Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor Inverter Research Articles

Large-capacity AC superimposed DC power supply for the degradation evaluation of DC-link capacitors

The DC-link capacitor, whose operating voltage is a periodic irregular waveform, is a key device in the converter. A large-capacity DC/AC superimposed experimental power supply above 100 kVA is an important piece of equipment that must be used in the aging research of DC-link capacitors. The irregular periodic operating voltage of the DC support capacitor is equivalent in the form of DC voltage superimposed with multiple harmonics based on the Fast Fourier transform analysis. The power supply is mainly divided into four parts: an AC module, a DC module, a protection module, and an isolation component. The composited harmonics are output by the IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) inverter of the AC module. The soft start method is applied to the AC module in order to ensure the long-term reliable operation of the power supply. The kV-level high-voltage is output by four inverter units connected in series. The amplitude and phase control of harmonic decomposition is adopted, and the inverter is controlled by Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation. The output voltage of the power supply is close to the operating voltage of the capacitor. Based on the designed power supply, the degradation experiment was carried out. The temperature rise and aging characteristics of DC-link capacitors under different AC/DC ratios were studied.

Estimation of Junction Temperature in a Two-Level Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor Inverter for Motor Drives

Estimation of Junction Temperature in a Two-Level Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor Inverter for Motor Drives

Real-time estimation of junction temperature in IGBT inverter with a simple parameterized power loss model

System-level thermal modelling of electric drive systems requires simple thermal models coupled with each other by the operation parameters of the drive systems. This paper presents a simple parameterized power loss model for insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) inverters, in which variables are relevant to the powertrain operation conditions and are routinely monitored. Combined with a two-impedance thermal model of the inverter with parameters fitted to the results of computation fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, the resulted real-time model can provide accurate estimations of the junction temperature. The present power loss model combined with the simple two-impedance thermal model is very suitable to be used in system-level real-time thermal monitoring of an integrated electric drive system.

Open-circuit fault diagnosis of traction inverter based on compressed sensing theory

This study proposes a new method of fault diagnosis based on the least squares support vector machine with gradient information (G-LS-SVM) to solve the insulated-gate bipolar transistor(IGBT) open-circuit failure problem of the traction inverter in a catenary power supply system. First, a simulation model based on traction inverter topology is built, and various voltage fault signal waveforms are simulated based on the IGBT inverter open-circuit fault classification. Second, compressive sensing theory is used to sparsely represent the voltage fault signal and make it a fault signal. The new method has a high degree of sparseness and builds an overcomplete dictionary model containing the feature vectors of voltage fault signals based on a double sparse dictionary model to match the sparse signal characteristics. Finally, the space vector transform is used to represent the three-phase voltage scalar in the traction inverter as a composite quantity to reduce the redundancy of the fault signals and data-processing capabilities. A G-LS-SVM fault diagnosis model is then built to diagnose and identify the voltage fault signal feature vector in an overcomplete dictionary. The simulation results show that the accuracy of this method for various types of IGBT tube fault diagnosis is over 98.92%. Moreover, the G-LS-SVM model is robust and not affected by Gaussian white noise.

Performance comparison of Si IGBT and SiC MOSFET power devices based LCL three‐phase inverter with double closed‐loop control

Grid-connected inverters are essential equipment for DC-AC energy conversion between renewable energy generation and power grids, and their performance directly affects the stability of the operation of the power grid. Compared to the traditional L or LC filter, LCL filter is widely used in the grid-connected inverter due to its harmonic attenuation performance and system stability. Because of the requirements for higher switching frequency to increase the power density and reduce the cost of the inverter. Compared to the traditional silicon (Si) insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power device, the silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) has shown apparent advantages in high-power density inverters with a high switching frequency. This study first analyses and compares the suppression effects of passive damping methods on the resonance peak of the LCL filter; then, a double-current closed-loop control strategy as the active damping control is applied in the LCL filter three-phase grid-connected inverter; finally, the experimental platforms of IGBT inverter and SiC MOSFET inverter are built, and the filtering performances of the two inverters are compared. The experimental results show that the double-closed-loop control method significantly reduces the system harmonics and confirms the feasibility of the control strategy.

