Model Predictive Controllers With Capacitor Voltage Balancing for a Single-Phase Five-Level SiC/Si Based ANPC Inverter

Employing both high bandwidth (HBW) controller and wide bandgap (WBG) devices in the structure of converters improve the system size, performance, and efficiency. In this paper, HBW model predictive controllers (MPCs) are proposed, with both fixed and unfixed switching frequencies, to control a single-phase five-level hybrid active neutral-point-clamped (ANPC) inverter. A hybrid modulation technique is considered in this paper, in which some of the switches are modulating with high frequency. Therefore, Silicon-Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs are employed in the converter structure to increase the switching frequency and consequently reduce the filter size and increase converter power density. To have the functionality of multilevel output voltage, some restrictions are defined in the adopted MPC with unfixed switching frequency. In the MPC with the constant switching frequency, predefined switching sequences are employed for all sectors. Moreover, to control the neutral point (NP) voltage, the applied times of both small voltage vectors are sets through a cost function. Finally, the simulation and experimental results prove the ability of both proposed methods to control the voltages of the load and NP.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. For more information, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This work was supported by the APETT project, funded by Innovation Fund Denmark.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Operation and Efficiency Analysis of a 5-level Single-Phase Hybrid Si/SiC Active Neutral Point Clamped Converter

The ability to improve both the size and efficiency of multilevel single-phase converters is a key to uplift them as an attractive solution for industries, while the high number of switches and complex modulation techniques understandably make them unattractive. 5-level active neutral point clamped converter, due to its inherent advantages such as employing different switching frequencies and using different switch technologies, presents an ideal candidate for study. This paper performs a comprehensive analysis of the converter to highlight the advantages of it. This analysis results in a modified hybrid modulation that effectively regulates the neutral point (NP) of the dc-link. Consequently, the combination of the topology and the modified modulation make the converter ideal to utilize two different switch technologies- in this paper Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Si MOSFET. To evaluate the analysis and the effectiveness of modulation, a 2kW hybrid 5-level ANPC is built. Analyzing of the behavior of the converter current, power loss in the filter and switches are, therefore, calculated. The efficiency measurement is performed and compared with the calculated efficiency. There is a close coherency between the measurement and the calculated results and a peak efficiency of 98.4% is achieved.© 2021 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Loss Modelling and Experimental Verification of A 98.8% Efficiency Bidirectional Isolated DC-DC Converter

High efficiency in power converters means less power wasted, which implies reduction in heat sink requirement, thereby small in size and less in weight. This power loss reductions in space application leads to smaller solar panels and less fuel on-board, hence reduces the spacecraft size, weight and launch cost. One of the major challenges for power converters in space application is to boost their efficiency, to reduce thermal dissipation problems. In this paper, design and implementation of an ultra-high efficiency isolated bi-directional dc-dc converter utilizing GaN devices is presented. Loss modelling of the GaN converter is also included in this paper. The converter has achieved a maximum measured efficiency of 98.8% in both directions of power flow, using the same power components. Hardware prototype of the converter along with the measured efficiency curve is also presented in this paper