a single-phase, full-bridge inverter
orms for unipolar voltage switching scheme.16
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CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION 3.1 Circuit symbol of an IGBT......19 3.2 Equivalent Circui


al cross section of an IGBT cell20 3.4 Parasitic thyristor in an IGBT cell
circuit using an IGBT.....23 3.6 Basic Concept Diagram Inverter...26 3
a single phase bridge inverter...28 3.9 (a)Gating signal for IGBT1 AND IGBT2..
ignal for IGBT3 AND IGBT4 3.10 Current waveform with resistive load....30 3.11 Curr
eform with RL load....30 3.12 Voltage waveform with resistive load...31
er....32 3.14 Switching pulses for different switches of inverter....33 3.
inverter using unipolar switching scheme (b) Voltage waveform obtain from the si
mulink model of inverter using unipolar switching scheme.35
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ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER 4.1 Cascaded five level inverter.37 4.2 simuli
ded multilevel inverter..38 4.3 Simulink model of an inverter block ..39 4.
witching block..39 4.5 output voltage waveform at ma1=0.8 & ma2=0.8.40 4.6
at ma1=0.8 & ma2=0.6.41 4.7 output voltage waveform at ma1=0.8 & ma2=0.4.41
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CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION 5.1 Harmonic evaluation of single phase inverter when ma1=0.
8 & ma2=0.8...48 5.2 Harmonic evaluation of multilevel inverter when ma
l inverter when ma1=0.8 & ma2=0.649 5.4 Harmonic evaluation of multile
.4 ...49 5.5 Generalized block diagram for active power filter
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PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER USING MATLAB/SIMULINK


ABSTRACT
The power electronics device which converts DC power to AC power at required out
put voltage and frequency level is known as inverter. Inverters can be broadly c
lassified into single level inverter and multilevel inverter. Multilevel inverte
r as compared to single level inverters have advantages like minimum harmonic di
stortion, reduced EMI/RFI generation and can operate on several voltage levels.
A multi-stage inverter is being utilized for multipurpose applications, such as
active power filters, static var compensators and machine drives for sinusoidal
and trapezoidal current applications. The drawbacks are the isolated power suppl
ies required for each one of the stages of the multi converter and its also lot h
arder to build, more expensive, harder to control in software.
This project aims at the simulation study of single phase single level and multi
level inverters. The role of inverters in active power filter for harmonic filte
ring is studied and simulated in MATLAB/SIMULINK. The single phase system with r
esistive loads are modelled and their characteristics is observed.
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INTRODUCTION
The process of conversion of a dc power into an ac power at a desired output vol
tage and frequency is called inversion. The power electronics device which conve
rts DC power to AC power at required output voltage and frequency level is known
as inverter. This can be done by a fully-controlled converter (using thyristors
), connected to the ac mains. This is called a line-commutated inverter and oper
ates at a line frequency only. When a thyristor based inverter supplies an ac po
wer to an isolated load, force commutation techniques are required. This makes t
he inverter bulkier and costlier. Therefore, thyristor based inverters are used
only in high-power applications. For low and medium-power inverters, gate-contro
lled turn-off devices (gate commutation devices), such as power BJT, MOSFET, IGB
T, GTO, etc., are used. In addition to being fully controlled, these have high-s
witching frequencies. Therefore these devices may be very efficiently employed i
n inverters, where the output voltage is to be controlled using the pulse widthmodulation (PWM) technique. Inverters are used in a wide range of applications,
from small switching power supplies in computers, to large electric utility appl
ications that transport bulk power. An inverter converts the DC electricity from
sources such as batteries, solar panels, or fuel cells to AC electricity. The e
lectricity can then be used to operate AC equipments such as those that are plug
ged in to most house hold electrical outlets.
1.1Project Outline
Basics of Inverter Classification of Inverter Simulation of single phase voltage
source inverter. Modeling of a single phase system with linear loads. Collectin
g information about simulation work and requisite theory / formulae. Simulation
of the multilevel inverter, study of the obtained simulated results and analysis
(THD factor ) Application of the inverters (2 level and 3 level). Modeling of t
he circuits and harmonic elimination by use of inverters in active power filters
.
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1.2 Inverter
A device that converts DC power into AC power at desired output voltage and freq
uency is called an Inverter. Phase controlled converters when operated in the in
verter mode are called line commutated inverters. But line commutated inverters
require at the output terminals an existing AC supply which is used for their co
mmutation. This means that line commutated inverters can tfunction as isolated AC
voltage sources or as variable frequency generators with DC power at the input.
Therefore, voltage level, frequency and waveform on the AC side of the line com
mutated inverters cant be changed. On the other hand, force commutated inverters
provide an independent AC output voltage of adjustable voltage and adjustable fr
equency and have therefore much wider application. Based on their operation the
inverters can be broadly classified into
Voltage Source Inverters(VSI) Current S
ource Inverters(CSI)
A voltage source inverter is one where the independently controlled ac output is
a voltage waveform. A current source inverter is one where the independently co
ntrolled ac output is a current waveform. Some industrial applications of invert
ers are for adjustable- speed ac drives, induction heating, stand by air-craft p
ower supplies, UPS uninterruptible power supplies) for computers, hvdc transmiss
ion lines etc. An inverter changes DC voltage from batteries or solar panels, in
to standard household AC voltage so that it can be used by common tools and appl
iances. Essentially, it does the opposite of what a battery charger or "converte
r" does. DC is usable for some small appliances, lights, and pumps, but not much
else. Some DC appliances are available, but with the exception of lights, fans
and pumps there is not a wide selection. Most other 12 volt items we have seen a
re expensive and/or poorly made compared to their AC cousins. The most common ba
ttery voltage inputs for inverters are 12, 24, and 48 volts DC - a few models al
so available in other voltages. There is also a special line of inverters called
a utility intertie or grid tie, which does not usually use batteries - the sola
r panels or wind generator feeds directly into the inverter and the inverter out
put is tied to the grid power. The power produced is either sold back to the pow
er company or (more commonly) offsets a portion of the power
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used. These inverters usually require a fairly high input voltage - 48 volts or
more. Some, like the Sunny Boy, go up to 600 volts DC input.
1.3 Classification of inverters
There are different basis of classification of inverters. Inverters are broadly
classified as current source inverter and voltage-source inverter. Moreover, it
can be classified on the basis of devices used (SCR or gate-commutation devices)
, circuit configuration (half-bridge or full-bridge), nature of output voltage (
square, quasi-square or sine-wave) and type of circuit (Switch-mode PWM or reson
ant converters), etc.
1.3.1 Current-source inverters (CSI)
This type of inverter is fed by a current source with high-internal impedance (usi
ng current limiting chokes or inductor in series with a DC source). Therefore, c
hange quickly. The supply current does not
load current is varied by controlling the input DC voltage to the
current-source inverter. CSI are used in very high-power drives.
1.3.2 Voltage-source inverters (VSI)
This type of inverter is fed by a DC source of small internal impedance. Looking
from the AC side, the terminal voltage remains almost constant irrespective of
the load current drawn. Depending on the circuit configurations, the voltage sou
rce inverter may be classified as half-bridge and full-bridge inverters. Voltage
-source inverters may also be classified as square-wave inverter and pulse-width
modulated inverter.
(i) Square wave inverter
A square wave inverter produces a square wave ac voltage of a constant magnitude
. The output voltage of this type of inverter can only be varied by controlling
the input dc voltage.
(ii) Pulse width modulated (PWM)
In a PWM inverter, the output has one or more pulses in each half cycle. Varying
the width of these pulses, the output voltage may be controlled .the magnitude
of input dc voltage is essential constant in this inverter.
