Space-Vector-Modulated Three-Level Inverters With a Single...

2806 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, VOL. 28, NO. 6, JUNE 2013

Space-Vector-Modulated Three-Level InvertersWith a Single Z-Source Network

Francis Boafo Effah, Patrick Wheeler, Member, IEEE, Jon Clare, Senior Member, IEEE,and Alan Watson, Member, IEEE

Abstract—The Z-source inverter is a relatively recent convertertopology that exhibits both voltage-buck and voltage-boost capa-bility. The Z-source concept can be applied to all dc-to-ac, ac-to-dc, ac-to-ac, and dc-to-dc power conversion whether two-levelor multilevel. However, multilevel converters offer many benefitsfor higher power applications. Previous publications have shownthe control of a Z-source neutral point clamped inverter usingthe carrier-based modulation technique. This paper presents thecontrol of a Z-source neutral point clamped inverter using thespace vector modulation technique. This gives a number of bene-fits, both in terms of implementation and harmonic performance.The adopted approach enables the operation of the Z-source ar-rangement to be optimized and implemented digitally without in-troducing any extra commutations. The proposed techniques aredemonstrated both in simulation and through experimental resultsfrom a prototype converter.

Index Terms—Buck–boost, neutral point clamped inverter, spacevector modulation (SVM), Z-source inverter.

I. INTRODUCTION

MANY industrial applications require higher power con-verters (inverters) which are now almost exclusively im-

plemented using one of the multilevel types. Multilevel con-verters offer many benefits for higher power applications whichinclude an ability to synthesize voltage waveforms with lowerharmonic content than two-level converters and operation athigher dc voltages using series connection of a basic switchingcell of one type or another [1]–[4].

Even though many different multilevel topologies have beenproposed, the three most common topologies are the cascadedinverter [5]–[7], the diode clamped inverter [8]–[12], and the ca-pacitor clamped inverter [13]–[15]. Among the three, the three-level diode clamped [also known as the neutral point clamped(NPC)] inverter has become an established topology in mediumvoltage drives and is arguably the most popular [16]–[19]—certainly for three-level circuits. However, the NPC inverter isconstrained by its inability to produce an output line-to-line volt-

Manuscript received January 19, 2012; revised April 8, 2012 and June 28,2012; accepted September 4, 2012. Date of current version December 7, 2012.Recommended for publication by Associate Editor T. Suntio.

The authors are with the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineer-ing, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, U.K. (e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]).

Color versions of one or more of the figures in this paper are available onlineat http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TPEL.2012.2219627

age greater than the dc source voltage. For applications wherethe dc source is not always constant, such as a fuel cell [20],[21], photovoltaic array [22], and during voltage sags, etc., adc/dc boost converter is often needed to boost the dc voltage tomeet the required output voltage or to allow the nominal oper-ating point to be favorably located [23], [24]. This increases thesystem complexity and is desirable to eliminate if possible.

The Z-source inverter [25] topology was proposed to over-come the above limitations in traditional inverters. The Z-sourceconcept can be applied to all dc-to-ac [26], ac-to-dc [27], ac-to-ac [28]–[31], and dc-to-dc [32], [33] power conversion whethertwo-level or multilevel. The Z-source concept was extended tothe NPC inverter in [34], where two additional Z-source net-works were connected between two isolated dc sources and atraditional NPC inverter. In spite of its effectiveness in achiev-ing voltage buck–boost conversion, the Z-source NPC inverterproposed in [34] is expensive because it uses two Z-sourcenetworks, two isolated dc sources, and requires a complex mod-ulator for balancing the boosting of each Z-source network. Toovercome the cost and modulator complexity issues, the designand control of an NPC inverter using a single Z-source networkwas presented in [35]. The operational analysis and optimal con-trol of the reduced element count (REC) Z-source NPC inverterwas subsequently described in [36].

The REC Z-source NPC inverter is expected to find appli-cations in grid connected distributed generation (DG) systemsbased on renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic sys-tems, wind turbines, and fuel cell stacks [37]. Two DG systemscan be connected to the grid with only one REC Z-source NPCinverter, thus reducing the volume and cost while increasingefficiency and facilitating control. The power quality of currentinjected to the grid is improved because of the three-level struc-ture. It can also find use in adjustable speed drive systems inapplications such as conveyor belts, fans, and water pumps [38].

