Single-Phase to Three-Phase Power Converters: State of the Art

Single-phase to three-phase conversion using power electronics converters is a well-known technology, especially when the configurations and control strategies already established in the technical literature are considered. Regarding the configurations conceived over the years, it can be observed two main tendencies: 1) configurations with a reduced number of components; and 2) configurations with an increased number of components. The search for topologies with a reduced number of components was the trend over a long period of time. This can be, in part, explained by the high cost of the power switch when compared to the capacitor used in the dc-link bus. Then, the converter leg was sometimes substituted for the midpoint capacitor. However, as far as the price of the semiconductor was going down, such tendency has been changed, and now the configurations with an increased number of components do appear as an interesting option, especially in terms of reliability, efficiency, and distortions improvement. A comprehensive review of the two possibilities (reduced and increased number of components) has been considered in this paper. Also, the single-phase to three-phase ac-ac direct conversion configurations and those which aim to reduce the dc-link voltage fluctuation have been included. The goal of this paper is to provide a complete range on the status of single-phase to three-phase power conversion technologies to professionals and researchers interested in this topic.