4.

7 MULTILEVEL INVERTERS (MLI)

Main feature
Ability to reduce the voltage stress on each power device due to the utilization of multiple levels on the DC bus Important when a high DC side voltage is imposed by an application (e.g. traction systems) Even at low switching frequencies, smaller distortion in the multilevel inverter AC side waveform can be achieved (with stepped modulation technique)

3 main MLI circuit topologies

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MLI (2)
Diode-clamped multilevel inverter (DCMI)
Extension of NPC Based on concept of using diodes to limit power devices voltage stress Structure and basic operating principle
Consists of series connected capacitors that divide DC bus voltage into a set of capacitor voltages A DCMI with nl number of levels typically comprises (nl-1) capacitors on the DC bus Voltage across each capacitor is VDC/(nl-1) ( nl nodes on DC bus, nl levels of output phase voltage , (2nl-1) levels of output line voltage)

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MLI (3)
V1
S1 D1

VDC/4 V2 Dc1
S2 D2

Dc4 VDC/4
D V C

S3

D3

Dc2
S4 D4 Vo S5 D5

V3

VDC/4 V4 Dc3

Dc5

S6

D6

Dc6 VDC/4 V5

S7

D7

S8

D8

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MLI (4)
Output phase voltage can assume any voltage level by selecting any of the nodes

DCMI is considered as a type of multiplexer that attaches the output to one of the available nodes
Consists of main power devices in series with their respective main diodes connected in parallel and clamping diodes Main diodes conduct only when most upper or lower node is selected Although main diodes have same voltage rating as main power devices, much lower current rating is allowable In each phase leg, the forward voltage across each main power device is clamped by the connection of diodes between the main power devices and the nodes
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MLI (5)
Number of power devices in ON state for any selection of node is always equal to (nl-1) Output phase voltage with corresponding switching states of power devices for a 5level DCMI
Power device index S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 Output Phase Voltage (Vo) V1 V2 V3 V4 V5

1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
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0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0

0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0

0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
5

MLI (6)
General features
For three-phase DCMI, the capacitors need to filter only the high-order harmonics of the clamping diodes currents , low-order components intrinsically cancel each other For DCMI employing step modulation strategy, if nl is sufficiently high, filters may not be required at all due to the significantly low harmonic content If each clamping diode has same voltage rating as power devices, for nl-level DCMI, number of clamping diodes/phase = (nl-1) x (nl-2) Each power device block only a capacitor voltage
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MLI (7)
Clamping diodes block reverse voltage (Dc1, Dc2, Dc3 block VDC/4, 2VDC/4 and 3VDC/4 respectively) Unequal conduction duty of the power devices DCMI with step modulation strategy have problems stabilizing/balancing capacitor voltages Average current flowing into corresponding inner nodes not equal to zero over one cycle Not significant in SVC applications involving pure reactive power transfer

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MLI (8)
Overcoming capacitor voltage balancing problem

Line-to-line voltage redundancies (phase voltage redundancies not available due to structure)
Carefully designed modulation strategies

Replace capacitors with controlled constant DC voltage source such as PWM voltage regulators or batteries
Interconnection of two DCMIs back-toback with a DC capacitor link (suitable for specific applications only UPFC, frequency changer, phase shifter)

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MLI (9)
Imbricated cell multilevel inverter
Capable of solving capacitor voltage unbalance problem and excessive diode count requirement in DCMI Also known as flying capacitor multilevel inverter (capacitors are arranged to float with respect to earth) Structure and basic operating principle
Employs separate capacitors precharged to [(nl-1)/(nl-1)xVDC], [(nl-2)/(nl-1)xVDC] {[nl-(nl-1)]/[nl-1]xVDC} Size of voltage increment between two capacitors defines size of voltage steps in ICMI output voltage waveform
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MLI (10)
nl-level ICMI has nl levels output phase voltage and (2nl-1) levels output line voltage
S1 D1

S2

D2

S3

D3

S4
VDC 3VDC/4 VDC/2 VDC/4

D4 Vo

S5

D5

S6

D6

S7

D7

S8

D8

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MLI (11)
Output voltage produced by switching the right combinations of power devices to allow adding or subtracting of the capacitor voltages Constraints : capacitors are never shorted to each other and current continuity to the DC bus capacitor is maintained

5-level ICMI 16 power devices switching combinations (SWC) . To produce VDC and 0 (1 SWC all upper devices ON, all lower devices ON), VDC/2 (6 SWC), VDC/4 and 3VDC/4 (4 SWC) Example - capacitor voltage combinations that produce an output phase voltage level of VDC/2