In [36], the modulation of the REC Z-source NPC inverter wasdescribed using the carrier-based approach. However, the spacevector modulation (SVM) approach offers better harmonic per-formance [11] (compared with carrier-based pulsewidth modu-lation (PWM) strategy without zero-sequence voltage injection)and can more conveniently handle overall switching patternsand constraints [39], [40], and it is simple to implement us-ing a DSP [41]. The contribution of this paper is, therefore,the development of a modified SVM algorithm for controllingthe REC Z-source NPC inverter. The theoretical development isdiscussed in detail, and simulations as well as experimental re-sults are used to verify the operation of the circuit and proposedSVM-based modulation.

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EFFAH et al.: SPACE-VECTOR-MODULATED THREE-LEVEL INVERTERS WITH A SINGLE Z-SOURCE NETWORK 2807

Fig. 1. Topology of two-level Z-source inverter.

II. REVIEW OF Z-SOURCE CONCEPT

The topology of a two-level Z-source inverter is shown inFig. 1. The only difference between the Z-source inverter anda traditional voltage source inverter (VSI) is the presence of aZ-source network comprising a split-inductor (L1 and L2) andtwo capacitors (C1 and C2). The unique feature of the two-levelZ-source inverter is that the output ac voltage fundamental canbe controlled to be any value between zero and (theoretically)infinity regardless of the dc source voltage. Thus, the Z-sourceinverter is a buck–boost inverter that has a very wide range ofobtainable output voltage. Traditional VSIs cannot provide suchfeatures.

In Fig. 1, the two-level Z-source inverter bridge has 15 permis-sible switching states unlike the traditional two-level VSI thathas 8. The traditional three-phase VSI has six active states whenthe dc voltage is impressed across the load and two zero stateswhen the load terminals are shorted through either the loweror upper three devices, respectively. However, the two-level Z-source inverter bridge has seven extra zero states (termed shoot-through states) when the load terminals are shorted through bothupper and lower devices of any one phase leg (i.e., both devicesare gated ON), any two phase legs, or all three phase legs. Theseshoot-through states are forbidden in a traditional VSI for ob-vious reasons. The Z-source network makes the shoot-throughzero states possible and provides the means by which boostingoperation can be obtained. Critically, any of the shoot-throughstates can be substituted for normal zero states without affectingthe PWM pattern seen by the load.

Therefore, for a fixed switching cycle, insertion of shoot-through states within the zero intervals with the active stateintervals maintained constant will not alter the normalized volt–second average per switching cycle seen by the ac load. Instead,with the shoot-through states inserted, the effective inverter dclink voltage Vi can be stepped up as given in (1) [25], [42].Consequently, taking also the PWM modulation index M intoaccount, the phase ac output voltage Vx(xε{a, b, c}) can beexpressed by (2)

Vi =E

(1 − 2 · TST/T )= B · E, B ≥ 1 (1)

Fig. 2. Topology of an REC Z-source NPC inverter.

Vx =M · Vi√

3= B · {ME/

√3} (2)

where TST and T are the shoot-through interval and switchingperiod, respectively, B is the boost factor and the term in paren-thesis represents the phase ac output voltage of a traditionalVSI. Equations (1) and (2) show that the ac output voltageof a Z-source inverter can be regulated from zero to the nor-mal maximum by altering M and maintaining B = 1, or can beboosted above that obtainable with a traditional VSI by choosingB > 1. A similar analysis can be carried out for the current-typeZ-source inverter [43]. However, since the focus of this paperis that of the voltage-type Z-source inverter, the analysis for thecurrent-type Z-source inverter would not be discussed furtherdue to space limitation.

III. TOPOLOGY OF REC Z-SOURCE NPC INVERTER

A. Extension of The Z-Source Concept to the NPC Inverter

To describe the operating principle of the REC Z-source NPCinverter shown in Fig. 2, we concentrate initially on the operationof one phase leg. The operation of each inverter phase leg of atraditional NPC inverter can be represented by three switchingstates P, O, and N. Switching state “P” denotes that the uppertwo switches in a phase leg are gated ON, “N” indicates thatthe lower two switches conduct, and “O” signifies that the innertwo switches are gated ON.

However, each phase leg of the Z-source NPC inverter hasthree extra switching states which resemble the “O” state ofthe traditional NPC inverter. These extra switching states oc-cur when all the four switches in any phase leg are gated ON[full-shoot-through (FST)], or the three upper switches in anyphase leg are gated ON [upper-shoot-through (UST)] or thethree bottom switches in any phase leg are gated ON [lower-shoot-through (LST)]. These shoot-through states are forbiddenin the traditional NPC inverter because they would cause a shortcircuit of the dc-side capacitors. Again, the Z-source networkmakes these shoot-through states permissible and provides themeans for boost operation.


