Control performance of single-phase STATCOM and BTB by three-level inverters

The so-called three-level inverters have been widely used for industry applications because of high-voltage output ability and low harmonic contents. These applications are mainly suitable for AC motor drives. Recent attention has been paid to larger-capacity inverters applicable to power system control. This paper describes their applications to power systems. First, harmonic analysis of a three-level inverter is achieved under the condition that its two DC capacitor voltage are unbalanced. Second, a control method for balancing the two DC capacitor voltages is described. Finally, applications of single-phase three-level inverters to STATCOM and BTB are introduced. Their control performance is confirmed by computer simulation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 157(1): 54–62, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (http://www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20306