Control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines for Subsea Applications

Permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM)-driven subsea pumps have the potential to lower the operating costs of subsea pumping modules by improving efficiency, enhancing reliability, and by reducing weight and size. The higher operating speed of PMSM compared with an induction motor of similar size allows for a wider operating envelope for the pump, including operation in high gas volume fractions scenarios. In applying rotor-oriented sensorless vector control to the adjustable speed drive (ASD), the influence of output filters, long motor cables, and transformer between the ASD and the motor needs to be considered. These additional components in the motor circuit make it difficult to estimate correct rotor position during starting. In addition, sensorless vector control is very sensitive to parameter variations. This paper presents simulations and experimental results of a robust sensorless vector control strategy, called voltage vector control for a PMSM driving a high-power subsea pump. The test inverter was a low-voltage insulated-gate bipolar transistor inverter with neutral point clamped topology. This inverter was used driving a PMSM for testing of the control strategy, with an aim of expanding this concept to medium-voltage ASDs.

Computational Conjugate Heat Transfer Analysis of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle Inverter

ABSTRACTA physics-based computational simulation of the heat transfer characteristics of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) developmental inverter is reported. The simulation considers the fluid/thermal multiphysics interactions via a conjugate heat transfer analysis. The fluid phase includes air and liquid coolant; the solid phase, where the heat is conducted, includes various solid materials. Numerical solutions of the heat conduction and convection phenomena in and around the IGBT modules and the inverter, built as a three-dimensional computational model, are sought for by using parallel computing. Comparisons with the available experimental data show a satisfactory agreement of the inverter temperature at three power levels under two different coolant flow rates. Detailed examination of the flow field reveals that the design features of the rectangular coolant flow chamber in the heat sink and the small clearance between the tips of the pin fin and the walls lead to an evenly distributed coolant flow around most of the pin fins. The temperature distributions of the pin fins depend highly on their locations relative to the IGBT modules. The findings from the current study can be useful in future efforts to optimize the thermal performance of IGBT inverters.

Inverter Device Nonlinearity Characterization Technique for Use in a Motor Drive System

This paper introduces a detailed nonlinearity characterization technique for insulated-gate bipolar transistor inverters in a drive system which is able to measure device nonlinearities. Methods are derived from measurements of the voltage on the inverter phases. These measurements are obtained while applying a set of direct currents to an electrical machine. These methods are then applied to tests using alternating current. The study of inverter nonlinearities is useful in order to conduct condition monitoring. These methods fulfill the need to characterize each device in an inverter. In addition to characterizing every device using either ac or dc current, the method is resistant to noise; for these reasons, the method is applicable in the field. Simulations and experimental work demonstrate the benefits and applicability of the methods.

Improvement of power quality using photovoltaic fed shunt power quality conditioner

A photovoltaic fed shunt power quality conditioner for harmonic and reactive power compensation is presented in this paper. A new control algorithm based on load active power consumption is implemented to improve the performance of the current controller under non-sinusoidal mains voltage condition. The presence of solar system decreases the voltage stress on the conventional supply system and also compensates a part of load active power during the availability of sunlight. A fixed band hysteresis current controller is used to generate switching pulses of insulated-gate bipolar transistor inverter. The concept is realised by time domain computer simulation of the model under different mains voltage, symmetrical and unsymmetrical fault on load and dynamic load condition. The viability and effectiveness of the designed PVSAF and its competence in meeting the IEEE-519 recommended harmonic standard limits is also verified through experimentation.

Design of a High-Efficiency Minimum-Torque-Ripple 12-V/1-kW Three-Phase BLDC Motor Drive System for Diesel Engine Emission Reductions

A 12-V motor drive system using an onboard battery is promising in vehicle applications, e.g., to rotate an air pump to adjust its air delivery to the burner, thereby providing autonomous exhaust temperature control for the conventional diesel engine vehicle. The 12-V/1-kW motor drive system proposed in this paper consists of a series-resonant LLC MOSFET full-bridge converter, which provides high-efficiency power transfer by implementing zero voltage switching and boosts the dc bus to ~300 V, and an insulated-gate bipolar transistor inverter, which provides the high-side phase currents to a 1-kW/6000-r/min brushless dc motor (BLDC). This design secures the high efficiency, low cost, and low volume. Meanwhile, with the variable output voltage of this dc/dc converter, this paper realizes a commutation torque-ripple reduction method, which will minimize the mechanical vibration. Experimental results on this prototype system demonstrate that: 1) the LLC dc/dc part efficiency is 97.6% with 92% of the inverter efficiency; and 2) the motor commutation torque ripple is reduced close to zero.

Design of Optimized Controller for Fault Diagnosis of Three Phase Induction Motor Using Genetic Algorithm

Now days, induction motor drives are used in home appliances and industries for various applications. These machines typically have low efficiencies and need high maintenance for continuous process. Hence, it is necessary to fault diagnose and test the motor for its efficiency with different parameters. The fault controller unit is designed by using Genetic Algorithm for the optimum selection of switching pulses in Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation to the supply input of IGBT(Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) inverter. The proposed design technique is modeled and verified using Matlab Simulink as one of the effective motor controller for maintaining the constant speed of the motor.