TABLE ISWITCHING STATES OF AN REC Z-SOURCE NPC INVERTER

StateType

ON Switches ON Diodes Vxo SwitchingState

NST Qx1,Qx2 D1,D2 +Vi/2 PNST Qx2,Qx’1 D1,D2,{Dx1 or Dx2} 0 ONST Qx’1,Qx’2 D1,D2 −Vi/2 NFST Qx1,Qx2,Qx’1,Qx’2 — 0 FSTUST Qx1,Qx2,Qx’1 Dx2,D1 0 USTLST Qx2,Qx’1,Qx’2 Dx1,D2 0 LST

B. Circuit Analysis

Among the three-level Z-source power converter topologiesreported to date, the Z-source NPC inverter implemented usinga single LC impedance network (see Fig. 2) is considered to bean optimized topology in terms of component count [44], [45].Referring to Fig. 2, the REC Z-source NPC inverter is suppliedwith a split dc source. The middle point O is taken as a reference.By controlling the switches of each phase leg according to thecombinations presented in Table I, each output phase voltageVxo(xε{a, b, c}) has three possibilities: Vi/2, 0, and −Vi/2.

When the REC Z-source NPC inverter is operated withoutany shoot-through states, then Vi is equivalent to 2E. As notedearlier, with this kind of operation, the maximum obtainableoutput line-to-line voltage cannot exceed the available dc sourcevoltage (2E). Therefore, to obtain an output line-to-line voltagegreater than 2E, shoot-through states are carefully inserted intoselected phase legs to boost the input voltage to Vi > 2E beforeit is inverted by the NPC circuitry. Thus, the REC Z-sourceinverter can boost and buck the output line-to-line voltage witha single-stage structure.

In [36], two new switching states namely the UST and LSTstates were identified, in addition to the FST state and the non-shoot-through (NST) states (P, O, and N) that had been reportedearlier in [35]. Although operation using the FST and NST statesis possible (termed the FST operating mode), it is generallypreferable to use the UST and LST states in place of the FSTstates (termed the ULST operating mode). The ULST operatingmode is preferred because it produces an output voltage withenhanced waveform quality.

The simplest FST operating mode requires all four switchesin a phase leg (see Table I) to be turned ON. This is not a minimalloss approach since, for example, switching phase A from +Ethrough FST to 0 V would require switches {Qa1, Qa2, Qa’1,Qa’2} changing from {ON, ON, OFF, OFF} through {ON,ON, ON, ON} to {OFF, ON, ON, OFF}. An alternative FSToperating mode which gives minimal loss uses two phase legsto create the shoot-through path. This requires, for example,synchronization of the turn ON instants of switches Qa1 fromphase A and Qc’2 from phase C at the start of an FST state.Doing so creates a time interval during which switches {Qa1,Qa2, Qa’1} from phase A and {Qc2, Qc’1, Qc’2} from phase Care gated ON simultaneously to create a shoot-through path [35].

However, the output line-to-line voltage obtained using theminimal loss FST approach has higher harmonic distortion(compared to the ULST approach) in its output voltage wave-form because the voltage levels produced do not have adjacentlevel switching [35]. Therefore, in this paper, the ULST op-

erating mode is used for controlling the REC Z-source NPCinverter. Fig. 3(a) shows the simplified equivalent circuit forthe NST state, while Fig. 3(b) and (c) shows the UST and LSTstates. Note that there are multiple ways of creating the UST andLST states using different phases. The choice between these isdiscussed later. Assuming that the Z-source network is symmet-rical (L1 = L2 = L and C1 = C2 = C), then VL1 = VL2 = VL

and VC1 = VC2 = VC and the voltage expressions for the NSTstate are as follows:

NST

VL = 2E − VC (3)

VP = +Vi

2, VN = −Vi

2(4)

Vi = 2(VC − E). (5)

Similarly, the voltage expressions for the UST and LST statesare as follows:

UST

VL1 = E (6)

VP = 0 V, VN = E − VC1 . (7)

LST

VL2 = E (8)

VP = −E + VC2 , VN = 0 V. (9)

