INVERTERS

Dc to ac converters
Change a dc input voltage to a symetric ac

output voltage of desired magnitude and

frequency (fixed or variable

Variable output voltage can be obtained by varying input

dc voltage and maintaining the gain of the inverter const.

If the input dc voltage is fixed gain of the inverter is varied
output voltage is varied
Inverter gain is defined as ratio of the ac output voltage to
dc input voltage
Output voltages of ideal inverters are sinusoidal
Output voltages of practical inverters are non sinusoidal
and contain certain harmonics
For low and medium power applications,square wave or
quasi square wave voltages may be acceptable
For high power applications low distorted sinusoidal
waveforms

Applications
Variable speed ac motor drives
Induction heating
Standby power supplies
Ups

Typical power outputs of inverters

1.120 v at 60hz
2.220v at 50hz
3.115v at 400hz
for three phase
1.220v to 380v at 50hz
2.120v to 208v at 60hz ,115v to 200v at 400hz

 Inverters can be broadly classified into two types

1. single phase inverters

2.three phase inverters
These inverters generally use PWM control signals
For producing an ac output voltage
VFI input voltage remains constant
CFI - input current remains constant
Resonent pulse inverter if the output or current of the
inverter is forced to pass through zero by creating an LC
resonent circuit

Single-phase half-bridge inverter

Operational Details

3-wire DC source

Consists of 2 choppers, 3-wire DC source

Transistors switched on and off alternately
Need to isolate the gate signal for Q1 (upper device)
Each provides opposite polarity of Vs/2 across the load

Q1 on, Q2 off, vo = Vs/2

Peak Reverse Voltage of Q2 = Vs

Q1 off, Q2 on, vo = -Vs/2

Waveforms with resistive load

Look at the output voltage

rms value of the output voltage, Vo

1
2

Vs
2 V
Vo
dt

2
To 0 4

To
2

2
s

Fourier Series of the instantaneous output

voltage
ao
vo an cos(nt ) bn sin(nt )
2 n 1
ao , an 0
0

Vs
1 Vs
bn
sin(nt )d (t ) sin(nt )d (t )
2
2
0

2Vs
bn
n 1,3,5,...
n

2Vs
vo
sin(nt )
n 1,3,5,.. n

rms value of the fundamental component

2Vs
vo
sin nt
n 1,3,5,.. n
1 2Vs
Vo1
2
Vo1 0.45Vs

When the load is highly inductive

Turn off Q1 at t = To/2

Current falls to 0 via D2, L, Vs/2 lower

+
Vs/2
+
Vs/2
-

Turn off Q2 at t = To
Current falls to 0 via D1, L, Vs/2 upper

+
Vs/2
-

+
Vs/2
-

Load Current for a highly inductive load

Transistors are only switched on for a quarter-cycle, or 90

Fourier Series of the output current for an RL

load

vo
vo
2Vs
io

sin(nt n )
2
2
Z R jn L n 1,3,5,... n R (n L)

n L
n tan (
)
R
1

Fundamental Output Power

In most cases, the useful power

Po1 Vo1 I o1 cos 1 I o21 R

2Vs

2 R ( L)

Po1

DC Supply Current
If the inverter is lossless, average power

absorbed by the load equals the average power

supplied by the dc source.
T

v (t )i (t )dt v (t )i (t )dt
s

For an inductive load, the current is

approximately sinusoidal and the fundamental

component of the output voltage supplies the
power to the load. Also, the dc supply voltage
remains essentially at Vs.

DC Supply Current (continued)

T

1
0 is (t )dt Vs

2Vo1 sin(t ) 2 I o sin(t 1 )dt I s

Vo1
Is
I o cos(1 )
Vs

Performance Parameters
Harmonic factor of the nth harmonic (HF n)

Von
HFn
Vo1

for n>1

Von = rms value of the nth harmonic component

V01 = rms value of the fundamental component

Performance Parameters (continued)

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)
Measures the closeness in shape between a

waveform and its fundamental component

1
2
THD
( Von )
Vo1 n 2,3,...

1
2

Performance Parameters (continued)

Distortion Factor (DF)
Indicates the amount of HD that remains in a

particular waveform after the harmonics have

been subjected to second-order attenuation.

1
DF

Vo1

Von

2
n 2,3,... n

Von
DFn
Vo1n 2

for n>1

1
2

Performance Parameters (continued)

Lowest order harmonic (LOH)
The harmonic component whose frequency is closest to

the fundamental, and its amplitude is greater than or

equal to 3% of the amplitude of the fundamental
component.

Single-phase full-bridge inverter

Operational Details

Consists of 4 choppers and a 3-wire DC source

Q1-Q2 and Q3-Q4 switched on and off alternately
Need to isolate the gate signal for Q1 and Q3 (upper)
Each pair provide opposite polarity of Vs across the load

Q1-Q2 on, Q3-Q4 off, vo = Vs

+ Vs -

Q3-Q4 on, Q1-Q2 off, vo = -Vs

- Vs +

When the load is highly inductive

Turn Q1-Q2 off Q3-Q4 off

Turn Q3-Q4 off Q1-Q2 off

Load current for a highly inductive load

Example 6.3 MultiSim7

C1
1000uF

Q1
1V0V

XFG1

C2
1000uF

Q4
1V0V

D1
DIODE_VIRTUAL

10 Ohm

31.5mH

D4
DIODE_VIRTUAL

D3
DIODE_VIRTUAL

Q3
1V0V

D2
DIODE_VIRTUAL

Q2
1V0V

C
112uF

Example 6.3 using the scope

XSC1
G

C1
1000uF

Vs
220 V

Q1
1V0V

XFG1

D1
DIODE_VIRTUAL

Rs
1 Ohm

C2
1000uF

Q4
1V0V

D3
DIODE_VIRTUAL

Q3
1V0V

D2
DIODE_VIRTUAL

Q2
1V0V

9 Ohm 31.5mH 112uF

D4
DIODE_VIRTUAL