Development of 600V Driver IC for Large-Current IGBT Using New Short-Circuit Protection

This paper deals with the development of a 600V high-voltage half-bridge gate driver IC used to drive large-current IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) inverters such as those used in HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles). In order to improve the robustness of a short-circuit operation, a new short-circuit protection circuit is proposed. Furthermore, a reduction in the short-circuit current is observed. Thus, the developed high-voltage IC can drive almost all types of IGBT modules up to 400A/600V.

Short-circuit protection of insulated gate bipolar transistor based inverters: A comparative study

The application of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) in power inverters/converters has witnessed a significant increase in the last two decades; requiring very comprehensive and fool-proof protection. This paper critically examines and compares some of the published short-circuit protection circuits for IGBT inverters and suggests a newly designed and developed short-circuit and current limit protection. The experimental results as conducted in the laboratory show that the proposed protection system helps the inverter to deliver fail-safe operation.

Short-circuit protection of insulated gate bipolar transistor based inverters: A comparative study

ABSTRACTThe application of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) in power inverters/converters has witnessed a significant increase in the last two decades; requiring very comprehensive and fool-proof protection. This paper critically examines and compares some of the published short-circuit protection circuits for IGBT inverters and suggests a newly designed and developed short-circuit and current limit protection. The experimental results as conducted in the laboratory show that the proposed protection system helps the inverter to deliver fail-safe operation.

Analysis of Motor Driving Circuit in EV/HEV with Battery Circuit Model Employed

In the EV/HEV motor driving system, one of the most important elements that should be taken into account would be a battery that drives the whole system, because the rest of the circuit elements except battery have been relatively well established in the power electronics area. Because of the high frequency power harmonic noises inherent in the circuit, exact voltage fluctuation analysis of the driving circuit at the design stage has been emphasized quite a lot so far. This paper describes the analysis of motor driving circuit with novel battery model employed: as a result, the fluctuated battery voltage for a given DOD (Depth of Discharge) could be calculated. A filter design procedure that takes into consideration of the battery characteristics is also described for a fixed DOD. The effectiveness of the designed filter was confirmed by simulation, which was performed by using MATLAB, Ansys' Simplorer, and Agilent Technology's ADS (Advanced Design System). EV (Electric Vehicle) or HEV (Hybrid-Electric Vehicle) basically employs power electronic circuit to charge battery as well as to drive a motor, and the high voltage in the circuit, typically in the range of hundreds volts, needs to be chopped to control the driving circuits, and as a result it is inevitable to produce high frequency harmonic voltage/ current components inside. Therefore one of the most important things the HEV motor circuit designer needs to consider is the prediction of the electromagnetic compatibility of the driving circuit at the design stage. This is crucial to avoid unnecessary trial and errors after fabrication of the whole driving circuit only to find that the circuit needs to be revised to satisfy EMC standards such as IEC/CISPR and ISO. Therefore, precise analysis of the motor driving circuit is mandatory in the EV/HEV development process at the design stage. The main elements of power electronic circuit in the HEV are such as a high voltage battery, IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) inverter to control motor through PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) algorithm, BLDC (Brushless DC) motor, and so on. Since the other elements except the battery have been common in the classical driving circuit simulation, an emphasis is put on the battery circuit modeling, which enables to simulate the driving circuit at various DOD levels. For this purpose, battery circuit model includes not only a simple DC model in time domain, but also complex R-C elements in frequency domain, coming from charge transfer resistance and double layer capacitors in the battery. Since the R and C in the battery model depend on the DOD level of the battery, one needs to take into consideration the frequency-dependent battery impedance as well as the load condition to design the filters in the motor driving circuit. (1)(2) This paper is organized as follows. In the next chapter, battery model which is used in the analysis of motor driving system is introduced. In chapter 3 all the circuit elements, such as battery, inverter, and filters, are integrated to form the whole circuit, and brief filter design procedure is described. Chapter 4 demonstrates the simulated results of the voltage fluctuations and the conducted noise, and the effectiveness of the filter is also shown. Finally, this paper ends with a conclusion and further works in the last section.