We denote the duration of the NST, UST, and LST states byTN , TU , and TL , respectively, and the switching period by T .Also, we assume that TU and TL are equal (this is necessary toensure symmetrical operation) and denote the total combinedUST and LST duration by TULST . At steady state, the averagevoltage across the inductors is zero; therefore, averaging theinductor voltage over one switching period, we have

(2E − VC ) · TN + E · TU + E · TL

T= 0 (10)

TN + TU + TL = T. (11)

Solving for VC using (10) and (11), we have

VC = (2E) ·{

1 − TULST/2T

1 − TULST/T

}. (12)

Substituting (12) into (5), we have the dc-link voltage Vi

during the NST state as

Vi NST ={

2E

1 − TULST/T

}. (13)

Similarly, when (12) is substituted into (7) and (9) and notingthat Vi = VP − VN , we have the dc-link voltage during the USTand LST states as

Vi UST = Vi LST ={

E

1 − TULST/T

}. (14)

It is noted from (13) and (14) that the higher dc-link voltageis present during the NST states and it is twice the dc-link volt-age available during the UST and LST states, as required. The


Fig. 3. Simplified representation of REC Z-source NPC inverter in (a) NST, (b) UST, and (c) LST states

Fig. 4. Space vector diagram of sector 1 for a three-level inverter.

fundamental peak ac output voltage Vxo(xε{a, b, c}) is given by

V̂xo =M√

3· Vi NST (15)

V̂xo =(

11 − TULST/T

){M√

3(2E)

}= B′

{M√

3(2E)

}(16)

where B′ ≥ 1 is the boost factor [44] and all the other symbolshave their usual meaning.

IV. MODIFIED SVM OF THE REC Z-SOURCE NPC INVERTER

A. Duty Cycle Calculation

The space vector diagram of a traditional NPC inverter forsector 1 is shown in Fig. 4. The reference vector �Vref can beexpressed as

Vref (t) =23[Vao(t)ej0 + Vbo(t)ej2π/3 + Vco(t)ej4π/3]. (17)

Generally, in SVM, the reference vector �Vref is synthesizedwith three nearest space vectors, which are selected based on thetriangle in which the reference vector is located at the sampling

instant. If the reference vector is located in triangle 3, the nearestthree vectors are �V1 , �V7 , and �V13 , respectively. Let the duty ratiosof these vectors be denoted by d1 , d2 , and d3 , respectively. Themodulation law with a sequence of the nearest three vectorsbased on the volt–second product is then as follows:

d1 · �V1 + d2 · �V7 + d3 · �V13 = �Vref

d1 + d2 + d3 = 1. (18)

The voltage vectors �V1 , �V7 , �V13 , and �Vref in Fig. 4 can beexpressed as

�V1 =13· (2E)

�V7 =√

33

· ejπ/6 · (2E)

�V13 =23· (2E)

�Vref = Vref · ejθ . (19)

Substituting (19) into (18), the duty ratios of the nearest threevoltage vectors are given by (20), where M is the modulationindex and 0 ≤ θ ≤ π/3

d1 = 2 − 2M sin(π/3 + θ)

d2 = 2M sin θ

d3 = 2M sin(π/3 − θ) − 1. (20)

A similar procedure is used for calculating the duty ratiosof the selected voltage vectors in all the other triangles. Tocomplete the modulation process, the selected voltage vectorsare applied to the output according to a switching sequence.Ideally, a switching sequence is formed in such a way that a high-quality output waveform is obtained with minimum number ofswitching transitions [46].

B. Switching Sequence and Insertion of Shoot-Through States

To achieve the minimal number of switches changing be-tween two adjacent states, a seven-segment switching sequenceis adopted in SVM. If the reference vector stays in triangle3 (see Fig. 4), and using the decomposition method, where the


TABLE IISEVEN-SEGMENT SWITCHING SEQUENCE IN TRIANGLE 3

E-Null1

E-Active1

E-Active2

E-Null2

E-Active2

E-Active1

E-Null1

Segment 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th

Vector V1 V13 V7 V1 V7 V13 V1

State ONN PNN PON POO PON PNN ONN

TABLE IIIPERMISSIBLE UST AND LST STATES

UST states LST statesUNN PLOUON POLOUN PPLNUN LPONUO OPLNOU LPPNNU LOPUNO OLPONU PLP

null state is shifted from {PPP/OOO/NNN} to {POO/ONN}, theEquivalent Null (E-Null) states are V1{POO} and V1{ONN},while the Equivalent Active (E-Active) states are V7{PON}and V13{PNN}, respectively. The seven-segment switching se-quence in triangle 3 can then be briefly illustrated as shownin Table II [46]. In a traditional three-level NPC inverter, onlyswitching transitions between the “P” state and the “O” state orthe “N” state and the “O” state are permitted. Switching directlybetween the “P” state and the “N” state is not allowed becauseit results in all four switches changing state, which results innonequal dynamic voltage and double the switching loss.

