Current Source Inverter Topology Research Articles

Modulation and control scheme for DC-link current minimization of an improved current source inverter

The traditional three-phase current source inverter (CSI) cannot maintain a constant DC-link current, the charging and discharging process under different operating modes will lead to the DC-link current being discontinuous or continuously increasing. To address this issue, the topology of CSI is improved, and a modulation scheme without additional losses is proposed in this paper to control the DC-link current. Then, based on the analysis of the DC-link ripple under all switching states, the calculation expression for the optimal reference of the DC-link current is derived, under the premise of meeting the current demand for the AC load, the minimum loss and harmonic distortion can be obtained by reducing the DC-link current. Finally, the math model of the AC-side is established, and the closed-loop control system including the voltage outer loop and the current inner loop is designed. The feasibility and correctness of the proposed modulation strategy and control method are validated by the simulation and experimental results, the minimum and stable DC-link current with the ripple below ± 1 A is obtained, and the high steady-state and dynamic control performances are achieved. The total harmonic distortion of the load current is less than 4 %, and the dynamic response time is 0.3 s.

Research on the Control and Modulation Scheme for a Novel Five-Switch Current Source Inverter

Different from the voltage source inverter (VSI), the current source inverter (CSI) can boost the voltage and eliminate the additional passive filter and dead time. However, the DC-side inductor current is not a real current source and is generated by a DC voltage supply and an inductor. Under different switching states, the DC-side inductor will be charged or discharged, which leads to the DC-side inductor current being discontinuous or increasing. To solve the control problem of the DC-side inductor current of the CSI, a novel single-phase CSI topology with five switching tubes for grid-connected applications is proposed. Firstly, the reference calculation method and the hysteresis loop control scheme for the DC-side inductor current are proposed, and the adjustable and constant DC-side inductor current are obtained. Since the PWM signals cannot be directly implemented to the switching tubes, the modulation strategy for the single-phase CSI is proposed in this paper. Then, an active damping method based on the feedback capacitor voltage is presented to suppress the resonance peak caused by the LC filter on the grid side. Finally, the math model of the AC-side structure is established, and the optimal proportional-resonant controller parameters’ design method is explored by the amplitude–frequency characteristic curves. The simulation and experiment are implemented for the proposed CSI topology. The results show that a high-quality power with a good control performance can be obtained with the proposed CSI topology.

Research on the Modulation and Control Strategy for a Novel Single-Phase Current Source Inverter

Compared to the voltage source inverter, the current source inverter (CSI) can boost voltage and improve filtering performance. However, the DC side of CSI is not a real current source, and the DC input current comprises a DC power supply and an inductor. In the switching process, the DC-link inductor is charged or discharged and is in an uncontrollable state. This paper proposes a novel CSI topology containing five switching tubes and a modulation strategy based on the hysteresis control strategy of the DC-link current. Due to the conduction and switching loss being positive to the DC-link current, the calculation method for the least reference value of the DC-link current is derived to meet power requirements. By constructing a virtual axis, we then present the control strategy of the output voltage in a two-phase rotating reference frame. Finally, we carry out the simulation and experiment are to validate the proposed topology, modulation, and control strategy.

MATLAB Simulation of Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation based Three and Seven Level Current-Source Inverters

Here, a multilevel current-source inverter (MCSI) topology is analyzed. Here, the issue of constructing a novelmodular single-rating inductor MCSI has been explored. The proposed topology isbuilt with identical modules where all inductors carry the sameamount of current, simplifying the construction and operationof industrial applications with higher efficiency. A new state machine approach with a proper implementation of the phase-shifted carrier-sinusoidal pulse width modulation (PSC-SPWM) allows both current balancein all modules and effective switching-frequency minimization. The performance of the MSCI proposed is simulated with MATLAB. As a result of this topology and PSC-SPWM utilization, current balance was achieved in both main and sharing inductors, even under load and operating point changes. The switching frequency was drastically reduced with a new state machine approach, taking the advantage of the three different zero-states of the topology. The topology adopted allows operation with high efficiency by reducing the current through the inductors and the losses in the switches.

