Performance Evaluation of Switch Devices Equipped in High-Power Three-Level Inverters

The feature of the integrated gate-commutated thyristors (IGCTs) makes them have excellent performance in high-voltage high-current field. The high integration of drives and devices makes it very convenient to use them. In order to examine the dynamic characters of switch devices in high-power three-level inverter, an experimental test for IGCTs and diodes equipped in inverter is proposed and described in detail. The characteristics of switch devices are compared and evaluated experimentally. The relation between the devices´ switching behavior and the other elements in the inverter, such as the inverter´s structure, the topology position of devices, the stray inductances in commutating loops, etc., are analyzed. Moreover, the busbar structure is improved, and the key pulsewidth-modulation parameter of the inverter is determined. Finally, the advantages of the experiment are summarized in the conclusion.