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1.4 Basic design
In one simple inverter circuit, DC power is connected to a transformer through t
he centre tap of the primary winding. A switch is rapidly switched back and fort
h to allow current to flow back to the DC source following two alternate paths t
hrough one end of the primary winding and then the other. The alternation of the
direction of current in the primary winding of the transformer produces alterna
ting current (AC) in the secondary circuit.
Fig: 1.1 simpler inverter circuit shown with an electromechanical switch.
The electromechanical version of the switching device includes two stationary co
ntacts and a spring supported moving contact. The spring holds the movable conta
ct against one of the stationary contacts and an electromagnet pulls the movable
contact to the opposite stationary contact. The current in the electromagnet is
interrupted by the action of the switch so that the switch continually switches
rapidly back and forth. This type of electromechanical inverter switch, called
a vibrator or buzzer, was once used in vacuum tube automobile radios. A similar
mechanism has been used in door bells, buzzers and tattoo guns.
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As they became available with adequate power ratings, transistors and various ot
her types of semiconductor switches have been incorporated into inverter circuit
designs.
1.5 Advanced designs
There are many different power circuit topologies and control strategies used in
inverter designs. Different design approaches address various issues that may b
e more or less important depending on the way that the inverter is intended to b
e used. The issue of waveform quality can be addressed in many ways. Capacitors
and inductors can be used to filter the waveform. If the design includes a trans
former, filtering can be applied to the primary or the secondary side of the tra
nsformer or to both sides. Low-pass filters are applied to allow the fundamental
component of the waveform to pass to the output while limiting the passage of t
he harmonic components. If the inverter is designed to provide power at a fixed
frequency, a resonant filter can be used. For an adjustable frequency inverter,
the filter must be tuned to a frequency that is above the maximum fundamental fr
equency. Since most loads contain inductance, feedback rectifiers or antiparalle
l diodes are often connected across each semiconductor switch to provide a path
for the peak inductive load current when the switch is turned off. The antiparal
lel diodes are somewhat similar to the freewheeling diodes used in AC/DC convert
er circuits. Fourier analysis reveals that a waveform, like a square wave, that
is anti-symmetrical about the 180 degree point contains only odd harmonics, the
3rd, 5th, 7th, etc. Waveforms that have steps of certain widths and heights can
attenuate certain lower harmonics at the expense of amplifying higher harmonics.
For example, by inserting a zero-voltage step between the positive and negative
sections of the square-wave, all of the harmonics that are divisible by three (
3rd and 9th, etc.) can be eliminated. That leaves only the 5th, 7th, 11th, 13th
etc. The required width of the steps is one third of the period for each of the
positive and negative steps and one sixth of the period for each of the zero-vol
tage steps. Changing the square wave as described above is an example of pulse-w
idth modulation (PWM). Modulating, or regulating the width of a square-wave puls
e is often used as a method of regulating or adjusting an inverter s output volt
age. When voltage control is not
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required, a fixed pulse width can be selected to reduce or eliminate selected ha
rmonics. Harmonic elimination techniques are generally applied to the lowest har
monics because filtering is much more practical at high frequencies, where the f
ilter components can be much smaller and less expensive. Multiple pulse-width or
carrier based PWM control schemes produce waveforms that are composed of many n
arrow pulses. The frequency represented by the number of narrow pulses per secon
d is called the switching frequency or carrier frequency. These control schemes
are often used in variable-frequency motor control inverters because they allow
a wide range of output voltage and frequency adjustment while also improving the
quality of the waveform. Multilevel inverters provide another approach to harmo
nic cancellation. Multilevel inverters provide an output waveform that exhibits
multiple steps at several voltage levels. For example, it is possible to produce
a more sinusoidal wave by having split-rail direct current inputs at two voltag
es, or positive and negative inputs with a central ground. By connecting the inv
erter output terminals in sequence between the positive rail and ground, the pos
itive rail and the negative rail, the ground rail and the negative rail, then bo
th to the ground rail, a stepped waveform is generated at the inverter output. T
his is an example of a three level inverter: the two voltages and ground.
1.6 Working
An inverter takes the DC input and runs it into a pair (or more) of power switch
ing transistors. By rapidly turning these transistors on and off, and feeding op
posite sides of a transformer, it makes the transformer think it is getting AC.
The transformer changes this "alternating DC" into AC at the output. Depending o
n the quality and complexity of the inverter, it may put out a square wave, a "q
uasi-sine" (sometimes called modified sine) wave, or a true sine wave. Quasi-sin
e (modified sine, modified square) wave inverters have more circuitry beyond the
simple switching, and put out a wave that looks like a stepped square wave - it
is suitable for most standard appliances, but may not work well with some elect
ronics appliances that electronic heat or speed control, or uses the AC for cloc
ks or a timer. Also, some of the chargers used for battery operated tools may no
t shut off when the battery is charged, and should not be used with anything but
sine wave inverters unless you are sure they will work. Sine wave inverters put
out a wave that is the same as you get from the power company - in fact, it is
often better and cleaner. Sine wave inverters can run anything, but are also mor
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than other types. The quality of the "modified sine" (actually modified square w
ave), Quasi-sine wave, etc. can also vary quite a bit between inverters, and may
also vary somewhat with the load. The very bottom end put out a wave that is no
thing but a square wave, and is too "dirty" for all but universal motor driven t
ools, coffee makers, toasters, and other appliances that have only a heating ele
ment.
1.7 Output waveforms
The switch in the simple inverter described above, when not coupled to an output
transformer, produces a square voltage waveform due to its simple off and on na
ture as opposed to the sinusoidal waveform that is the usual waveform of an AC p
ower supply. Using Fourier analysis, periodic waveforms are represented as the s
um of an infinite series of sine waves. The sine wave that has the same frequenc
y as the original waveform is called the fundamental component. The other sine w
aves, called harmonics, that are included in the series have frequencies that ar
e integral multiples of the fundamental frequency.
Fig: 1.2 Square waveform with fundamental sine wave component, 3rd harmonic and
5th harmonics The quality of the inverter output waveform can be expressed by us
ing the Fourier analysis data to calculate the total harmonic distortion (THD).
The total harmonic distortion is the square root of the sum of the squares of th
e harmonic voltages divided by the fundamental voltage:
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The quality of output waveform that is needed from an inverter depends on the ch
aracteristics of the connected load. Some loads need a nearly perfect sine wave
voltage supply in order to work properly. Other loads may work quite well with a
square wave voltage.
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PULSE MODULATION SCHEME
2.1 Pulse Amplitude Modulation
Pulse Amplitude Modulation refers to a method of carrying information on a train
of pulses, the information being encoded in the amplitude of pulses. In other w
ords the pulse amplitude is modulated according to the varying amplitude of anal
og signal.
2.2 Pulse Width Modulation
Pulse Width Modulation refers to a method of carrying information on a train of
pulses, the information being encoded in the width of the pulses. The pulses hav
e constant amplitude but their duration varies in direct proportion to the ampli
tude of analog signal.
2.3 Pulse Position Modulation
The amplitude and width of the pulse is kept constant in the system. The positio
n of each pulse, in relation to the position of a recurrent reference pulse, is
varied by each instantaneous sampled value of the modulating wave. PPM has the a
dvantage of requiring constant transmitter power since the pulses are of constan
t amplitude and duration.
2.4 Pulse Code Modulation
To obtain PCM from an analog waveform at the source (transmitter), the analog si
gnal amplitude is sampled at regular time intervals. The sampling rate (number o
f samples per second), is several times the maximum frequency of the analog wave
form. The amplitude of the analog signal at each sample is rounded off to the ne
arest binary level (quantization). The Number of levels is always a power of 2 (
4, 8, 16, 32, 64, ...). These numbers can be represented by two, three, four, fi
ve, six or more binary digits.