Three-phase boost-stage coupled current source inverter concept and its space vector modulation

The current source inverter (CSI) is essentially a converter with inherent boost capability and has been preliminarily applied in the field of renewable energy generation systems. However, conventional CSIs are mostly operated independently. Several existing multilevel CSI topologies entirely rely on parallel combinations, which seems to be not very suitable for capacity expansion. To solve this issue, this paper proposes a concept of three-phase boost-stage coupled current source inverter (BSC-CSI) through the duality principle, which can output multi-level currents with a reduced number of switches as well as hardware costs. Compared with the state-of-the-art CSIs, the proposed BSC-CSI can notably simplify the implementation of the multi-level modulation scheme and meanwhile ensure the power devices switch under lower current stress. To further take full advantage of the modularity and scalability, the BSC-CSI can be constructed by hybrid using silicon-carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) based semiconductor switches for improving efficiency. The experimental results have verified the theoretical findings.

A brief review on hardware structure of AC electric spring

<span lang="EN-US">Decarbonizing power generation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions require renewable energy sources. Intermittent nature of renewable energy sources can cause blackouts, fluctuation in voltage, grid-connected inverter usage, inability to predict power generation, fluctuations in voltage and frequency. It is possible to balance between the supply and demand of power to overcome these problems by using an electric spring (ES). It is necessary to study its work, types, and controlling actions for realizing the benefits of the electric spring. This paper reviews the hardware structure of an ES based on voltage-source inverter (VSI) and current-source inverter (CSI) topologies, in single-phase and three-phase AC power distribution systems with renewable energy sources. The structure, control strategies, operating modes, advantages and disadvantages of each ES topology are elaborated to make it a suitable alternative for resolving different power quality issues caused due to the high penetration of renewable energy sources.</span>

Modulation and Control Strategy of 3CH4 Combined Current Source Grid-Connected Inverter

In this article, a topology based on the single-phase full-bridge is proposed to decouple control of phase current in current source grid-connected inverters. The DC side of this current source inverter topology can operate with a common DC bus or independently, and the AC side can be independently integrated into the three-phase grid or operate in parallel. This topology needs only a simple control logic and phase information to achieve 3-phase current decoupling control, which can accommodate a wide range of voltage fluctuations. Then, dual-carrier driving and hybrid damping correction strategies are designed to achieve flexible combinatorial operation and eliminate the common-mode voltage. Meanwhile, the method is simple and easy to implement in practice. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is validated with experiments.

Effect of Semiconductor Parasitic Capacitances on Ground Leakage Current in Three-Phase Current Source Inverters

This paper investigates the influence of power semiconductor parasitic components on the ground leakage current in the three-phase Current Source Inverter topology, in the literature called H7 or CSI7. This topology allows reducing converter conduction losses with respect to the classic CSI, but at the same time makes the topology more susceptible to the parasitic capacitances of the semiconductors devices. In the present work, a grid-connected converter for photovoltaic power systems is considered as a case study, to investigate the equivalent circuit for ground leakage current. The same analysis can be extended to applications regarding electric drives, since the HF model of electric machines is characterized by stray capacitance between windings and the stator slots/motor frame. Simulation results proved the correctness of the proposed simplified common-mode circuit and highlighted the need of an additional common-mode inductor filter in case of resonance frequencies of the common-mode circuit close to harmonics of the power converter switching frequency. Experimental results are in agreement with the theoretical analysis.

Voltage boosting capability of three phase current source inverter for standalone system

