DC-AC Converter

Inverter

Dr. Oday A. Ahmed

Inverters are AC converters used to convert the DC
input into a sinusoidal AC output with variable
frequency and amplitude.

variable frequency and amplitude

Dr. Oday A. Ahmed

 Applications of Inverter:

 adjustable-speed ac drives

 Induction heating,

 stand by air-craft power supplies,

 UPS (uninterruptible power supplies) for computers,

 HVDC transmission lines

Applications of Inverter:

Dr. Oday A. Ahmed

Inverters can be broadly classified into two types; voltage source inverters
and current source inverters.
█ A voltage-source inverter (VSI), is one in which the DC source has small or
negligible impedance. In other words, a voltage source inverter has stiff DC
voltage source at its input terminals.
█ A current-source inverter (CSI) is fed with adjustable current from a DC
source of high impedance, i.e. from a stiff DC current source. In a CSI fed with
stiff current source, output current waves are not affected by the load.
 

voltage-source inverter (VSI), Current-source inverter (CSI),

Dr. Oday A. Ahmed

Note:

The output voltage of an inverter is rectilinear

in nature, and therefore contains harmonics.
Harmonics reduce the efficiency and may
have adverse effects on the load. Harmonic
reduction can be achieved by filtering and/or
using harmonic elimination techniques

Dr. Oday A. Ahmed

 Square-Wave Inverter
Inverter Topologies
PWM Inverter

Centre-Tap
Single-Phase

Full-Bridge

180 Conduction Mode

Three-Phase

120 Conduction Mode

Dr. Oday A. Ahmed

 Half-bridge inverter

• Also known as the “inverter leg”.

• Basic building block for full bridge, three phase and higher order inverters.
• G is the “centre point”.
• Both capacitors have the same value. Thus the DC link is equally “spilt” into two.
• The top and bottom switch has to be “complementary”, i.e. If the top switch is
closed (on), the bottom must be off, and vice-versa.
 Shoot through fault and“Dead-time”
• In practical, a dead time as shown below is required to avoid
“shoot-through” faults, i.e. short circuit across the DC rail.
• Dead time creates “low frequency envelope”. Low frequency
harmonics emerged.
• This is the main source of distortion for high-quality sine wave
inverter.
 Single-
phase,
Full-bridge

• Full bridge (single phase) is built from two half-bridge leg.

• The switching in the second leg is “delayed by 180 degrees”
from the first leg.
11
 H-Bridge Inverter Basics – Creating AC from DC !
Single-phase H-bridge (voltage Switching rules
source) inverter topology: • Either A+ or A– is closed,
Vdc but never at the same time *
• Either B+ or B– is closed,
but never at the same time *
*same time closing would cause a
short circuit from Vdc to ground
A+ B+
(shoot-through)
*To avoid shoot-through when using
real switches (i.e. there are turn-on
Va Load Vb and turn-off delays) a dead-time or
blanking time is implemented
A– B–
Corresponding values of Va and Vb
• A+ closed, Va = Vdc
• A– closed, Va = 0
• B+ closed, Vb = Vdc
• B– closed, Vb = 0
Vload  V A  VB  V AB
12
 H BRIDGE INVERTER Corresponding values of Vab
•A+ closed and B– closed, Vab = Vdc
Vdc •A+ closed and B+ closed, Vab = 0
•B+ closed and A– closed, Vab = –Vdc
•B– closed and A– closed, Vab = 0

A+ B+

+ Vdc − • The free wheeling diodes permit current

to flow even if all switches are open
Va Load Vb • These diodes also permit lagging
currents to flow in inductive loads
A– B–

Vload  V A  VB  V AB
13
 H BRIDGE INVERTER Corresponding values of Vab
•A+ closed and B– closed, Vab = Vdc
Vdc •A+ closed and B+ closed, Vab = 0
•B+ closed and A– closed, Vab = –Vdc
•B– closed and A– closed, Vab = 0

A+ B+

+0− • The free wheeling diodes permit current

to flow even if all switches are open
Va Load Vb • These diodes also permit lagging
currents to flow in inductive loads
A– B–

Vload  V A  VB  V AB
14
 H BRIDGE INVERTER Corresponding values of Vab
•A+ closed and B– closed, Vab = Vdc
Vdc •A+ closed and B+ closed, Vab = 0
•B+ closed and A– closed, Vab = –Vdc
•B– closed and A– closed, Vab = 0

A+ B+

− Vdc + • The free wheeling diodes permit current

to flow even if all switches are open
Va Load Vb • These diodes also permit lagging
currents to flow in inductive loads
A– B–

