Title :
Feedforward Loss Control of Three-Level Active NPC Converters
Author :
Brückner, Thomas ; Bernet, Steffen ; Steimer, Peter K.
Author_Institution :
Converteam GmbH, Berlin
Abstract :
The three-level neutral-point-clamped voltage-source converter (NPC VSC) is widely used in high-power medium-voltage (MV) applications. To overcome its major drawback - the unequal loss distribution among the semiconductors - the use of active NPC (ANPC) switches was previously proposed. In this paper, a simple feedforward loss-control scheme for the ANPC converter is presented. The principle of operation of the ANPC VSC is experimentally verified for the first time. Electrical measurements on a low-voltage test bench prove the proper function of the ANPC converter. Infrared junction temperature measurements confirm the improved loss distribution using the new loss-control scheme. Finally, the authors demonstrate the superior performance of the loss-controlled ANPC converter in various MV applications.
Keywords :
feedforward; power convertors; feedforward loss control; high power medium voltage applications; high-power converters; infrared junction temperature measurements; neutral point clamped voltage source converter; three level active NPC converters; Industry Applications Society; Insulated gate bipolar transistors; Inverters; Power conversion; Power generation; Switches; Switching converters; Switching frequency; Topology; Voltage; Medium-voltage (MV) converters; multilevel converters;
Journal_Title :
Industry Applications, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TIA.2007.908164