In order to introduce shoot-through states, it is necessary todetermine where the UST and LST states can be inserted, andon which phase, in order that the normalized volt–second areaapplied to the load is unchanged from the standard NPC casediscussed above. In addition, it is desirable to ensure that no extracommutations are introduced. Theoretically, a shoot-throughstate can be introduced on any phase which is switched to thezero level (O) without affecting that phase voltage. However,the effect on the line-to-line voltages must also be taken intoaccount. Note that when any phase has UST applied, the positiverail (P) is at the same potential as the dc mid-point (O). Similarly,during LST, the negative rail (N) is at the same potential as thedc mid-point (O). Consequently, it is only possible to use theUST state on a given phase when it is connected to O and theother two phases are connected either to O or N in order toget the correct line-to-line voltages. Similarly, an LST state canonly be used when the other two phases are O or P. Therefore,the permissible shoot-through states are as shown in Table IIIwhere “U” and “L” represent UST and LST states in a phaseleg, respectively.

Taking the above into account, the objective is to deploy theUST/LST states for voltage boosting in an optimal way that doesnot increase the number of commutations. A modified PWMsequence which achieves this can be derived as discussed below.Fig. 5(a) shows the seven-segment PWM switching sequencesfor modulating a traditional NPC inverter and an REC Z-source

(a)

(b)

Fig. 5. Modulation of traditional NPC and Z-source NPC when the referencevector is in (a) triangle 3 and (b) triangle 2a on the three-level vector diagramshown in Fig. 4.

NPC inverter when the reference vector, �Vref is in triangle 3 ofthe vector diagram shown in Fig. 4.

Comparing the sequences shown in Fig. 5(a), it is observedthat the only difference between them is the insertion of a USTstate in phase A to the left of the E-active state {PNN} andthe insertion of an LST state in phase C to the right of theE-active state {PON}, respectively, within half switching pe-riod, T/2. Insertion of shoot-through states at these instants willnot result in additional switching since, for example, the tran-sition from {ONN} to {PNN} can be achieved by switchingdevices {Qa1 , Qa2 , Qa ′1 , Qa ′2} from {OFF, ON, ON, OFF}through {ON, ON, ON, OFF} to {ON, ON, OFF, OFF} [47].The process is reversed in the remaining half switching period.The phase A voltage during the UST state is the same as thatof the “O” state because during the UST state, the voltage E isdropped across inductor L1 and the voltage seen by phase leg Ais 0 V [see Fig. 3(b)]. Hence, the {UNN} and {ONN} states cansupplement each other for voltage boosting without modifyingthe line-to-line volt–second average (normalized by taking theboost factor into account).

Applying the same analysis and moving on to the secondtransition ({PNN} to {PON}), where phase B switches fromthe “N” state to the “O” state, no shoot-through state is inserted(note that it is not possible to introduce UST or LST for the{PON} state for the reasons discussed earlier). Moving forwardagain to the third transition ({PON} to {POO}) where phase Cswitches from the “N” state to the “O” state, an LST state isinserted since the switching of devices {Qc1 , Qc2 , Qc ′1 , Qc ′2}from {OFF, OFF, ON, ON} through {OFF, ON, ON, ON} to{OFF, ON, ON, OFF} will not affect phases A and B, whichremain clamped to points P and O. The phase C voltage duringthe LST state is equal to that of the “O” state since the voltageE is dropped across inductor L2 and the voltage seen by phaseC is 0 V [see Fig. 3(c)]. This means that the {POL} and {POO}states can supplement each other for voltage boosting withoutmodifying the produced volt–second average (normalized bytaking the boost factor into account).


