PWM Inverters Using Split-Wound Coupled Inductors

The number of output-voltage levels available in pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) voltage-source inverters can be increased by inserting a split-wound coupled inductor between the upper and lower switches in each inverter leg. Interleaved PWM control of both inverter-leg switches produces three-level PWM voltage waveforms at the center tap of the coupled inductor winding, representing the inverter-leg output terminal, with a PWM frequency twice the switching frequency. The winding leakage inductance is in series with the output terminal, with the main magnetizing inductance filtering the instantaneous PWM-cycle voltage differences between the upper and lower switches. Since PWM dead-time signal delays can be removed, higher device switching frequencies and higher fundamental output voltages are made possible. The proposed inverter topologies produce five-level PWM voltage waveforms between two inverter-leg terminals with a PWM frequency up to four times higher than the inverter switching frequency. This is achieved with half the number of switches used in alternative schemes. This paper uses simulated and experimental results to illustrate the operation of the proposed inverter structures.