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Fig2.1(a) Analog signal, s(t). (b) Pulse-amplitude modulation. (c) Pulse-width m
odulation. (d) Pulse position modulation
PCM is a general scheme for transmitting analog data in a digital and binary way
independent of the complexity of the analog waveform. With PCM all forms of ana
log data like video, voice, music and telemetry can be transferred.
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2.5 Advantages of PWM
The output voltage control is easier with PWM than other schemes and can be achi
eved without any additional components.
The lower order harmonics are either min
imized or eliminated altogether. The filtering requirements are minimized as low
er order harmonics are eliminated and higher order harmonics are filtered easily
.
It has very low power consumption. The entire control circuit can be digitized
which reduces the susceptibility of the circuit to interference.
Fig: 2.2 sine modulated, unmodulated signal
PWM is the most popular method for producing a controlled output for inverters.
They are quite popular in industrial applications.
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2.6 Single Phase PWM Inverters
In many industrial applications, to control the output voltage of the inverters
is necessary for the following reasons

To adjust with variations of dc input voltage To regulate voltage of inverters T


o satisfy the contain volts and frequency control requirement
There are various techniques to vary the inverter gain. The most efficient metho
d of Controlling the gain (and output voltage) is to incorporate pulse width mod
ulation (PWM) Control within the inverters. The commonly used techniques are
a) Single Pulse width Modulation b) Multiple Pulse width Modulation c) Sinusoida
l Pulse width Modulation d) Modified sinusoidal Pulse width Modulation e) Phasedisplacement control.
The PWM techniques given above vary with respect to the harmonic content in thei
r output voltages.
2.7 Single Pulse Width Modulation
In this control, theres only one pulse per half cycle and the width of the pulse
is varied to control the inverter output. The gating signals are generated by co
mparing a rectangular reference signal of the amplitude Ar with triangular carri
er wave of amplitude Ac, the frequency of the carrier wave determines the fundam
ental frequency of output voltage. By varying Ar from 0 to Ac ,the pulse width c
an be varied from 0 to 100 percent. The ratio of Ar to Ac is the control variabl
e and defined as the modulation index.
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2.8Multiple Pulse Width Modulation
The harmonic content can be reduced by using several pulses in each half cycle o
f output voltage. The generation of gating signals for turning ON and OFF transi
stors by comparing a reference signal with a triangular carrier wave. The freque
ncy Fc, determines the number of pulses per half cycle. The modulation index con
trols the output voltage. This type of modulation is also known as uniform pulse
width modulation (UPWM).
2.9 Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation
Modulation the width of each pulse is varied in proportion to the amplitude of a
sine wave evaluated at the centre of the same pulse. The distortion factor and
lower order harmonics are reduced significantly. The gating signals are generate
d by comparing a sinusoidal reference signal with a Instead of, maintaining the
width of all pulses of same as in case of multiple pulse width triangular carrie
r wave of frequency Fc. The frequency of reference signal Fr
,determines the inverter output frequency and its peak amplitude Ar, controls th
e modulation index M, and rms output voltage Vo. The number of pulses per half c
ycle depends on carrier frequency.
2.10 Single-phase, full-bridge, voltage-source inverters
The single-phase, half-bridge inverters require only two controlled switches and
two diodes. These inverters can be used only when three-wired dc supply is avai
lable. Moreover, the voltage across the off-state semiconductor device is V, whi
ch is double the load voltage. These drawbacks are removed in full bridge invert
ers (fig. 2.1). The inverter uses two pairs of controlled switches (S1S2 and S3S
4) and two pairs of diodes (D1D2 and D3D4). The devices of one pair operate simu
ltaneously. The gating signals of the switch-pairs S1S2 and S3S4 are shown in Fi
gs. 2.3 a & b, respectively.
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Fig: 2.3 Circuit configuration of a single-phase, full-bridge inverter.
(a) Gating signal for switch S1, S2
(b) Gating signal for switch S3, S4
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(c) Voltage and current waveforms for resistive loads
For a resistive load, the switch pair S1S2 closes for the time interval 0 < t <
T/2 and the output voltage (v0), becomes +V. At t = T/2, S1S2 pair turns off and
simultaneously, S3S4 pair turns on to make v0 = -V. At t = T, S1S2 pair is agai
n closed to make v0 = V and the cycle repeats. By operating the two switch pairs
at the desired frequency, a square-wave ac voltage is obtained at the output. T
he load current waveform is also a square wave with magnitude V/R, as shown in t
he Fig. .
(d) Voltage and current waveforms for RL loads.
For an RL load , wave forms of load voltage and load current are shown in Fig. 2
.3d At t=0, the load current is at its negative peak and its direction cannot re
verses instantaneously, due to inductive nature of the load. The diode pair D1D2
provides a path for the negative current. The output voltage becomes positive (
+V) and the negative load current decays to zero
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at t = t1. During this period, energy is fed back to the source through the feed
back diodes D1 and D2. At t = t1 , the diode pair D1D2 commutates and the switch
pair S1S2, which is already received the gating signal, turns on. It provides t
he path for the positive load current. The load current builds up and reaches it
s positive peak at t = T/2. At this instant, the switch pair S1S2 turns off. The
positive current continues to flow for some more time (up to t=t2) through the
diode pair D3D4. As the load voltage is negative, the energy is fed back to the
source. At t = t2, D3D4 pair commutates and S3S4 pair starts conduction for the
negative load current.
2.11 Unipolar switching scheme
In unipolar switching scheme, the switch pairs S1S2 and S3S4 of the full-bridge
inverter of fig. 2.1, are not operated as pair. Instead, the switches of the fir
st leg, i.e. S1 and S4, are operated by comparing the triangular carrier wave (v
c) with the sinusoidal reference signal (vref). The switches of the other leg, i
.e. S2 and S3, are operated by comparing vc with vref. Following logic is used to
operate these switches: 1. If vref > vc, S1 is on and if vref < vc, S4 is on. 2
. If vref > vc, S3 is on and if vref < vc, S2 is on.
Here Van and Vbn , are the potentials of the load terminals A and B, with respec
t to the reference point N. The waveform for the unipolar switching scheme, mf =
12 and ma= 0.8, are shown in fig. 2.4. It may be observed that the output voltag
e fluctuates from 0 to +V in the positive half-cycle and from 0 to V in the negat
ive half-cycle. Thus the scheme is called unipolar switching scheme
Fig 2.4: Waveforms for unipolar voltage switching scheme
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2.12 Performance parameters of inverters
Ideally, an inverter should give a sinusoidal voltage at its output. However, ou
tputs of practical inverters are non-sinusoidal and may be resolved into fundame
ntal and harmonic components. Performance of an inverter is usually assessed wit
h the following performance parameters.
2.12.1 Harmonic factor of nth harmonic
A harmonic factor is a measure of the individual harmonic contribution in the ou
tput voltage of an inverter. It is defined as:
HFn
Vn V1
Where Vn is the rms value of the nth harmonic component and v1 is the rms value
of the fundamental component of the output voltage.
2.12.2 Total harmonic distortion (THD)
A total harmonic distortion is a measure of closeness in a shape between the out
put voltage waveform and its fundamental component. It is defined as the ratio o
f the rms value of the total harmonic component of the output voltage and the rm
s value of the fundamental component. Mathematically,
n 2,3...
V
V1
2 n
THD

2 Vrms

V12

V1
Where Vrms is the rms value of the output voltage.
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2.12.3 Distortion factor (DF)
A distortion factor indicates the amount of harmonic that remain in the output v
oltage waveform, after the waveform has been subjected to second order attenuati
on (i.e. divided by n2).
n

2 , 3...

(V
n
/ n2 )2
DF
V1
2.12.4 Lowest-order harmonics (LOH)
The lowest harmonic frequency, with a magnitude greater than or equal to three p
ercent of the magnitude of the fundamental component of the output voltage, is c
alled the lowest order harmonic. Higher the frequency of the LOH, lower will be
the distortion in the current waveform.