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MLI (12)
VDC - VDC/2 VDC 3VDC/4 + VDC/4 VDC - 3VDC/4 +VDC/2 VDC/4 3VDC/4 VDC/2 + VDC/4 3VDC/4 VDC/4 VDC/2 Power devices switching states of a 5-level ICMI
Power device index S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 Output Phase Voltage (Vo) V1 V2 V3 V4 V5

1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0

0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0

0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1

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12

MLI (13)
General features
With step modulation strategy, with sufficiently high nl, harmonic content can be low enough to avoid the need for filters Advantage of inner voltage levels redundancies - allows preferential charging or discharging of individual capacitors, facilitates manipulation of capacitor voltages so that their proper values are maintained Active and reactive power flow can be controlled (complex selection of power devices combination, switching frequency/losses for the former) Additional circuit required for initial charging of capacitors

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MLI (14)
Assuming each capacitor used has the same voltage rating as the power devices, nl-level ICMI requires: (nl 1) x (nl 2)/2 auxiliary capacitors per phase (nl 1) main DC bus capacitors Unequal conduction duty of power devices

Modular structured multilevel inverter (MSMI)

Referred to as cascaded-inverters with Separate DC Sources (SDCs) or series connected H-bridge inverters Structure and basic operating principle
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MLI (15)
Consists of (nl1)/2 or h number of singlephase H-bridge inverters (MSMI modules)

MSMI output phase voltage

Vo = Vm1 + Vm2 + .. Vmh Vm1 : output voltage of module 1 Vm2 : output voltage of module 2 Vmh : output voltage of module h Structure of a single-phase nl-level MSMI

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MLI (16)
S11 S21

VDC S31 Module 1 S12 S22 S41

Vm1

Vphase (Vo)

VDC S32 Module 2 S42

Vm2

S1h

S2h

VDC S3h Module h S4h

Vmh

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MLI (17)
Power devices switching states of a 5-level MSMI
Power devices index S11 S21 S31 S41 S12 S22 S32 S42 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Output voltages Vm1 Vm2 Vo

+VDC +VDC +2VDC +VDC +VDC 0 0 +VDC +VDC 0 +VDC 0 0 VDC +VDC 0 0 VDC 0 VDC VDC -2VDC
17

+VDC VDC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +VDC 0 0 VDC +VDC 0 0 VDC

VDC +VDC VDC VDC 0 0

VDC VDC

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MLI (18)
General features
Known to eliminate the excessively large number of bulky transformers required by the multipulse inverters, clamping diodes required by the DCMIs and capacitors required by the ICMIs

Simple and modular configuration

Requires least number of components Comparison of power devices requirements per phase leg among three MLI (assuming all power devices have same voltage rating, not necessary same current rating, each MSMI module represented by a full-bridge, DCMI and ICMI use half-bridge topology)
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MLI (19)
Type of multilevel inverter Main power devices Main diodes Clamping diodes DC bus capacitors Balancing capacitors DCMI (nl 1) x 2 (nl 1) x 2 (nl - 1) x (nl - 2) (nl 1) 0 ICMI (nl 1) x 2 (nl 1) x 2 0 (nl 1) (nl 1) x (nl 2)/2 MSMI (nl 1) x 2 (nl 1) x 2 0 (nl 1)/2 0

Flexibility in extending to higher number of levels without undue increase in circuit complexity simplifies fault finding and repair, facilitates packaging Requires DC sources isolated from one another for each module for applications involving real power transfer Adaptation measures have to be taken in complying to the separate DC sources requirement for ASDs applications
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MLI (20)
Feed each MSMI module from a capacitively smooth fully controlled threephase rectifier, isolation achieved using specially designed transformer having separate secondary windings/module Employ a DC-DC converter with medium to high frequency transformers (between rectifier output and each MSMI module input), allows bidirectional power flow Isolated DC sources not required for applications involving pure reactive power transfer (SVG) pure reactive power drawn, phase voltage and current 90 apart balanced capacitor charge and discharge

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MLI (21)
Originally isolated DC voltages, alternate sources of energy (PV arrays, fuel cells)

Advantage of availability of output phase voltage redundancies

Allows optimised cyclic use of power devices to ensure symmetrical utilization, symmetrical thermal problems and wear Design of power devices utilization pattern possible Overall improvement in MSMI performance high quality output voltage etc.

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MLI (22)
Modulation strategies for multilevel inverters
Step modulation
Space vector modulation Optimal/programmed PWM technique Sigma delta modulation (SDM) High-dynamic control strategies
Multilevel hysterisis modulation strategy Sliding mode control based on theory of Variable Structure Control System (VSCS)

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