TABLE IVSWITCHING SEQUENCES AND INSERTION OF SHOOT-THROUGH STATES IN

TRIANGLES 2–4

Triangle Switching Sequence2a {ONN} → {UNN} → {OON} → {PON} → {POL} → {POO}2b {PPO} → {PPL} → {POO} → {PON} → {UON} → {OON}3 {ONN} → {UNN} → {PNN} → {PON} → {POL} → {POO}4 {OON} → {UON} → {PON} → {PPN} → {PPL} → {PPO}

When the previous methodology is applied to another distincttriangle, triangle 2a, a similar state sequence is derived andshown in Fig. 5(b). It is noted that although it is possible toinsert a UST state at the ({OON} to {PON}) transition, noshoot-though state is inserted at this transition since doing sowill result in an inferior output voltage. From the above, it isnoted that in all triangles, the UST (or LST) states are insertedat the “E-Null” to “E-Active” state transitions with no shoot-through states inserted at the “E-Active” to “E-Active” statetransitions.

It is also noted that the shoot-through states do not affect thePWM control of the inverter, because they equivalently producethe same zero voltage at the load terminals. Another featurenoted with the ULST modulation scheme is that the UST andLST states are introduced for only half of the total shoot-throughduration of TULST , unlike the FST modulation scheme, wherethe Z-source network is shorted for the full shoot-through dura-tion. Therefore, to produce the same boost factor for the ULSTand FST schemes, we need to set TULST/T = 2TFST/T , whereTFST is the FST duration. The available shoot-through periodis limited by the E-null period that is determined by the mod-ulation index according to (21) for the simple boost controlmethod [34], [44]

TULST

2T=

TFST

T=

TU

T=

TL

T= 1 − M. (21)

Table IV gives a summary of the above discussions whenthe reference vector is in the various triangles of sector 1. Asimilar situation happens in sectors 2–6. However, it should benoted that in triangle 1, no shoot-through states are inserted be-cause this corresponds to a low modulation index which causesthe inverter to degenerate into three-level line-to-line voltageswitching with no additional voltage boost produced [34].

V. SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

To verify the proposed approach, simulations were first per-formed in SABER before the proposed SVM-based modulationalgorithm was validated experimentally using an REC Z-sourceNPC inverter prototype. The hardware Z-source network wasimplemented using 6.3-mH inductors and 2200-μF capacitors,and powered by a 120-V split dc supply. The dc-link outputof the Z-source network was connected to an existing NPCinverter to generate the expected five-level output line-to-linevoltage waveform. The Z-source converter was controlled usinga Texas Instrument TI6713 DSK and an Actel ProAsic 3 basedfield-programmable gate array board designed by the Universityof Nottingham. A switching frequency of 5 kHz was used forthis study.

Fig. 6. Simulated waveforms of REC Z-source NPC inverter. (Top to Bottom):Spectrum of line-to-line voltage, line-to-line voltage, line currents, capacitorvoltage, and dc-link voltage when M = 0.825 and TULST /T = 0.

A. Simulation Results

In the SABER simulation platform, a standalone RL loadcomprising a three-phase 57.6-Ω resistor bank and a three-phase35.5-mH inductor bank was used to verify the theoretical find-ings. To demonstrate the boosting ability of the REC Z-sourceNPC inverter, first, a modulation index, M of 0.825 and a shoot-through ratio, TULST/T of 0 were used for the nonboost case.Fig. 6 shows the spectrum of the output line-to-line voltage,the output line-to-line voltage, line currents, Z-source capacitorvoltage, and the dc-link voltage seen at the input of the NPC cir-cuitry. The inverter dc-link voltage is obviously not boosted andthe peak value of the output line-to-line voltage is maintained atalmost 120 V by the dc source. The spectrum of the output line-to-line voltage shows a peak fundamental component of 98 V,corresponding to a phase voltage of 57 V which is the expectedvalue according to (16). High-quality sinusoidal line currentsare also observed. The voltage across the Z-source capacitors(VC1 , VC2 = VC ) is clearly maintained at almost 120 V sinceno boosting is commanded. Similarly, the dc-link voltage seenby the NPC circuitry, Vi is maintained at around 120 V.

