A Criterion for Performance Comparison Between High Power Inverter Circuits

The efficiency and economics of inverter circuits with high power ratings tend to be determined largely by the size of the passive elements required in the commutation circuit and, to a lesser extent, by the combined current-voltage requirements of the semiconductors. In order to facilitate comparative evaluation of inverter circuits of different configurations which are all candidates for the same application, an analytical expression representative of the total kVA rating of the passive components can be derived for each circuit from the data defining the application. Combining this with a similar expression reflecting the volt-ampere requirements of the active devices, an overall circuit figure of merit can be generated. In certain paper studies, a comparison between such figures of merit can provide a useful, if not infallible, tool for appraising several candidate circuits.