Three-Phase Asymmetric Multilevel Inverter Topologies with Better Charge Balancing

Abstract:

Cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter is among the most preferred topology in solar systems. While traditional asymmetric cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter is easy to achieve higher number of output voltage levels compared to traditional symmetric cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter, charge balancing between the voltage sources remains a challenge for asymmetric cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter. This drawback results in unsteady DC voltage levels due to unbalanced power drawn from each voltage sources. Besides that, in battery powered applications, unbalanced power drawn results in unequal discharged in the batteries. In this paper, two three-phase asymmetric cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter topologies are proposed which offer easier in terms of modularity while maintaining the ease in charge balancing control. The performance of these two proposed topologies with charge balance control has been evaluated using PSIM software.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 785)
• Pages: 182-187
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.785.182
• Online since: August 2015
• Authors: Yee Chyan Tan, M. Aizuddin Yusof, Syed Idris Syed Hassan, Siok Lan Ong, Jenn Hwai Leong
• Keywords: Multilevel Inverter, Photovoltaic, Solar Renewable Energy, Three-Phase

References

[1] U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2013, July). International Energy Outlook 2013 [Online]. Available: http: /www. eia. gov/forecasts/ieo/pdf/0484(2013). pdf.

[2] Dale Vince. (2013). The End of Fossil Fuels [Online]. Available: https: /www. ecotricity. co. uk/our-green-energy/energy-independence/the-end-of-fossil-fuels.

[3] R. Bianchini, Leveraging renewable energy in data centers: present and future, in Proc. High-Performance Parallel and Distributed Computer Int. ACM Symp., Delft, The Netherlands, Jun. 18–22, 2012, p.135–136.

DOI: 10.1145/2287076.2287101

[4] E. Troncoso, N. Lapena-Rey and O. Valero, Off-grid test results of a solar-powered hydrogen refuelling station for fuel cell powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, vol. 39, Issue 21, pp.11267-11278, Jul. (2014).

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.04.192

[5] M. G. Jahromi, G. Mirzaeva, S. D. Mitchell, and D. Gay, DC power vs AC power for mobile mining equipment, Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting, 2014 IEEE, Vancouver, BC, pp.1-8, Oct. (2014).

DOI: 10.1109/ias.2014.6978455

[6] A. Nordvall, Multilevel inverter topology survey, Master of Science Thesis in Power Electric Engineering, (2011).

[7] M. Sandhu and T. Thakur, Multilevel inverters: literature survey – topologies, control techniques & applications of renewable energy sources – grid integration, Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications, vol. 4, issue 3, p.644–652, Mar. (2014).

[8] J. Rodriguez, et al., Multilevel converters: an enabling technology for high power applications, Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 97, no. 11, p.1786–1817, Nov. (2009).

[9] L. M. Tolbert, F. Z. Peng, and T. G. Habetler, Multilevel Converters for Large Electric Drives, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 35, no. 1, p. pp.36-44, January/February (1999).

DOI: 10.1109/28.740843

[10] Q. Song, W. Liu and Z. Yuan, Multilevel optimal modulation and dynamic control strategies for STATCOMs using cascaded multilevel inverters, IEEE Trans. Power del., vol. 22, no. 3, pp.1937-1946, July (2007).

DOI: 10.1109/tpwrd.2007.899771

[11] K. C. Venkatachalam, J. Jerome and J. Karpagam, An experimental investigation on a multilevel inverter for solar energy applications, Electrical Power and Energy Systems, vol. 47, p. p.157–167, (2013).

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijepes.2012.10.025

[12] G. S. Shehu, T. Yalcinoz and A. B. Kunya, Modelling and Simulation of Cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel Single Source Inverter Using PSIM,, International Journal of Electrical, Robotics, Electronics and Communications Engineering, vol. 8, no. 5, p. pp.755-760, (2014).

[13] M. R. Banaei and E. Salary, Asymmetric Cascaded Multi-level Inverter: A Solution to Obtain High Number of Voltage Levels, Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology, vol. 8, no. 2, p. pp.316-325, (2013).

DOI: 10.5370/jeet.2013.8.2.316

[14] C. C. Chan, Zheng Ming Zhao, C. Qian, and S. Meng, Comparisons of PWM and One-Cycle Control for Power Amplifier With Multilevel Converter, Letters to the Editor, IEEE Trans. on Industrial Electronics, vol. 49, no. 6, p. pp.1342-1344, December (2002).

DOI: 10.1109/tie.2002.804988

[15] P. Jamuna and C. C. A. Rajan, New Asymmetrical Multilevel Inverter Based Dynamic Voltage Restorer, Journal of Electrical Engineering, vol. 13, Ed. 1, (2013).

[16] F. L. Luo, Investigation on best switching angles to obtain lowest THD for multilevel DC/AC inverters, in IEEE Conf. Industrial Electronics and Applications, Melbourne, Australia, 2013, p. pp.1814-1818.

DOI: 10.1109/iciea.2013.6566663

[17] R. Toulson and T. Wilmshurst, Analog Output, in Fast and Effective Embedded Systems Design, Applying the ARM mbed, 1st ed. UK: Newness, 2012, ch. 4, sec. 4. 3, p.65–67.

DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-08-097768-3.00004-0