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CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION
3.1 The IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor)
Fig:3.1 Circuit symbol of an IGBT (a)Circuit symbol (b) Photograph The insulated
gate bipolar transistor or IGBT is a voltage controlled four-layer, three-termi
nal power semiconductor device, noted for high efficiency and fast switching. It
is designed to rapidly turn on and off, amplifiers that use it often synthesize
complex waveforms with pulse width modulation and low-pass filters. The IGBT co
mbines the simple gate-drive characteristics of the MOSFETs with the high-curren
t and lowsaturation-voltage capability of bipolar transistors by combining an iso
lated gate FET for the control input, and a bipolar power transistor as a switch
, in a single device. The IGBT is used in medium-to- high power applications.
Fig:3.2 Equivalent Circuit for IGBT IGBTs can be classified as punch-through (PT
) and non-punch-through (NPT) structures. In the punch-through IGBT, a better tr
ade-off between the forward voltage drop and turn-off time can be achieved. Punc
h-through IGBTs are available up to about 1200 V. NPT IGBTs of
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up to about 4 KV have been reported in literature and they are more robust than
PT IGBTs particularly under short circuit conditions. However they have a higher
forward voltage drop than the PT IGBTs. Its switching times can be controlled b
y suitably shaping the drive signal. This gives the IGBT a number of advantages:
it does not require protective circuits, it can be connected in parallel withou
t difficulty, and series connection is possible without dv/dt snubbers. The IGBT
is presently one of the most popular device in view of its wide ratings, switch
ing speed of about 100 KHz a easy voltage drive and a square Safe Operating Area
devoid of a Second Breakdown region.
3.2 Constructional Features of an IGBT
Vertical cross section of a n channel IGBT cell is shown in Fig. Although p chan
nel IGBTs are possible n channel devices are more common.
Fig:3.3 Vertical cross section of an IGBT cell. The major difference with the co
rresponding MOSFET cell structure lies in the addition of a p+ injecting layer.
This layer forms a pn junction with the drain layer and injects minority carrier
s into it. The n type drain layer itself may have two different doping levels. T
he lightly doped n- region is called the drain drift region. Doping level and wi
dth of this layer sets the forward blocking voltage (determined by the reverse b
reak down voltage of J ) of the device.
2
However, it does not affect the on state voltage drop of the device due to condu
ctivity modulation as discussed in connection with the power diode. This constru
ction of the device is called Punch Trough (PT) design. The Non-Punch Through (NPT
) construction does not
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have this added n+ buffer layer. The PT construction does offer lower on state v
oltage drop compared to the NPT construction particularly for lower voltage rate
d devices. However, it does so at the cost of lower reverse break down voltage f
or the device, since the reverse break down voltage of the junction J1is small.
The rest of the construction of the device is very similar to that of a vertical
MOSFET including the insulated gate structure and the shorted body (p type) emi
tter (n+ type) structure. The doping level and physical geometry of the p type b
ody region however, is considerably different from that of a MOSFET in order to
defeat the latch up action of a parasitic thyristor embedded in the IGBT structu
re. A large number of basic cells as shown in Fig 3.4 are grown on a single sili
con wafer and connected in parallel to form a complete IGBT device.
3.3 Operating principle of an IGBT
Fig:3.4 Parasitic thyristor in an IGBT cell (a)Schematic structure (b)Exact equi
valent circuit (c)Approximate equivalent circuit
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Operating principle of an IGBT can be explained in terms of the schematic cell s
tructure and equivalent circuit of Fig 3.4(a) and (c). From the input side the I
GBT behaves essentially as a MOSFET. Therefore, when the gate emitter voltage is
less then the threshold voltage no inversion layer is formed in the p type body
region and the device is in the off state. The forward voltage applied between
the collector and the emitter drops almost entirely across the junction J . Very
small leakage current flows through the device under this condition. In
2
terms of the equivalent current of Fig 3.4(c), when the gate emitter voltage is
lower than the threshold voltage the driving MOSFET of the Darlington configurat
ion remains off and hence the output p-n-p transistor also remains off. When the
gate emitter voltage exceeds the threshold, an inversion layer forms in the p t
ype body region under the gate. This inversion layer (channel) shorts the emitte
r and the drain drift layer and an electron current flows from the emitter throu
gh this channel to the drain drift region. This in turn causes substantial hole
injection from the p+ type collector to the drain drift region. A portion of the
se holes recombine with the electrons arriving at the drain drift region through
the channel. The rest of the holes cross the drift region to reach the p type b
ody where they are collected by the source metallization.
From the above discussion it is clear that the n type drain drift region acts as
the base of the output p-n-p transistor. The doping level and the thickness of
this layer determines the current gain of the p-n-p transistor. This is intentiona
lly kept low so that most of the device current flows through the MOSFET and not
the output p-n-p transistor collector. This helps to reduced the voltage drop a
cross the body spreading resistance shown in Fig 3.4 (b) and eliminate the possibi
lity of static latch up of the IGBT. The total on state voltage drop across a co
nducting IGBT has three components. The voltage drop across J follows the usual
exponential law of a pn junction. The next component of the voltage
1
drop is due to the drain drift region resistance. This component in an IGBT is c
onsiderably lower compared to a MOSFET due to strong conductivity modulation by
the injected minority carriers from the collector. This is the main reason for r
educed voltage drop across an IGBT compared to an equivalent MOSFET. The last co
mponent of the voltage drop across an IGBT is due to the channel resistance and
its magnitude is equal to that of a comparable MOSFET.
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3.4 Switching characteristics of an IGBT
Switching characteristics of the IGBT will be analyzed with respect to the clamp
ed inductive switching circuit shown in Fig 3.5(a). The equivalent circuit of th
e IGBT shown in Fig 3.5 (b) will be used to explain the switching waveforms.
Fig.3.5: Inductive switching circuit using an IGBT (a) Switching circuit (b) Equ
ivalent circuit for the IGBT The switching waveforms of an IGBT is in many respe
cts similar to that of a Power MOSFET. This is expected, since the input stage o
f an IGBT is a MOSFET as shown in Fig 3.5(b). Also in a modern IGBT a major port
ion of the total device current flows through the MOSFET. Therefore, the switchi
ng voltage and current waveforms exhibit a strong similarity with those of a MOS
FET. However, the output p-n-p transistor does have a significant effect on the
switching characteristics of the device, particularly during turn off. Another i
mportant difference is in the gate drive requirement. To avoid dynamic latch up,
(to be discussed later) the gate emitter voltage of an IGBT is maintained at a
negative value when the device is off.
3.5 Parameters of an IGBT
Implement an IGBT device in parallel with a series RC snubber circuit. In ON sta
te the IGBT model has internal resistance (Ron) and inductance (Lon). In OF stat
e the IGBT model has infinite impedance. The internal inductance can not be set
to zero. The different parameter of an IGBT is used in simulation process are as
follows
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The different parameter of a diode used in simulation process are as follows
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3.6 Comparison with Power MOSFETS
An IGBT has a significantly lower forward voltage drop compared to a conventiona
l MOSFET in higher blocking voltage rated devices. As the blocking voltage ratin
g of both MOSFET and IGBT devices increases, the depth of the n- drift region mu
st increase and the doping must decrease, resulting in roughly square relationsh
ip increase in forward conduction loss compared to blocking voltage capability o
f the device. By injecting minority carriers (holes) from the collector p+ regio
n into the n- drift region during forward conduction, the resistance of the n- d
rift region is considerably reduced. However, this resultant reduction in on-sta
te forward voltage comes with several penalties:
The additional PN junction blocks reverse current flow. This means that unlike a
MOSFET, IGBTs cannot conduct in the reverse direction. In bridge circuits where
reverse current flow is needed an additional diode (called a freewheeling diode
) is placed in parallel with the IGBT to conduct current in the opposite directi
on. The penalty isn t as severe as first assumed though, because at the higher v
oltages where IGBT usage dominates, discrete diodes are of significantly higher
performance than the body diode of a MOSFET.

