A Survey on Neutral-Point-Clamped Inverters

Neutral-point-clamped (NPC) inverters are the most widely used topology of multilevel inverters in high-power applications (several megawatts). This paper presents in a very simple way the basic operation and the most used modulation and control techniques developed to date. Special attention is paid to the loss distribution in semiconductors, and an active NPC inverter is presented to overcome this problem. This paper discusses the main fields of application and presents some technological problems such as capacitor balance and losses.

[1]  P. W. Hammond,et al.  A new approach to enhance power quality for medium voltage AC drives , 1997 .

[2]  Ashwin M. Khambadkone,et al.  A Space Vector PWM Scheme for Multilevel Inverters Based on Two-Level Space Vector PWM , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[3]  Philippe Baudesson,et al.  A New Carrier-Based PWM Providing Common-Mode-Current Reduction and DC-Bus Balancing for Three-Level Inverters , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[4]  Joachim Holtz.  Pulsewidth modulation-a survey , 1992, IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron..

[5]  J. Fernando Silva,et al.  Optimal Predictive Control of Three-Phase NPC Multilevel Converter for Power Quality Applications , 2008, IEEE transactions on industrial electronics (1982. Print).

[6]  P. N. Tekwani,et al.  A Dual Five-Level Inverter-Fed Induction Motor Drive With Common-Mode Voltage Elimination and DC-Link Capacitor Voltage Balancing Using Only the Switching-State Redundancy—Part II , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[7]  Marcelo A. Pérez,et al.  Predictive Control Algorithm Technique for Multilevel Asymmetric Cascaded H-Bridge Inverters , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[8]  H. Fujita,et al.  Voltage-Balancing Circuit Based on a Resonant Switched-Capacitor Converter for Multilevel Inverters , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[9]  Reza Iravani,et al.  Analysis and Control of DC-Capacitor-Voltage-Drift Phenomenon of a Passive Front-End Five-Level Converter , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[10]  L. Ben-Brahim,et al.  A novel multilevel carrier-based PWM-control method for GTO inverter in low index modulation region , 2003, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[11]  P.K. Steimer,et al.  Very high power PEBB technology , 2005, 2005 European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[12]  Fang Zheng Peng,et al.  Multilevel inverters: a survey of topologies, controls, and applications , 2002, IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron..

[13]  M. Renge,et al.  Five-Level Diode Clamped Inverter to EliminateCommon Mode Voltage and Reduce $dv/dt$ inMedium Voltage Rating Induction Motor Drives , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[14]  F. Blaabjerg,et al.  Pulsewidth Modulation of Neutral-Point-Clamped Indirect Matrix Converter , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[15]  Javier Poza,et al.  Three-Level NPC Converter-Based Predictive Direct Power Control of the Doubly Fed Induction Machine at Low Constant Switching Frequency , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[16]  Tian-Hua Liu,et al.  Optimum harmonic reduction with a wide range of modulation indexes for multilevel converters , 2002, IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron..

[17]  Thierry Meynard,et al.  Neutral point control in multi level converters applying novel modulation schemes , 2006 .

[18]  A.K. Gupta,et al.  A Simple Space Vector PWM Scheme to Operate a Three-Level NPC Inverter at High Modulation Index Including Overmodulation Region, With Neutral Point Balancing , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[19]  Joan Rocabert,et al.  Closed-Loop Control of a Three-Phase Neutral-Point-Clamped Inverter Using an Optimized Virtual-Vector-Based Pulsewidth Modulation , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[20]  Sergio Busquets-Monge,et al.  Voltage Balancing Control of Diode-Clamped Multilevel Converters With Passive Front-Ends , 2008 .

[21]  J. M. Leuthen,et al.  Voltage balancing control of diode-clamped multilevel rectifier/inverter systems , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[22]  E.M. Berkouk,et al.  DC Link Capacitor Voltage Balancing in a Three-Phase Diode Clamped Inverter Controlled by a Direct Space Vector of Line-to-Line Voltages , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[23]  Marian P. Kazmierkowski,et al.  Control of Three-Level PWM Converter Applied to Variable-Speed-Type Turbines , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[24]  Hirofumi Akagi,et al.  A New Neutral-Point-Clamped PWM Inverter , 1981, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[25]  P. N. Tekwani,et al.  A Dual Five-Level Inverter-Fed Induction Motor Drive With Common-Mode Voltage Elimination and DC-Link Capacitor Voltage Balancing Using Only the Switching-State Redundancy—Part I , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[26]  Bin Wu,et al.  Multilevel Voltage-Source-Converter Topologies for Industrial Medium-Voltage Drives , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[27]  T.A. Nondahl,et al.  A carrier-based PWM scheme for neutral-point voltage balancing in three-level inverters , 2004, Nineteenth Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, 2004. APEC '04..

[28]  Josep Pou,et al.  Voltage-Balance Compensator for a Carrier-Based Modulation in the Neutral-Point-Clamped Converter , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[29]  Pablo Lezana,et al.  Resonances in a high-power active-front-end rectifier system , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[30]  M. Swamy,et al.  Neutral-point clamped three-level general purpose inverter - features, benefits and applications , 2004, 2004 IEEE 35th Annual Power Electronics Specialists Conference (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37551).