This paper presents a three-phase current source inverter (CSI) topology with voltage boosting capability for standalone system. Current source inverter (CSI) and voltage source inverter (VSI) are two competitive options to be used as an interfacing unit between variable dc input resource and ac output fed into on-grid, off-grid and industrial used. Among the two topologies, VSI is widely used due to its variable controllable output voltage and ability to operate steadily with open loop V/Hz control. Yet, it suffers circuit complexity due to the need of extra converter stage to meet the required output. On the other hand, CSI has an advantage of voltage boosting capability and better quality of output waveshape, thus no extra converter stage is needed. Most of research works were focusing on studying the suitability and practicality of CSI, along with the advancement using silicon carbide-based power switches and improved modulation techniques to minimize the harmonics suffer by CSI. There is lack of research in investigating the boosting capability particularly on how high CSI able to boost the fundamental output and its impact to overall performance in both open and closedloop standalone system. Thus, this work is intended to highlight in detail the boosting capability of CSI and compare with VSI based on the several circuity and operational features. To support the work, three modulators are implemented namely sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM), third harmonic injection PWM (THIPWM) and space vector modulation (SVM). A dedicated synchronous frame proportional-integral (PI) control in used in closed-loop condition. Result shows that CSI topology able to boost the fundamental output voltage by 52% to 58% by using smaller modulation index as compared to VSI. Interestingly, CSI able to achieve comparable quality and harmonic minimization of output voltage and current as in VSI but with smaller PI control gain. All works are analyzed and verified using MATLAB/Simulink platform.

Single-Phase Current Source Inverter with Reduced Ground Leakage Current for Photovoltaic Applications

Integrated power electronics for photovoltaic applications has attracted increasing interest, due to the possibility of having grid-connected photovoltaic modules with independent maximum power point tracking and high reliability. In this paper, a single-phase Current Source Inverter (CSI) is discussed for a photovoltaic application. The basic CSI topology will be explained for the sake of completeness, highlighting its main features and analyzing the ground leakage current problem, an important benchmark for photovoltaic application. A novel topology, called CSI5, is proposed in this work. The main feature is the presence of additional switches for ground leakage current reduction. The performance of the proposed topology is assessed by numerical simulation, and the experimental results confirm that this solution is able to strongly reduce the ground leakage current and conduction power losses.

DC Current Control for a Single-Stage Current Source Inverter in Motor Drive Application

The current source inverter (CSI) is a power electronics topology that allows for the realization of variable speed drives (VSD). Compared to the most common voltage source inverter (VSI), which can be directly connected to a voltage source, the CSI needs a prestage to generate a constant current bus. This article therefore seeks to challenge this “accepted” consideration that a CSI always needs this precircuit and seeks to remove this circuit by proposing an innovative i <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">dc</sub> current control scheme. The proposed scheme is applied to a single stage motor drive driven by a CSI converter. It is shown how implementing this control scheme removes the need for the front-end stage, thus removing an unnecessary converter and optimizing the efficiency at the same time. The CSI state-space equations are presented and the developed models are verified using simulations. Stability analysis of small-signal model is considered through Nyquist criterion with the robustness in presence of variations of the most important system parameters. Experimental results driving a permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) are shown confirming the validity of the proposed control, potentially paving the way to a larger adoption of the CSI topologies for motor drive applications.

Current-source 1-Ph inverter design for aircraft applications

PurposeThis paper aims to present an inverter with a current-source input for 400 Hz avionic systems to have a system which removes DC-link capacitors and presents a high efficiency.Design/methodology/approachA battery-powered DC link inductor generates a constant-current source. A single high-frequency switch is used to provide a sinusoidally modulated current before the inverter. The output of the switch is “unfolded” by a thyristor-based H-bridge inverter to generate an AC output current. The system uses a CL low-pass filter to obtain a 400 Hz pure sine wave by removing pulse width modulation components.FindingsSimulations and Typhoon HIL real-time experiments were performed with closed-loop control to validate the proposed inverter concept while meeting the critical standards of MIL-STD-704F.Originality/valueThis current source inverter topology is suitable for avionic systems that require 400 Hz output frequency. The topology uses small DC-link inductor and eliminates bulky capacitor which determines the inverter lifetime.