Next, the modulation index M was maintained at 0.825 butboosting was commanded by setting the shoot-through ratio,TULST/T to 0.35 (TU /T = TL/T = TULST/2T = 0.35/2 =0.175). From (16), this yields a boost factor of 1/0.65 (=1.53),and hence, the expected peak fundamental line-to-line voltageis 98×1.53 (=149 V). Fig. 7 shows the corresponding boostedinverter waveforms. The spectrum of the line-to-line voltageshows a peak fundamental value of 140 V compared to anexpected value of 149 V. Also, the dc-link voltage has beenboosted to 170 V, compared to an expected value of 184 V ac-cording to (13). It is also noted that the line currents are not dis-torted even when shoot-through states are intentionally insertedinto the appropriate phase legs because of the presence of theZ-source network. The voltage across the Z-source capacitors isboosted to 145 V compared to an expected value of 152 V [see(12)]. In addition, the dc-link voltage seen by the NPC circuitryassumes two distinct levels of almost 170 and 85 V, respectively.From the simulation results, it is noted that there are slight errors


TABLE VCOMPARISON OF ULST AND FST STRATEGIES

ULST strategy Minimal loss FST strategy Simplest FST strategyTHD 37.25% 58.75% 58.75%

Commutation count 2 4 4Switching loss Low Medium High

Fig. 7. Simulated waveforms of REC Z-source NPC inverter. (Top to Bottom):Spectrum of line-to-line voltage, line-to-line voltage, line currents, capacitorvoltage, and dc-link voltage when M = 0.825 and TULST /T = 0.35.

Fig. 8. Simulated waveforms of REC Z-source NPC inverter using FST strat-egy. (Top to Bottom): Spectrum of line-to-line voltage, line-to-line voltage,line currents, capacitor voltage, and dc-link voltage when M = 0.825 andTFST /T = 0.175.

between the expected and actual values. These errors are dueto the fact that the voltage drop across the diodes D1, D2 andthe inductors L1 , L2 was neglected in the derivation of all theequations.

The simulation results show that the REC Z-source NPCinverter, with the proposed SVM algorithm, is able to boost theoutput line-to-line voltage to a value higher than the availabledc supply voltage with sinusoidal output currents.

To show the improved harmonic performance of the ULSTstrategy over the FST strategy, simulations using the FST strat-egy were also carried out with the same parameters as those ofthe ULST strategy (except that TFST/T = 0.175 = 0.35/2) andthe results shown in Fig. 8. Table V gives a comparison of the

(a)

(b)

Fig. 9. Comparison of NST operation and ULST operation with the same dc-link voltage. (a) Without shoot-through, THD = 37.77. (b) With shoot-through,THD = 37.26.

performances of the ULST strategy, nonminimal loss FST, andthe minimal loss FST strategies.

Also, to show that the UST and LST states do not introduceany significant harmonic distortion to the output line-to-linevoltage, the same dc-link voltage was used for the nonboostmode (i.e., 2E = 120 V, TULST/T = 0) and the boost mode(2E = 120/1.53 V, TULST/T = 0.35) and their harmonic per-formances compared as shown in Fig. 9.

Finally, the simulation results of the carrier-based PWM de-scribed in [36] using the same parameters as those of the pro-posed SVM strategy are shown in Figs. 10 and 11, and the totalharmonic distortion (THD) of the output line-to-line voltage iscompared to that of the proposed SVM strategy in Table VI.

From Table VI, it can be concluded that the harmonic per-formance of the proposed SVM strategy is comparable tothe carrier-based PWM with zero-sequence voltage injection


Fig. 10. Simulation results for carrier-based PWM. (Top to Bottom): Spectrumof line-to-line voltage, line-to-line voltage, and line currents when M = 0.825and TULST /T = 0.

Fig. 11. Simulation results for carrier-based PWM. (Top to Bottom): Spectrumof line-to-line voltage, line-to-line voltage, and line currents when M = 0.825and TULST /T = 0.35.

TABLE VICOMPARISON OF THD OF THE PROPOSED SVM AND CARRIER-BASED PWM

WITH ZERO-SEQUENCE VOLTAGE INJECTION

Proposed SVM Optimised carrier-based PWMNon boost Mode 37.77% 37.47%

ULST Mode 37.26% 36.81%

strategy described in [36] and hence is a competitive alternativefor modulating the Z-source NPC inverter.

B. Experimental Verification

The simulation results presented in Section V-A have beenvalidated experimentally. A balanced RL load consisting of57.6-Ω resistive bank and 35.5-mH inductive bank was used.First, the modulation index M and shoot-through ratio TULST/Twere set to 0.9 and 0, respectively, for the nonboost case. Thewaveforms from the prototype are shown in Fig. 12, from whichit is noted that the inverter dc-link voltage is not boosted butmaintained at 120 V by the dc source. The spectrum of theoutput line-to-line voltage shows a fundamental component ofpeak value 101 V compared to the expected value of 108 V. Thevoltage across the Z-source capacitors (VC1 , VC2 = VC ) is also

Fig. 12. Experimental waveforms of REC Z-source NPC inverter. (Top toBottom): Spectrum of line-to-line voltage, line-to-line voltage, line currents,capacitor voltage, and dc-link voltage when M = 0.9 and TULST /T = 0.

