• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제11권6호
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• pp.811-818
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• 2011

Modulation strategies for multilevel inverters have typically focused on synthesizing a desired set of sinusoidal voltage waveforms using a fixed number of dc voltage sources. This makes the average power drawn from different dc voltage sources unequal and time varying. Therefore, the dc voltage sources are unregulated and require that corrective control action be incorporated. In this paper, first two new selections are proposed for determining the dc voltage sources values for asymmetric cascaded multilevel inverters. Then two modulation strategies are proposed for the dc power balancing of these types of multilevel inverters. Using the charge balance control methods, the power drawn from all of the dc sources are balanced except for the dc source used in the first H-bridge. The proposed control methods are validated by simulation and experimental results on a single-phase 21-level inverter.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2011년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.1039-1040
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• 2011

• Journal of international Conference on Electrical Machines and Systems
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• 제1권4호
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• pp.457-463
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• 2012

Cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverters shows a useful circuit configuration to increase the number of output voltage levels to obtain high quality output voltage. By applying the concept of the power of three to dc voltage sources, it can increase the number of output voltage levels effectively. To realize this concept, two approaches may be considered. One is to use independent dc voltage sources pre-scaled in the power of three, and the other is to use instantaneous dc voltage sources generated from a cascaded transformer, which has the secondary turn-ratios scaled in the power of three in sequence. A common feature in both approaches is to use the concept of the power of three for dc voltage sources, and a point of difference is whether it adopts a low frequency transformer or not, and where the transformer is located. According to the difference, application areas are limited and show different characteristics on THD of output voltages. We compare and analyze both approaches for their circuit configurations, voltage level generating method, THD characteristics of output voltage, efficiency, application areas, limitations, and other characteristics by experiments using 500 [W] prototypes when they generate a 27-level output voltage.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.192-201
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• 2011

The optimal evaluation algorithms for voltage regulation in the case where new dispersed sources are operated in distribution systems are studied. Handling the interconnection issues for proper voltage managements are often difficult and complicated because professional skills and enormous amounts of data during evaluations are needed. Typical evaluation algorithms mainly depend on human ability and quality of data acquired, which inevitably cause the different results for the same issue. Thus, unfair and subjective evaluations are unavoidable. In order to overcome these problems, we propose reasonable and general algorithms based on the standard model system and proper criterion, which offers fair and objective evaluation in any case. The proposed algorithms are divided into two main themes. One is an optimal algorithm for the voltage control of multiple voltage regulators in order to deliver suitable voltage to as many customers as possible, and the other is a proper evaluation algorithm for the voltage management at normal and emergency conditions. Results from a case study show that proposed methods can be a practical tool for the voltage management in distribution systems including dispersed sources.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.316-325
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• 2013

Multilevel inverters produce a staircase output voltage from DC voltage sources. Requiring great number of semiconductor switches is main disadvantage of multilevel inverters. The multilevel inverters can be divided in two groups: symmetric and asymmetric converters. The asymmetric multilevel inverters provide a large number of output steps without increasing the number of DC voltage sources and components. In this paper, a novel topology for multilevel converters is proposed using cascaded sub-multilevel Cells. This sub-multilevel converters can produce five levels of voltage. Four algorithms for determining the DC voltage sources magnitudes have been presented. Finally, in order to verify the theoretical issues, simulation is presented.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.1316-1323
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• 2016

Multilevel inverters (MLIs) have been preferred over conventional two-level inverters due to their inherent properties such as reduced harmonic distortion, lower electromagnetic interference, minimal common mode voltage, ability to synthesize medium/high voltage from low voltage sources, etc. On the other hand, they suffer from an increased number of switching devices, complex gate pulse generation, etc. This paper develops an ingenious symmetrical MLI topology, which consumes lesser component count. The proposed level dependent sources concoction multilevel inverter (LDSCMLI) is basically a multilevel dc link MLI (MLDCMLI), which first synthesizes a stepped dc link voltage using a sources concoction module and then realizes the ac waveform through a conventional H-bridge. Seven level and eleven level versions of the proposed topology are simulated in MATLAB r2010b and prototypes are constructed to validate the performance. The proposed topology requires lesser components compared to recent component reduced MLI topologies and the classical topologies. In addition, it requires fewer carrier signals and gate driver circuits.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제18권6호
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• pp.1844-1854
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• 2018

Isolated power systems (IPS) are often characterized by a weak grid due to small power grids. The grid side voltage is no longer equivalent to an ideal voltage source of an infinitely big power grid. The conversion control of new energy sources, parameter perturbations as well as the load itself can easily cause the system voltage to oscillate or to become unstable. To solve this problem, increasing the energy-storage power sources is usually used to improve the reliability of a system. In order to provide support for the voltage, the energy-storage power source inverter needs an method to control the voltage source. Therefore, this paper has proposed the active damping control of a voltage source inverter (VSI) based on virtual compensation. By simplifying the VSI double closed-loop control, two feedback compensation channels have been constructed to reduce the VSI output impedance without changing the characteristics of the voltage gain of a system. This improvement allows systems to operate stably in a larger range. A frequency-domain analysis, and simulation and experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• 제8권5호
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• pp.1078-1085
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• 2013

This paper presents a novel topology for cascaded transformer sub-multilevel converter. Eachsub-multilevel converter consists of two DC voltage sources with six switches to achieve five-level voltage. The proposed topology results in reduction of DC voltage sources and switches number. Single phase low frequency transformers are used in proposed topology and voltage transformation and galvanic isolation between load and sources are given by transformers. This topology can operate as symmetric or asymmetric converter but in this paper we have focused on symmetric state. The operation and performance of the suggested multilevel converter has been verified by the simulation results of a single-phase nine-level multilevel converter using MATLAB/SIMULINK.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.251-261
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• 2010

The general function of a multilevel converter is to synthesize a desired output voltage from several levels of dc voltages as inputs. In order to increase the steps in the output voltage, a new topology is recommended in [1], which benefits from a series connection of sub-multilevel converters. In the procedure described in this reference, despite all the advantages, it is not possible to produce all the steps (odd and even) in the output. In addition, for producing an output voltage with a constant number of steps, there are different configurations with a different number of components. In this paper, the optimal structures for this topology are investigated for various objectives such as minimum number of switches and dc voltage sources and minimum standing voltage on the switches for producing the maximum output voltage steps. Two new algorithms for determining the dc voltage sources magnitudes have been proposed. Finally, in order to verify the theoretical issues, simulation and experimental results for a 49-level converter with a maximum output voltage of 200V are presented.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.171-180
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• 2008

One of the major problems in electric power quality is the harmonic contents. There are several methods of indicating the quantity of harmonic contents. The most widely used measure is the total harmonic distortion (THD). Various switching techniques have been used in static converters to reduce the output harmonic content. This paper presents and compares the two harmonic optimization techniques, known as optimal minimization of the total harmonic distortion (OMTHD) technique and optimized harmonic stepped-waveform (OHSW) technique used in multi-level inverters with unequal dc sources. Both techniques are very effective and efficient for improving the quality of the inverter output voltage. First, we describe briefly the cascaded H-bridge multi-level inverter structure. Then, we present the switching algorithm for the inverter based on OHSW and OMTHD techniques. Finally, the results obtained for the two techniques are analyzed and compared. The results verify the effectiveness of the both techniques in multi-level voltage-source inverter with non-equal dc sources, clarifying the advantages of each technique.