Nonlinear Control of a Doubly Fed Generator Supplied by a Current Source Inverter

Nowadays, wind turbines based on a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) are a commonly used solution in the wind industry. The standard converter topology used in these systems is the voltage source inverter (VSI). The use of reverse-blocking insulated gate bipolar transistor (RB-IGBT) in the current source inverter topology (CSI), which is an alternative topology, opens new possibilities of control methods. This paper presents a novel power control system for a DFIG supplied by a CSI. The authors propose to use multi-scalar DFIG state variables. A nonlinear control method realized by feedback linearization was used to control the active and reactive powers of the generator. In the feedback linearization controls, the nonlinear DFIG model was taken into account. In the control system structure, classical proportional–integral controllers were used. The control variables were the output current vector components of the CSI. Such approach was named the “current control”. The proposed control method is characterized by good dynamic properties which, combined with the inverter properties in the rotor circuit, allow to increase the quality of the energy transferred to the grid by the generator. In the simulation tests, the correctness of the decoupling of the active and reactive power control loops, the dynamics of controlled power changes, and the change of the machine operating range resulting from the increase of the rotational speed of the generator shaft were controlled. The simulation studies also evaluated the impact of changes in the value of the passive elements of the system on the operation of the generator system. Characteristic operating states of the generator system were analyzed using computer simulations.

CSI and CSI7 current source inverters for modular transformerless PV inverters

Current source inverter (CSI) is a class of power electronic converters that, thanks to the inherent boost capability and ease of control, is investigated for grid-tied photovoltaic power conversion applications. Traditional CSI and CSI7 topologies are here analyzed and compared with two kind of space vector modulation strategies mainly in terms of ground leakage current both in simulations and experiments. Furthermore, THD of the injected grid current and the computation of conduction and switching semiconductor power losses are also carried out in numerical simulations. The topology comparison is carried out with the use of a different number of PV modules, to analyze the robustness of the topologies to different size of the PV strings. Simulation and experimental results show that the CSI7 topology, with respect to conventional CSI, allows to strongly reduce ground leakage current, phase current THD and semicondutor power losses, at the price of an additional power device.

An Eight-Switch Five-Level Current Source Inverter

This paper proposes an eight-switch, three-phase, five-level current source inverter (CSI), which employs only one traditional H6 inverter and two shunt branches at the dc side to realize the five-level switching. The corresponding space-vector-modulation (SVM) strategy for the proposed CSI topology is also presented, which uses the two shunt-connected power switches to add certain special modulation-state segments to ensure the switching instants completed under lower current stresses and lower power dissipation. Compared with the state-of-the-art CSI solutions, the proposed topology has a comparable hardware cost as the three-level H6 CSI, while outputs five-level currents. The low-output total harmonic distortion (THD) may help to reduce the sizes of the passive components in the system, and the modulation scheme reduces the switching and conduction losses of the semiconductor switching devices in the H6 CSI module, which can make it possible to increase the output current rating of the system in a certain degree. Simulation and experimental results verified the performance of the proposed CSI.

Internal Current Return Path for Ground Leakage Current Mitigation in Current Source Inverters

This paper analyzes in detail the effect of a simple solution for ground leakage current mitigation applicable to transformerless three-phase current source inverter (CSI). The circuit modification solution is assessed for both traditional CSI topology and for CSI with an additional seventh switch, in literature named CSI7 (or H7), in particular with the splitting of the dc input inductance. In the present work, the solution is applied to grid-connected converters for string photovoltaic applications: scope of the circuit modification is to provide an internal return path from the wye connected capacitors of the output CL filter. This additional return path is able to significantly reduce the ground leakage current without adversely affecting THD. The performance of the proposed solution is assessed by the numerical simulations in case of a string of photovoltaic (PV) modules and the different behavior of CSI and CSI7 topologies is thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, the definition of V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">cm</sub> ZC is assessed by applying it to the common mode equivalent circuits for CSI7 with additional return path and their validation by means of a two-step simulation. The simulation results and experimental validation shows good agreement and confirm that the proposed solution is able to strongly reduce the ground leakage current.

Topology and Control of a Split-Capacitor Four-Wire Current Source Inverter With Leakage Current Suppression Capability

This paper proposes a split-capacitor four-wire current source inverter, which is the dual of the split-capacitor four-wire voltage source inverter. Since the midpoint of the dc link is tied to the neutral point of ac filter capacitors, the common-mode voltage (CMV) is reduced significantly. Consequently, the leakage current issue is effectively addressed. The proposed circuit is cost-effective as no extra switch is added. This paper, first, establishes the equivalent common-mode circuit of the proposed inverter. The impact of the neutral line inductance on CMV is also analyzed. Then, a specific modulation is introduced to balance the dc-link voltages/currents. To achieve good input/output performance, a nonlinear control method is developed based on time-domain models. Finally, all the proposed methods and related theoretical analysis are verified by simulations and experimental results.