The reverse bias rating of the N- drift region to collector P+ diode is usually
only of tens of volts, so if the circuit application applies a reverse voltage t
o the IGBT, an additional series diode must be used.

The minority carriers injected into the n- drift region take time to enter and e
xit or recombine at turn on and turn off. This results in longer switching time
and hence higher switching loss compared to a power MOSFET.

The on-state forward voltage drop in IGBTs behaves very differently to that in p
ower MOSFETS. The MOSFET voltage drop can be modeled as a resistance, with the v
oltage drop proportional to current. By contrast, IGBT has a diode like voltage
drop (typically of the order of 2V) increasing only with the log of the current.
Additionally, MOSFET resistance is typically lower for smaller blocking voltage
s meaning that the choice between IGBTs and power MOSFETS depend on both the blo
cking voltage and current involved in a particular application, as well as the d
ifferent switching characteristics mentioned above. In general high voltage, hig
h current and low switching
frequencies favor IGBTs while low voltage, low current and high switching freque
ncies are the domain of the MOSFET.
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3.7 The Design of a Bi-level Input DC/AC Inverter
Conceptually, the inverter works by turning on switches in a specific order. A l
ow power circuit must be constructed to perform as the control circuitry that dr
ives the high power stage. One such control method is the Square-Wave Inverter.
In Figure 1, if switches SW1 and SW4 are turned on, the load is subjected to +Vs
. However, if SW2 and SW3 are turned on, the load is subjected to Vs. Note that V
s is a constant DC voltage. Assuming the switches are voltage controlled, Figure
2 shows possible input waveforms to the switches. Figure 3 shows the correspond
ing output waveform. As shown, the source DC voltage is converted to a square-wa
ve AC voltage.
Fig: 3.6 Basic Concept Diagram Inverter
r
Fig: 3.7 Output Waveform
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Since a square wave is not suitable for most applications, significant filtering
must be implemented to reduce the square wave to a sinusoidal wave. This can be
accomplished since a square wave can be represented as a Fourier series. The Fo
urier series of a square wave is the sum of a sine wave of the fundamental frequ
ency and its odd harmonics. Another practical consideration is the fact that rea
l switches can not change states
instantaneously. Therefore, there must be time when all switches are in the off st
ate to avoid shorting the supply voltage. Another technique to control the outpu
t of an inverter is pulse-width modulation (PWM). PWM control compares the outpu
t waveform to a reference signal and adjusts the duty cycle of the switching mec
hanism. Compared to the square-wave method of control, pulse-width modulation ha
s two distinct advantages: higher frequency harmonic content and amplitude contr
ol. The filtering requirements for PWM generated outputs are less stringent sinc
e the non-fundamental components are of much higher frequency than that of the f
undamental sine wave. Also, by using PWM techniques, the output voltage of the i
nverter can be directly controlled. Pulse-width modulators are available in IC p
ackages and their exact method of control varies by manufacturer and by model. F
or PWM control, two inputs are required: a sinusoidal reference signal, also cal
led a control signal or a modulating signal, and a carrier signal. The triangle
wave controls the switching frequency of the inverter. Bipolar and unipolar swit
ching are the two available methods of switching. Both methods compare the refer
ence signal and the carrier signal and cause switching conditions that correspon
d to the two signals. For bipolar switching, the output is either +VDC or VDC cor
responding to the reference voltage being greater than the carrier wave and the
reference being less than the carrier, respectively. The output is VDC when the s
ine wave is less than the carrier wave. For unipolar switching, the output is sw
itched between positive voltage and zero or negative voltage and zero.
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3.8 Simulation of a single-phase bridge inverter
The performance analysis of a single-phase bridge inverter is studied using SIMU
LINK model. Figure 3.8 shows the simulation model of the system.
Fig 3.8 Simulink model of a single phase bridge inverter
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There is a DC voltage source of 100 volt applied to a system. On and off period
of the above four switches (IGBTs) are according to the gating signal below. Puls
e generator is used for switching.
Fig 3.9 (a)Gating signal for IGBT1 AND IGBT2 (b) Gating signal for IGBT3 AND IGB
T4 For an RL load , wave forms of load current and load voltage are shown in Fig
. (c) and (d) simultaneously.
(c) Current waveform for RL loads
(d) Voltage waveform for RL loads
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Fig:3.10 Current waveform with resistive load
Fig:3.11 Current waveform with RL load
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Fig: 3.12 Voltage waveform with resistive load
At t=0, the load current is at its negative peak and its direction cannot revers
es instantaneously, due to inductive nature of the load. The diode pair D1D2 pro
vides a path for the negative current. The output voltage becomes positive (+V)
and the negative load current decays to zero at t = t1. During this period, ener
gy is fed back to the source through the feedback diodes D1 and D2. At t = t1 ,
the diode pair D1D2 commutates and the switch pair S1S2, which is already receiv
ed the gating signal, turns on. It provides the path for the positive load curre
nt. The load current builds up and reaches its positive peak at t = T/2. At this
instant, the switch pair S1S2 turns off. The positive current continues to flow
for some more time (up to t=t2) through the diode pair D3D4. As the load voltag
e is negative, the energy is fed back to the source. At t = t2, D3D4 pair commut
ates and S3S4 pair starts conduction for the negative load current. For a resist
ive load, the switch pair S1S2 closes for the time interval 0 < t < T/2 and the
output voltage (v0), becomes +V. At t = T/2, S1S2 pair turns off and simultaneou
sly, S3S4 pair turns on to make v0 = -V. At t = T, S1S2 pair is again closed to
make v0 = V and the cycle repeats. By operating the two switch pairs at the desi
red frequency, a square-wave ac voltage is obtained at the output. The load curr
ent waveform is also a square wave with magnitude V/R, as shown in the Fig.
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3.9 Simulation of a single-phase bridge inverter using unipolar switching
In unipolar switching there is a comparison between the triangular carrier wave
(vc) with the sinusoidal reference signal (vref). The switches of the other leg,
i.e. S2 and S3, are operated by comparing vc with vref. The SIMULINK model of un
ipolar switching for the inverter is shown in figure 2.7, and various switching
pulses for the four IGBT switches are shown in figure 2.8
Fig: 3.13 Switching Block in inverter
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Time (secs) (a)Switching pulse for IGBT1
Time (secs) (b) Switching pulse for IGBT2
Time (secs) (c) Switching pulse for IGBT3
Time (secs) (d) Switching pulse for IGBT4
Fig:3.14 Switching pulses for different switches of inverter
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The simulation of inverter model using unipolar switching scheme, and its output
voltage waveform is shown in Figure (a) and (b) simultaneously.
(a) In the above SIMULINK model modulation index (ma) is equal to 0.8. For resis
tive load and at 100 volt, the voltage waveform is given below.