[31]  Jorge Pontt,et al.  Predictive Control of a Three-Phase Neutral-Point-Clamped Inverter , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[32]  Haibing Hu,et al.  Design and Implementation of Three-Level Space Vector PWM IP Core for FPGAs , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[33]  P. Steimer,et al.  Active-neutral-point-clamped (ANPC) multilevel converter technology , 2005, 2005 European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[34]  Oscar Apeldoorn,et al.  Design, test, and characteristics of 10-kV integrated gate commutated thyristors , 2005 .

[35]  D. Floricau,et al.  Natural doubling of the apparent switching frequency using three-level ANPC converter , 2008, 2008 International School on Nonsinusoidal Currents and Compensation.

[36]  Leopoldo García Franquelo,et al.  Three-Dimensional Feedforward Space Vector Modulation Applied to Multilevel Diode-Clamped Converters , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[37]  P. A. Witting,et al.  Direct Torque Control of Induction Motors Utilizing Three-Level Voltage Source Inverters , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[38]  Leopoldo García Franquelo,et al.  A Flexible Selective Harmonic Mitigation Technique to Meet Grid Codes in Three-Level PWM Converters , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[39]  기요지 아오시마,et al.  Bridge converter circuit , 1980 .

[40]  J. Pontt,et al.  Mitigation of noneliminated harmonics of SHEPWM three-level multipulse three-phase active front end converters with low switching frequency for meeting standard IEEE-519-92 , 2003, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[41]  Richard G. Hoft,et al.  Generalized Techniques of Harmonic Elimination and Voltage Control in Thyristor Inverters: Part I--Harmonic Elimination , 1973 .

[42]  V.G. Agelidis,et al.  SHE-PWM switching strategies for active neutral point clamped multilevel converters , 2008, 2008 Australasian Universities Power Engineering Conference.

[43]  T. Bruckner,et al.  Loss balancing in three-level voltage source inverters applying active NPC switches , 2001, 2001 IEEE 32nd Annual Power Electronics Specialists Conference (IEEE Cat. No.01CH37230).

[44]  F.Z. Peng,et al.  Harmonics optimization of the voltage balancing control for multilevel converter/inverter systems , 2004, Conference Record of the 2004 IEEE Industry Applications Conference, 2004. 39th IAS Annual Meeting..

[45]  Francisco D. Freijedo,et al.  Comparison of the FPGA Implementation of Two Multilevel Space Vector PWM Algorithms , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[46]  Steffen Bernet,et al.  How to Select the System Voltage of MV Drives—A Comparison of Semiconductor Expenses , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[47]  P. Steimer,et al.  10 kV IGCTs , 2005, IEEE Industry Applications Magazine.

[48]  P.K. Steimer,et al.  Feedforward Loss Control of Three-Level Active NPC Converters , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[49]  S. Bernet,et al.  Recent developments of high power converters for industry and traction applications , 2000 .

[50]  D. Floricau,et al.  Three-level active NPC converter: PWM strategies and loss distribution , 2008, 2008 34th Annual Conference of IEEE Industrial Electronics.

[51]  F. Blaabjerg,et al.  Comparative Evaluation of Pulsewidth Modulation Strategies for Z-Source Neutral-Point-Clamped Inverter , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[52]  P.N. Enjeti,et al.  A Carrier-Based PWM Method With Optimal Switching Sequence for a Multilevel Four-Leg Voltage-Source Inverter , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[53]  Andreas Steimel,et al.  Sliding-Mode-Based Control for a Three-Level Inverter Drive , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[54]  P.K. Steimer,et al.  Very High Power IGCT PEBB technology , 2005, 2005 IEEE 36th Power Electronics Specialists Conference.

[55]  Alex Q. Huang,et al.  Three-Level Active Neutral-Point-Clamped (ANPC) Converter with Fault Tolerant Ability , 2009, 2009 Twenty-Fourth Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition.

[56]  G. Narayanan,et al.  Modified SVPWM Algorithm for Three Level VSI With Synchronized and Symmetrical Waveforms , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[57]  Josep Pou,et al.  A Comprehensive Study of a Hybrid Modulation Technique for the Neutral-Point-Clamped Converter , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[58]  P. K. Steimer,et al.  Modeling, simulation and test of a three-level voltage source inverter with output LC filter and direct torque control , 2003 .

[59]  S. Busquets-Monge,et al.  A Virtual-Vector Pulsewidth Modulation for theFour-Level Diode-Clamped DC–AC Converter , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[60]  Steffen Bernet,et al.  The active NPC converter and its loss-balancing control , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[61]  Ashwin M. Khambadkone,et al.  A simple space vector PWM scheme to operate a three-level NPC inverter at high modulation index including over-modulation region, with neutral point balancing , 2005 .

[62]  J. Holtz,et al.  Neutral Point Potential Balancing Algorithm at Low Modulation Index for Three-Level Inverter Medium-Voltage Drives , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.