Sliding-mode Control Based Three-phase Shunt Active Power Filter: Simulation and Experimentation

This article presents a simulation and experimental study of a sliding-mode controller of the DC bus voltage of a three-phase shunt active power filter. The sliding-mode controller is introduced to improve tracking performance characteristics, power quality, and minimized consumption of the reactive power. The algorithm used to identify the reference currents is based on the self-tuning filter. The firing pulses of the insulated-gate bipolar transistor inverter are generated using a hysteresis current controller, which is implemented on an analog card. Finally, this study, under steady-state and transient conditions, is illustrated with signal-flow graphs and corresponding analysis. This study was verified by both time-domain computer simulations and experimental tests on a hardware prototype based on dSPACE-1104 (dSPACE, Germany). The experimental results show the feasibility and the effectiveness of the designed active filter associated with a sliding-mode controller and its capability in meeting the IEEE 519-1992 recommended harmonic standard limits.

High-speed electro-thermal modelling of a three-phase insulated gate bipolar transistor inverter power module

In this article, a high-speed electro-thermal (ET) modelling strategy to predict the junction temperature of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) devices of a three-phase inverter power module is presented. The temperature-dependent power loss characteristics of IGBT and diode devices are measured and stored in lookup tables, which replace the conventional complicated physics-based compact models. An inverter is modelled as a voltage controlled voltage source, which allows the inverter-based power train simulation to be carried out in the continuous time domain with a large simulation time-step (1 ms). Using the simulated sinusoidal voltage and current components of the inverter output, the given pulse width modulation mode, the conduction time (duty ratio) and the current of the devices are extracted. Based on the lookup tables, on-times and conduction currents of devices, the average power loss over each simulation time-step is calculated, which is then fed into the inverter thermal model to predict the devices' temperatures. The advantage of the proposed model is that an accurate ET simulation of inverter for long real-time (many minutes) operation can be carried out within an acceptable computational time using a standard modern personal computer. Both simulation and experimental validation have been carried out, and an excellent agreement has been achieved between the simulation and experimental data.

Fast Control of Filter for Sensorless Vector Control SQIM Drive With Sinusoidal Motor Voltage

A pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) voltage applied to a squirrel-cage induction motor (SQIM) can cause high bearing currents, heating of rotor shaft, voltage spike across the motor terminals, etc. Filtering of this PWM voltage to obtain a sinusoidal output voltage can be a solution to this problem. However, a passive L-C filter makes the dynamic performance of the drive poor for high-performance control application. In this paper, a feed-forward control strategy for the L-C filter is proposed to have a good bandwidth for the filter output voltage. This filter control strategy is introduced along with a sensorless vector control strategy for the SQIM drive. This complete strategy retains the high dynamic performance of the drive even with the L-C filter. In this paper, a three-level converter is used as a voltage source inverter for the drive to have a less filter-size requirement. The control strategy is verified on a 7.5-hp SQIM drive with a three-level insulated-gate bipolar-transistor inverter and L-C filter. Experimental results validate the high dynamic performance of the drive with filter.

Fast feedback control of plasma horizontal position by using DSP and IGBT inverter

AbstractTo achieve high confinement properties of a tokamak plasma, it is necessary to control the plasma position, current profile, shape of magnetic surface, and so on. In addition, it has been found that a resistive wall mode (RWM) may limit the achievable plasma beta in present tokamak devices. Therefore, it is expected that an active feedback control using external coils is necessary to stabilize the RWM. A power supply for plasma control coils requires an accurate controllability and a fast response against such plasma disturbances. Recent development of high‐power fast‐switching semiconductors, such as Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and MOSFET, improves the temporal response of power supply to a great extent. A small tokamak device, HYBTOK‐II, is equipped with IGBT inverter power supplies for Joule and vertical field coils. In this paper a real‐time feedback control of the plasma horizontal position has been employed with a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The experimental results on plasma response with such a feedback control have been compared with analysis of plasma column motion using transfer functions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 148(1): 1–10, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10295

Fast Feedback Control of Plasma Horizontal Position by using DSP and IGBT Inverter.

To achieve high confinement properties of a tokamak plasma, it is necessary to control the plasma position, current profile, shape of magnetic surface, and so on. In addition, it has been found that a resistive wall mode (RWM) may limit the achievable plasma beta in present tokamak devices. Therefore, it is expected that an active feedback control using external coils is necessary to stabilize the RWM. A power supply for plasma control coils requires an accurate controllability and a fast response against such plasma disturbances. Recent development of high-power fast-switching semiconductors, such as Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and MOSFET, improves the temporal response of power supply to a great extent. A small tokamak device, HYBTOK-II, is equipped with IGBT inverter power supplies for Joule and vertical field coils. In this paper a real-time feedback control of the plasma horizontal position has been employed with a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The experimental results on plasma response with such a feedback control have been compared with analysis of plasma column motion using transfer functions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 148(1): 1–10, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10295