Vload  V A  VB  V AB
15
 H BRIDGE INVERTER Corresponding values of Vab
•A+ closed and B– closed, Vab = Vdc
Vdc •A+ closed and B+ closed, Vab = 0
•B+ closed and A– closed, Vab = –Vdc
•B– closed and A– closed, Vab = 0

A+ B+

+0− • The free wheeling diodes permit current

to flow even if all switches are open
Va Load Vb • These diodes also permit lagging
currents to flow in inductive loads
A– B–

Vload  V A  VB  V AB
16
 H-Bridge Inverter
• Square wave modulation:

17
 Simple Square-wave Inverter
•Converters’ switches States

18
With RL load

With an inductive load “i” is

delayed behind the voltage “vℓ”
although the voltage wave is still
a square.

At steady circuit conditions, the

current wave-shape becomes
repetitive. The current will grow
up exponentially during the
positive half cycle from (-In) up to
(Ip) through:

19
Simple Square-
wave Inverter

grows exponentially

instantaneous output current can

be found

For D3D4, D1D2 periods the

inductor energy returning to the
source until the current attains
20
zero, then
Simple Square-
wave Inverter

grows exponentially

instantaneous output current can

be found

21
the output voltage will be alternating voltage has a
square wave shape, for ether R or RL load

Load RMS voltage is:

22
 H-Bridge Inverter

• Harmonics with square wave modulation

23
Harmonic Effect on Induction machines

• 1, 7,13 are produce +ve sequence (a b c)

• 5,11,17 produce –ve sequence (acb)
• Triple harmonics: 3, 9, 15 produce zero sequence

24
 Output Voltage Harmonics / Distortion

• Harmonics cause distortion on the output voltage.

• Lower order harmonics (3rd, 5th etc.) are very
difficult to filter, due to the filter size and high filter
order. They can cause serious voltage distortion.
• Why need to consider harmonics?
–– “Power Quality” issue.
– Harmonics may cause degradation of equipment. Equipment need to
be “de-rated”.
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is a measure to determine the “quality” of a
given waveform.

Harmonic reduction can be achieved by filtering and/or

using harmonic elimination techniques 25
 Fourier Series
• Study of harmonics requires understanding of wave shapes.
Fourier Series is a tool to analyze wave shapes.

26
 Harmonics of
Square-wave (1)

27
 Harmonics of
Square-wave (2)

28
Spectra of Square Wave
• Spectra (harmonics)
characteristics:

– Harmonic decreases with a

factor of (1/n).
– Even harmonics are absent
– Nearest harmonics is the
3rd. If fundamental is 50 Hz,
then nearest harmonic is 150
Hz.
– Due to the small separation
between the fundamental an
harmonics, output low-pass
filter design can be very
difficult.
29
30
AC Waveform
Generation

5th

31
Harmonics Filtering
• Output of the inverter is “chopped AC voltage with zero DC
component”. It contain harmonics.
• An LC section low-pass filter is normally fitted at the inverter output to
reduce the high frequency harmonics.
• In some applications such as UPS, “high purity” sine wave output is
required. Good filtering is a must.
• In some applications such as AC motor drive, filtering is not required.
32
Quasi-Square Wave Output

D3D4 D1D2

33
Quasi-Square
Wave (QSW)

34
Harmonics control

Fu
Pu nc
rp tion
os ?
e? ?
??

35
Quasi-Square
Wave (QSW)

36
Total Harmonics Distortion (THD)

V∞,

37
Total Harmonics Distortion (THD)

38
 Voltage source inverter (VSI) with variable DC
link
• DC link voltage is varied by a DC-to DC converter or controlled rectifier.
• Generate “square wave” output voltage.
• Output voltage amplitude is varied as DC link is varied.

• Frequency of output voltage is

varied by changing the
frequency of the square
wave pulses.
Voltage source inverter (VSI) with variable DC
link
• Advantages:
– simple waveform generation
– Reliable

• Disadvantages:
– Extra conversion stage
– Poor harmonics
 Variable Voltage Variable
Frequency Capability

• Output voltage frequency can be varied by “period” of the square-

wave pulse.
• Output voltage amplitude can be varied by varying the “magnitude”
of the DC input voltage.
• Very useful: e.g. variable speed induction motor drive
41
 VSI with fixed DC link
• DC voltage is held
constant.

• Output voltage amplitude

and frequency are varied
simultaneously using
PWM technique.

• Good harmonic control,

but at the expense of
complex waveform
generation
Example :

43
44
PWM techniques

Dr. Oday A. Ahmed

Dr. Oday A. Ahmed