(b)
Fig:3.15 (a) Simulink model of inverter using unipolar switching scheme (b) Volt
age waveform obtain from the simulink model of inverter using unipolar switching
scheme
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ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER
4.1 INTRODUCTION
MULTILEVEL topologies are able to generate better output quality, while operatin
g at lower switching frequency. This implies lower switching dissipation and hig
her efficiency. Moreover, this topology utilizes switches with lower breakdown v
oltage; therefore, it can be used in higher power applications at lower cost. It
is worth mentioning that although the number of switches in this approach is hi
gher than other two level topologies, for a sufficient high number of levels, th
e output filter can be avoided which means less weight, cost and space. On the o
ther hand, even with the same size of filter at the output, the switching freque
ncy can be decreased which means higher efficiency. In general, a greater number
of switches in multilevel converters can be justified since the semiconductor c
ost decreases at a much greater rate than the filter components cost. Numerous i
ndustrial applications have begun to require higher power apparatus in recent ye
ars. Some medium voltage motor drives and utility applications require medium vo
ltage and megawatt power level. For a medium voltage grid, it is troublesome to
connect only one power semiconductor switch directly. As a result, a multilevel
power converter structure has been introduced as an alternative in high power an
d medium voltage situations. A multilevel converter not only achieves high power
ratings, but also enables the use of renewable energy sources. Renewable energy
sources such as photovoltaic, wind, and fuel cells can be easily interfaced to
a multilevel converter system for a high power application. The concept of multi
level converters has been introduced since 1975. The term multilevel began with
the three-level converter. Subsequently, several multilevel converter topologies
have been developed. However, the elementary concept of a multilevel converter
to achieve higher power is to use a series of power semiconductor switches with
several lower voltage dc sources to perform the power conversion by synthesizing
a staircase voltage waveform. Capacitors, batteries, and renewable energy volta
ge sources can be used as the multiple dc voltage sources. The commutation of th
e power switches aggregate these multiple dc sources in order to achieve high vo
ltage at the output; however, the rated voltage of the power semiconductor switc
hes depends only upon the rating of the dc voltage sources to which they are con
nected.
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In general, increasing the switching frequency in voltage source inverters (VSI)
leads to the better output voltage current waveforms. Harmonic reduction in con
trolling a VSI with variable amplitude and frequency of the output voltage is of
importance and thus the conventional inverters which are referred to as two-lev
el inverters have required increased switching frequency along with various PWM
switching strategies. In the case of high power high voltage applications, howev
er, the two-level inverters have some limitations to operate at high frequency m
ainly due to switching losses and constraints of device rating itself. Moreover,
the semiconductor switching devices should be used in such a manner as problema
tic serried parallel combinations to obtain capability of handling high power. N
owadays the use of multilevel approach is believed to be promising alternative i
n such a very high power conversion processing as pointed out in literatures.
A multilevel converter has several advantages over a conventional two-level conv
erter that uses high switching frequency pulse width modulation (PWM). The attra
ctive features of a multilevel converter can be briefly summarized as follows.
Staircase waveform quality: Multilevel converters not only can generate the outp
ut voltages with very low distortion, but also can reduce the dv/dt stresses; th
erefore electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) problems can be reduced. Input curre
nt: Multilevel converters can draw input current with low distortion. Switching
frequency: Multilevel converters can operate at both fundamental switching frequ
ency and high switching frequency PWM. It should be noted that lower switching f
requency usually means lower switching loss and higher efficiency.
Unfortunately, multilevel converters do have some disadvantages. One particular
disadvantage is the greater number of power semiconductor switches needed. Altho
ugh lower voltage rated switches can be utilized in a multilevel converter, each
switch requires a related gate drive circuit. This may cause the overall system
to be more expensive and complex.
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4.3 BASIC PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION OF CASCADED MULTILEVEL INVERTER
The Cascaded Multilevel Converters (CMC) is simply a number of conventional twolevel bridges, whose AC terminals are simply connected in series to synthesize t
he output waveforms. Fig. 1 shows the power circuit for a five level inverter wi
th two cascaded cells. The CMC needs several independent DC sources which may be
obtained from batteries, fuel cells or solar cells. Through different combinati
ons of the four switches of each cell, each converter level can generate three d
ifferent voltage outputs, +Vdc, 0, Vdc. The AC output is the sum of the individua
l converter outputs. The number of output phase voltage levels is defined by n =
2N+1, where N is the number of DC sources.
Fig:4.1 Cascaded five level inverter
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4.5 Simulation of Multilevel Inverter
There is a new control strategy to control Cascaded multilevel converters in a m
ultistring configuration for single phase grid connected systems. This topology
generates high quality output current under any circumstances specifically in p
artial shading, while tracking the MPP of each string independently. The topolog
y does not consist of any extra DCDC converter stage which causes some limitati
on in the performance but definitely reduces the overall cost and efficiency. Si
mulation results are provided to validate the proposed control system.
Fig:4.2 simulink model of cascaded multilevel inverter
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MATLAB simulink model of a PWM inverter is shown in Fig.(b) in which four IGBT a
re used and switching for all IGBT is shown in Fig.(c).
Fig:4.3 Simulink model of an inverter block
Fig.4.4 Simulink model of a switching block
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In unipolar switching scheme, the switch pairs S1S2 and S3S4 of the fullbridge
inverter of fig. 2.1, are not operated as pair. Instead, the switches of the fir
st leg, i.e. S1 and S4, are operated by comparing the triangular carrier wave (v
c) with the sinusoidal reference signal (vref). The switches of the other leg, i
.e. S2 and S3, are operated by comparing vc with vref. Following logic is used to
operate these switches: 1. If vref > vc, S1 is on and if vref < vc, S4 is on. 2
. If vref > vc, S3 is on and if vref < vc, S2 is on.
Fig:4.5 output voltage waveform at ma1=0.8 & ma2=0.8.
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Fig:4.6 output voltage waveform at ma1=0.8 & ma2=0.6
Fig:4.7 output voltage waveform at ma1=0.8 & ma2=0.4
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Through different combinations of the four switches of both cells, both converte
r levels can generate three different voltage outputs, +Vdc, 0, Vdc. The AC outpu
t is the sum of the individual converter outputs. The number of output phase vol
tage levels is 5 because we use two photovoltaic sources. For instance the output
range of the Fig. 4.5 swings from 200to +200 with five levels.
In above figure output voltage waveform for various value of different modulatio
n index(ma)are shown. The pulse width of voltage waveform decreases by decreasin
g the value of modulation index(ma2) and have constant modulation index (ma1)
4.6 Merits of Multilevel Inverter
Multilevel concept is used to decrease the harmonic distortion in the output wav
eform without decreasing the inverter power output. To increase inverter operati
ng voltage without devices in series. To minimize THD with low switching frequen
cies fsw. To reduce EMI due to lower voltage steps. Ability to reduce the voltag
e stress on each power device due to the utilization of multiple levels on the D
C bus. Important when a high DC side voltage is imposed by an application (e.g.
traction systems) Even at low switching frequencies, smaller distortion in the m
ultilevel inverter AC side waveform can be achieved (with stepped modulation tec
hnique) Reduced electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) when operated at high voltag
e. Smaller rating of semiconductor devices. Better feature in output voltage in
terms of less distortion. Lower harmonic contents and lower switching loses.
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The circuit topology provides full utilization of semiconductor devices like GTO
s where voltage stress of each switch is limited to certain lower value than dc
link whereby increased handling power capability of the inverter.

They are suitable for high voltage and high current application. They have highe
r efficiency because the devices can be switched at low frequency.
4.7 Demerits of Multilevel Inverter
The drawbacks are the isolated power supplies required for each one of the stage
s of the multiconverter and its also lot harder to build, more expensive, harder
to control in software.
Switching utilization and efficiency are poor for real t
ransmission. The large number of capacitors are both more expensive and bulky th
an clamping diodes in multilevel diode clamped converters. Packaging is also mor
e difficult in inverters with high number of levels.