A Simple Method for Reducing THD and Improving the Efficiency in CSI Topology Based on SiC Power Devices

Silicon carbide (SiC)-based switching devices provide significant performance improvements in many aspects, including lower power dissipation, higher operating temperatures, and faster switching; compared with conventional Si devices, all these features contribute to these devices generating interest in applications for electric traction systems. The topology that is frequently used in these systems is the voltage source inverter (VSI), but the use of SiC devices in the current source inverter topology (CSI), which is considered as an emerging topology, generates interest. This paper presents a method for improving total harmonic distortion (THD) in the currents of output and efficiency in SiC current source inverter for future application in an electric traction system. The method that is proposed consists of improving the coupling of a bidirectional converter topology, voltage current (V-I) and CSI. The V-I converter serves as a current regulator for the CSI, and allows for the recovery of energy. The method involves an effective selection of the switching frequencies and phase angles for the carrier signals that are present in each converter topology. With this method, it is expected to have a reduction of the total harmonic distortion, THD in the output currents. In addition, a comparative analysis between converters with all-SiC technology and converters with hybrid technology is realized, to verify the impact of the SiC devices in the power converters efficiency.

A Transformerless Single-Phase Current Source Inverter Topology and Control for Photovoltaic Applications

Low power grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) generation systems increasingly use transformerless inverters. The elimination of the transformer allows smaller, lighter and cheaper systems, and improves the total efficiency. However, a leakage current may appear, flowing from the grid to the PV panels through the existing parasitic capacitance between them, since there is no galvanic isolation. As a result, electromagnetic interferences and security issues arise. This paper presents a novel transformerless single-phase Current Source Inverter (CSI) topology with a reduced inductor, compared to conventional CSIs. This topology directly connects the neutral line of the grid to the negative terminal of the PV system, referred as common mode configuration, eliminating this way, theoretically, the possibility of any leakage current through this terminal. The switches control is based on a hysteresis current controller together with a combinational logic circuitry and it is implemented in a digital platform based on National Instruments Technology. Results that validate the proposal, based on both simulations and tests of a low voltage low power prototype, are presented.

Modified Synchronous Pulsewidth Modulation of Current-Fed Five-Level Inverter for Solar Integration

Large-scale photovoltaic (LSPV) energy conversion systems have been installed at many places across the world. The essential component of the LSPV system is the dc-ac conversion stage. The usage of multilevel converters is one of the recent advances in the dc-ac conversion stage of the LSPV system to enable transformer-less inversion. Current-fed multilevel inverter has been chosen in this paper as it provides high power inversion with inherent voltage boosting, and thus, avoids the usage of transformer. High power conversion necessitates low device switching frequency operation in order to satisfy thermal constraint of semiconductor devices and also to improve efficiency. However, low device switching frequency operation leads to higher harmonic distortion of inverter output currents. Synchronous optimal pulsewidth modulation (SOP) technique is an emerging low device switching frequency modulation technique that has been successfully implemented for voltage-source multilevel inverters. However, the state-of-the-art SOP technique cannot be directly applied to modulate current-source multilevel inverter topologies due to additional constraints on the switching commutations. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to propose a modified SOP technique to achieve: low device switching frequency and minimal harmonic distortion of inverter output currents. The topology of current-fed five-level inverter was used for demonstrating the performance of proposed technique. A generalized conversion method was introduced in the modified SOP technique for including switching constraints of the current-fed inverter. In addition, a state-sequencing machine was developed by utilizing redundant inverter states to produce equal switching commutation among all semiconductor devices at minimal switching frequency of 350 Hz. The experimental results obtained from the five-level current-source inverter of 1.2 kW demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed SOP technique.