Fig. 13. Experimental waveforms of REC Z-source NPC inverter. (Top toBottom): Spectrum of line-to-line voltage, line-to-line voltage, line currents,capacitor voltage, and dc-link voltage when M = 0.9 and TULST /T = 0.2.

maintained at 120 V. Good-quality sinusoidal output currentswere also obtained.

Next, with M maintained at 0.9 and TULST/T increased to0.2 (B′ = 1.25), Fig. 13 shows the corresponding boosted wave-forms. Here, it is noted that the output line-to-line voltage hasbeen boosted to about 145 V compared to an expected value of150 V. The spectrum of the output line-to-line voltage also givesa fundamental value of 123 V compared to an expected valueof (1.25 × 108 = 135 V). The line currents are also observedto have been boosted. Also, the Z-source capacitor voltage wasboosted to about 132 V compared to an expected value of 135 V.The effective dc-link voltage seen by the NPC circuitry was alsoobserved to have assumed two distinct voltage levels of about72 and 145 V, respectively. The difference between the experi-mental and expected values can be attributed to the fact that theconverter semiconductors and passive components were consid-ered to be ideal in the derivation of the previous equations.


VI. CONCLUSION

In this paper, a modified SVM for an REC Z-source NPCinverter is presented. Using carefully inserted UST and LSTstates to the traditional NPC inverter state sequence, the RECZ-Source NPC inverter functions with the correct volt–secondaverage and voltage boosting capability regardless of the angularposition of the reference vector. The insertion of the shoot-through states was such that the number of device commutationswas kept at a minimum of six per sampling period, similar to thatneeded by a traditional NPC inverter. The presented conceptshave been verified in simulations and validated experimentallyusing a three-phase REC Z-source NPC inverter prototype.

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Francis Boafo Effah received the B.Sc. degree inelectrical and electronic engineering from the KwameNkrumah University of Science and Technology,Kumasi, Ghana, in 2001, and the M.Sc. degreein electrical engineering from the University ofNottingham, Nottingham, U.K., in 2009, where heis currently working toward the Ph.D. degree in thePower Electronics Machines and Control ResearchGroup.

From July 2003 to August 2008, he worked withHospital Engineering Limited, Accra, Ghana, as an

Electronic Engineer. His research interests include multilevel, matrix andZ-source converters, and their advanced modulation schemes.

Patrick Wheeler (M’00) received the B.Eng. (Hons.)degree from the University of Bristol, Bristol,U.K., in 1990, where he also received the Ph.D. de-gree in 1994 in electrical engineering for his work onmatrix converters.

In 1993, he joined the University of Nottingham,Nottingham, U.K., and worked as a Research Assis-tant in the Department of Electrical and ElectronicEngineering. In 1996, he became a Lecturer in thePower Electronics, Machines and Control Group atthe University of Nottingham, where he has been a

Full Professor since 2008. His research interests include power conversion andEnergy and More Electric Aircraft technology.

Jon Clare (M’90–SM’04) was born in Bristol, U.K.He received the B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electricalengineering from the University of Bristol, Bristol.

Since 1990, he has been with the University ofNottingham, Nottingham, U.K., where he is currentlya Professor of Power Electronics and the Head ofthe Power Electronics, Machines and Control Re-search Group. His research interests include powerelectronic systems and applications, power electronicconverter topologies, and their control. His work iscurrently directed toward applications in aerospace,

energy systems, and in high-power RF.Dr. Clare is a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology

(IET) U.K. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the IET Journal of PowerElectronics and is an Associate Editor for the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER

ELECTRONICS. He is a former member of the Executive Council of the Euro-pean Power Electronics Association and the IEEE Power Electronics SocietyAdCom.

Alan Watson (M’08) received the Master’s andPh.D. degrees in electronic engineering and electri-cal and electronic engineering from the University ofNottingham, Nottingham, U.K., in 2004 and 2008,respectively.

He is currently a Senior Research Fellow in thePower Electronics, Machines and Control Group,University of Nottingham. His research interests in-clude multilevel converters, advanced modulationschemes, resonant power converters, and power con-verter control.

Dr. Watson is a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

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