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HARMONICS ANALYSIS OF MULTILEVEL INVERTER
Harmonics are currents or voltages with frequencies that are integer multiples o
f the fundamental power frequency being 50 or 60Hz (50Hz for European power and
60Hz for American power). For example, if the fundamental power frequency is 50
Hz, then the 2nd harmonic is 100 Hz, the 3rd is 150 Hz, etc. In modern test equi
pment today harmonics can be measured up to the 63rd harmonics. To give an under
standing of this, consider a water piping system. Have you ever taken a shower w
hen someone turns on the cold water at the sink? You experience the effect of a
pressure drop to the cold water, reducing the flow of cold water. The end result
is you get burned! Now imagine that someone at a sink alternately turns on and
off the cold and hot water. You would effectively be hit with alternating cold a
nd hot water! Therefore, the performance and function of the shower is reduced b
y other systems. This illustration is similar to an electrical distribution syst
em with nonlinear loads generating harmonics. There are several industrial appl
ications which may allow a harmonic content of 5% of its fundamental component o
f input voltage when inverters are used. Actually, the inverter output voltage m
ay have harmonic content much higher than 5% of its fundamental component. In or
der to bring this harmonic content to a reasonable limit of 5%, one method is to
insert filters between the load and inverter. If the inverter output voltage co
ntains high frequency harmonics, these can be reduced by a lowsize filter. For
the attenuation of lowfrequency harmonics, however, the size of filter component
s increases. This makes the filter circuit costly, bulky and weighty and in addi
tion, the transient response of the system becomes sluggish. This shows that low
er order harmonics from the inverter output voltage should be reduced by some me
ans other the filter.
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5.1 Harmonic Optimization Techniques in Multilevel VSI
One of the major problems in electric power quality is the harmonic contents. Th
ere are several methods of indicating the quantity of harmonic contents. The mos
t widely used measure is the total harmonic distortion (THD). Various switching
techniques have been used in static converters to reduce the output harmonic con
tent.
We compare the two harmonic optimization techniques, known as optimal minimizati
on of the total harmonic distortion (OMTHD) technique and optimized harmonic ste
ppedwaveform (OHSW) technique used in multilevel inverters with unequal dc sour
ces. Both techniques are very effective and efficient for improving the quality
of the inverter output voltage. First, we describe briefly the cascaded Hbridge
multilevel inverter structure. Multilevel inverter is recently used in many i
ndustrial applications such as ac power supplies, static VAR compensators, drive
systems, etc. One of the significant advantages of multilevel structure is the
harmonic reduction in the output waveform without increasing switching frequenc
y or decreasing the inverter output power. The output voltage waveform of a mult
ilevel inverter is composed of a number of levels of voltages, typically obtain
ed from capacitor voltage sources. The socalled multilevel starts from three l
evels. As the number of levels increases, the output THD approaches zero. The nu
mber of achievable voltage levels, however, is limited by voltage unbalance prob
lems, voltage clamping requirement, circuit layout, and packaging constraints. T
herefore, an important key in designing an effective and efficient multilevel i
nverter is to ensure that the total harmonic distortion (THD) in the output volt
age waveform is small enough. The wellknown multilevel inverter topologies are
: cascaded Hbridge multilevel inverter, diodeclamped multilevel inverter and
flying capacitor multilevel inverter. The multilevel inverter composed of cas
caded Hbridges with separate dc sources (SDCSs), hereafter called a cascaded mu
ltilevel inverter, appears to be superior to the other multilevel topologies i
n terms of its structure that is not only simple and modular but also requires t
he least number of components. This modular structure makes it easily extensible
to higher number of output voltage levels without undue increase in power circu
it complexity. In addition, extra clamping diodes or voltage balancing capacitor
s are not necessary. It is generally accepted that the performance of an inverte
r, with any switching strategy, can be related to the harmonic contents of its o
utput voltage. Power electronics researchers have always studied many novel cont
rol techniques to reduce harmonics in such waveforms.Up to
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now, in multilevel technology, several wellknown modulation techniques have be
en used as follows: Harmonic Optimization, Space Vector PWM (SVPWM), and Carrie
rBased PWM techniques. The harmonic optimization techniques can be categorized
into two methods: Optimal Minimization of the Total Harmonic Distortion (OMTHD)
and Optimized Harmonic SteppedWaveform (OHSW). OMTHD technique is based on mini
mization of THD by reducing all harmonics with no emphasis on any particular com
ponent, where as, OHSW is based on elimination of some specific harmonic compone
nts. In this paper, OMTHD and OHSW techniques are applied to a cascaded multile
vel inverter with nonequal dc sources. Usually, it is assumed that the dc sourc
es are all equal, which will not probably be the case in practice even if the dc
sources are nominally equal. Here the dc sources are taken with different volta
ges for generality of the study. The study is performed for both cases focusing
on harmonic content of the output voltage and the results obtained by the two te
chniques are compared. The paper is organized as follows: First the cascaded Hb
ridge multilevel inverters structure and operation are briefly described. Then, t
he switching algorithms for the multilevel inverter, based on OHSW and OMTHD tec
hniques are explained. Finally, the results obtained for the two techniques are
analyzed and compared. Also, several informative results verify the effectivenes
s of both techniques in multilevel inverter with nonequal dc sources, clarifyi
ng the advantages of each technique.
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5.2 Harmonics evaluation of single & multilevel inverter
Harmonics
Harmonic factor of single inverter when ma1=0.8,ma2=0.8
77.96 0.07378 0.04118 0.02814 0.00674 0.002845 0.005282 0.006377 0.02244 1.184 1
3.54 30.82 30.86 13.53 1.172 0.01346 0.02282 0.01417 0.01494 0.01513 1.647 8.169
11.32 10.21 10.21 11.33 8.15929 1.65 0.1443 0.01911 0.2963 1.878 5.913 5.847 5.
406 2.941 2.946 5.378 5.86
Harmonic factor of multilevel inverter when ma1=o.8 , ma2=0.8
155.9 0.1541 0.101 0.08091 0.04434 0.03161 0.03159 0.01526 0.01049 0.01774 0.017
39 0.009702 0.01475 0.02815 0.01386 0.01426 0.02411 0.03323 0.05213 0.2844 3.272
16.32 22.61 20.35 20.37 22.62 16.31 3.274 0.2709 0.03362 0.02776 0.03805 0.0234
4 0.01814 0.003869 0.005309 0.01203 0.01587 0.01547
Harmonic factor of multilevel inverter when ma1=0.8,ma2=0.6
136.4 0.1628 0.9879 0.06048 0.03065 0.0354 0.02703 0.0145 0.05138 0.9184 6.727 5
.346 5.32 6.729 0.9207 0.04191 0.02008 0.04444 0.03986 0.149 1.931 6.729 0.9207
0.04191 0.02008 24.2 11.39 1.929 0.1099 0.3192 0.3285 1.616 3.929 1.071 9.975 9.
72 9.741 9.979 1.063
Harmonic factor of multilevel inverter when ma1=0.8,ma2=0.4
116.8 0.1617 0.09414 0.05945 0.05511 0.03261 0.02161 0.03141 0.0684 1.195 11.3 0
.9306 0.9174 11.3 1.202 0.06479 0.03249 0.0267 0.02206 0.1193 1.617 8.707 18.02
5.261 5.2791 18.03 8.707 1.616 0.1014 0.05269 0.3523 1.893 5.758 3.698 13.93 2.1
75 2.165 13.9 3.738
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 5
7 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77
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Harmonic factor of single phase inverter when ma1=0.8 & ma2=0.8
Harmonic factor (% of fundamental)
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1 3 5 7 9 11131517192123252729313335373941434547495
15355575961636567697173757779 Harmonic number
Fig 5.1 Harmonic evaluation on single phase inverter
Harmonic factor of multilevel inverter
harmonics factor(% of fundamental)
180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1 3 5 7 9 111315171921232527293133353739414345
4749515355575961636567697173757779 harmonic number
Fig 5.2 Harmonic evaluation of multilevel inverter when ma1 =0.8 & ma2=0.8
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Harmonic factor of multilevel inverter
harmonic factor(%of fundamental)
160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1 3 5 7 9 1113 151719 2123 252729 3133 353739 4143
454749 5153 5557 596163 6567 697173 7577 79 harmonic number
Fig 5.3 Harmonic evaluation of multilevel inverter when ma1=0.8 & ma2=0.6
harmonic factor of multilemvel inverter
harmonic factor(%of fundamental)
140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1 3 5 7 9 11131517192123252729313335373941434547495153
55575961636567697173757779 harmonic number
Fig 5.4 Harmonic evaluation of multilevel inverter when ma1=0.8 & ma2=0.4
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5.3 Applications in Harmonic Elimination
The present chapter helps us to understand the effects of nonlinear loads on th
e power system and the implementation of suitable devices to cancel out the harm
onics. The use of inverters in active power filters has been emphasized and the
simulated circuits and results have been described in particular.
5.3.1 Non Linear Loads
A nonlinear load on a power system is typically a rectifier or some kind of arc
discharge device such as a fluorescent lamp, electric welding machine, or arc f
urnace in which current is not linearly related to the voltage. Because current
in these systems is interrupted by a switching action, the current contains freq
uency components that are multiples of the power system frequency. This leads to
distortion of the current waveform which in turn distorts the voltage waveform.
Distortion power factor is a measure of how much the harmonic distortion of a l
oad current decreases the average power transferred to the load.
5.3.2 Active Power Filters
The increasing use of power electronics based loads (adjustable speed drives, sw
itch mode power supplies, etc.) to improve system efficiency and controllability
is increasing the concern for harmonic distortion levels in end use facilities
and on the overall power system. The application of passive tuned filters create
s new system resonances which are dependent on specific system conditions.
In general, passive tuned filters have been used to minimize lowfrequency curre
nt harmonics while highpass units have been connected to attenuate the amplitud
e of high frequency current components. However, highpass filters present disad
vantages due to the resistance connected in parallel to the inductor, which incr
eases the filter losses and reduces the filtering effectiveness at the tuned fre
quency. The most critical aspects of passive filters are related to the fact tha
t they cannot modify their compensation characteristics following the dynamic ch
anges of the nonlinear load, the performance dependence they present with the po
wer system parameters, and the probability of series resonances with the power s
ystems equivalent reactance. Passive filter ratings must be coordinated with reac
tive power
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requirements of the loads and it is often difficult to design the filters to avo
id leading power factor operation for some load conditions. Also, the passive fi
lter generates at fundamental frequency reactive power that changes the system v
oltage regulation, and if the filter is not designed properly or disconnected du
ring low load operating conditions, overvoltages can be generated at its termin
als. A flexible and versatile solution to voltage/current quality problems is of
fered by active power filters. Active filters have the advantage of being able t
o compensate for harmonics without fundamental frequency reactive power concerns
. This means that the rating of the active power can be less than a conquerable
passive filter for the same nonlinear load and the active filter will not introd
uce system resonances that can move a harmonic problem from one frequency to ano
ther
Fig. Generalized block diagram for active power filters
Fig 5.5 Generalized block diagram for active power filter
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Figure shows the components of a typical activepowerfilter system and their in
terconnections. The information regarding the harmonic current, generated by a n
onlinear load, for example, is supplied to the referencecurrent/voltage estimat
or together with information about other system variables. The reference signal
from the current estimator, as well as other signals, drives the overall system
controller. This in turn provides the control for the PWM switchingpattern gene
rator. The output of the PWM pattern generator controls the power circuit via a
suitable interface. The power circuit in the generalized block diagram can be co
nnected in parallel, series or parallel/series configurations, depending on the
connection transformer used.
5.3.3 Shunt Active Power Filters
The purpose of the shunt active power filters is to cancel load harmonics fed to
the supply. It can also contribute to reactivepower compensation and balancing
of three phase currents. Shunt active power filters compensate current harmonic
s by injecting equalbutopposite harmonic compensating current. In this configu
ration active power filter operates as a current source injecting the harmonic c
omponents generated by the load but phase shifted by 180o. This principle is app
licable to any type of load considered a harmonic source. Moreover, with an appr
opriate control scheme, the active power filter can also compensate the load pow
er factor. In this way, the power distribution system sees the non linear load a
nd the active power filter as an ideal resistor. Parallel filters have the advan
tage of carrying only the compensation current plus a small amount of active fun
damental current supplied to compensate for system losses. It is possible to con
nect several filters in parallel to cater for higher currents, which makes this
type of circuit suitable for a wide range of power ratings.
5.3.4 Modelling of Three Wire Shunt Active Power Filter
The concept of using active power filters to mitigate harmonic problems and to c
ompensate reactive power was proposed more than two decades ago. Since then the
theories and applications of active power filters have become more popular and h
ave attracted great attention. Without the drawbacks of passive harmonic filters
, the active power filter appears to be a viable solution for reactive power com
pensation as well as for eliminating harmonic currents.
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Active power filters are researched and developed as a viable alternative over t
he passive filters and static var compensators to solve the problems of harmonic
s injection and reactive power requirement of nonlinear loads .Among the variou
s topologies developed the shunt active power filter based on the current contro
lled voltage source type PWM converter has proved to be effective even when the
load is highly nonlinear. The control strategies of the active filters are impl
emented mainly in three steps Signal conditioning, estimation of compensating si
gnals and generation of firing signals for switching devices. Estimation of comp
ensating signal is the most important part of the active filter control. It has
a great impact on the compensating objectives, rating of active filters and its
transient as well as steady state performance. The control strategies use either
frequency domain or time domain approaches to extract compensating signals from
the corresponding distorted currents/voltages.
5.3.5 Role of Inverters in Active Filters
The voltage source inverter used in the active power filter makes the harmonic c
ontrol possible. This inverter uses a dc capacitor as the supply and can switch
at a high frequency to generate a signal which will cancel the harmonics from th
e nonlinear load.
The current waveform for cancelling harmonics is achieved with the voltage sourc
e inverter(IGBT based) and an interface reactor.The interface reactor converts t
he voltage signal created by the inverter to a current signal.The desired wavefo
rm is obtained by accurately controlling the switches in the inverter. Control o
f the current wave shape is limited by the switching frequency of the inverter a
nd by the available driving voltage across the interface reactor. The driving vo
ltage across the interface reactor determines the maximum di/dt that can be achi
eved by the power filter. This is important because relatively high values of di
/dt may be needed to cancel higher order harmonic components.
The voltage source inverter is the heart of the active power filter. In the syst
em model of the project it has been modelled as a three phase ,full wave inverte
r (IGBT based). Each of the three identical inverter legs consisted of two IGBT
and two antiparallel diodes. The igbt used here is modelled in the simulink as
a resistor (Ron) and inductor(Lon) in series with a switch(transistor) controlle
d by a logical signal. It switches between on and off state instantaneously when
triggered.
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CONCLUSION
In case of Sinusoidal Pulse Modulation the triangular carrier wave is compare wi
th sine wave which results in switching losses, so square wave inverter is used
which reduce the switching losses. Multilevel inverters are finding increased ap
plication in industrial environment with greater demand for high voltage high po
wer processing techniques with improved efficiency. The essential advantage of m
ultilevel inverters is the improvement in the output voltage signal quality usin
g devices of low voltage rating with lesser switching frequency, thereby increas
ing the overall efficiency of the system. Multilevel inverters can be applied to
utility interface systems and motor drives. These converters offer a low output
voltage THD, and a high efficiency. A multilevel inverter can reduce the harmon
ics produced by the inverter and better THD is obtained when the inverter operat
ed at higher modulation index. The harmonic distortions present in the load curr
ent and voltage waveforms were observed through analysis tool in Matlab/simulink
. The modulation index ma controls the harmonic content of the output voltage wa
veform. The magnitude of fundamental component of output voltage is proportional
to ma, but ma can never be more than unity. Thus the output voltage is controll
ed by varying ma and maximum power can also be achieved.
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r (31000 Oran), ALGERIA. [8] L Li, D Crazkowski, P Pillay, Y. Liu Multilevel Sele
ctive Harmonic Elimination PWM Technique in Series Connected Voltage Inverters, N
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