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Along with the commercialization of SiC‐MOSFETs and progress in the development of GaN power devices, high‐speed, high‐frequency switching and reduction in conduction loss of power devices are expected. Hence reduction of the size and increase of conversion efficiency of power electronics equipment is greatly expected. On the other hand, even if power devices are switched at high speed and high frequency, the loss of passive devices such as transformers, inductors, and capacitors used in power converters increases, making it difficult to make the power converters smaller than expected. In other words, there is a demand for performance improvements of passive devices from various viewpoints, including miniaturization and low loss, which are compatible with high‐speed, high‐frequency switching operations of power devices. This paper introduces recent research results on loss evaluation methods considering the operating state of passive devices used in small‐to‐medium‐capacity power converters those perform high‐frequency switching operations. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes our recent work on Grid‐Forming Inverter (GFM) application to power systems. We have developed a novel design of GFM, a single‐phase synchronous inverter (SSI) for the conventional 100/200V distribution network based on the concept of "non‐interference core (NIC) dynamic model." This paper first explains the design concept of NIC‐SSI and a simulation model of SSI for power system analysis. Then the stabilization effect is investigated, where the installation of SSI on the single‐phase consumer side is assumed as a new concept. The improvement of frequency and transient stability are evaluated. The SSI model is verified by comparing the developed root mean square (RMS) simulation, hardware‐in‐the‐loop (HIL) simulation, and the experiment using SSI hardware. The simulation results show that the SSI has the considerable ability of grid stabilization. Singlephase micro‐grid (SMG) operations using SSIs are also presented. The effectiveness of SMG operations is shown based on laboratory experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel iron loss calculation method is proposed based on an iron loss map for an ac filter inductor used in a pulsewidth-modulation (PWM) inverter. The iron loss map, previously reported by the authors, is created by measuring the dynamic minor loop on the B-H plane, and this is used for the calculation of inductor iron loss in the dc chopper circuit. However, in the case of an ac filter inductor used in a PWM inverter, the iron loss map cannot be directory applied to the iron loss calculation. In this paper, an iron loss calculation for an ac filter inductor is presented by expanding the loss map method. We describe the principle of expansion and the practical procedure for the calculation, which utilizes the loss map and a conventional circuit simulator. Iron loss for the ac filter inductor under some typical modulation methods of the PWM inverter are calculated and discussed with regard to the relation between the modulation methods and iron loss. The calculated results are verified using experimental results from a 500-W inverter setup. The inductor loss and conversion efficiency of the PWM inverter are measured for each modulation method. Index Terms--AC filter inductor loss, pulsewidth-modulation (PWM) inverters.

Due to the advance of information technologies, a large number of electronic products such as personal computers have been connected to power distribution systems in commercial buildings. Hence, voltage distortion on utility outlets and excessive neutral current on distribution lines have arisen and lead to a number of serious problems in the distribution system. Two control methods and the related compensation characteristics of a series active filter connected to the neutral conductor are presented in this paper. The distinct functions of the proposed active filter are the mitigation of the third-harmonic voltage and the neutral current in a three-phase four-wire distribution system in a building. The required power of the proposed active filter is less than 10% of that of the harmonic-producing loads. A control method of the dc capacitor voltage on the active filter circuit is also described. It is clarified through experiments that one of the two functions of the active filter can be realized selectively and the dc capacitor voltage of the active filter can be regulated to a desired value. Index Terms--Harmonic voltage distortion, neutral conductor, series active filter, third harmonic.

In recent years, interest in natural energy has grown in response to increased concern for the environment. Many kinds of inverter circuits and their control schemes for photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems have been studied. A conventional system employs a PV array in which many PV modules are connected in series to obtain sufficient dc input voltage for generating ac utility line voltage from an inverter circuit. However, the total power generated from the PV array is sometimes decreased remarkably when only a few modules are partially covered by shadows, thereby decreasing inherent current generation, and preventing the generation current from attaining its maximum value on the array. To overcome this drawback, an ac module strategy has been proposed. In this system, a low-power dc-ac utility interactive inverter is individually mounted on each PV module and operates so as to generate the maximum power from its corresponding PV module. Especially in the case of a single-phase utility interactive inverter, an electrolytic capacitor of large capacitance has been connected on the dc input bus in order to decouple the power pulsation caused by single-phase power generation to the utility line. However, especially during the summer season, the ac module inverters have to operate under a very high atmospheric temperature, and hence the lifetime of the inverter is shortened, because the electrolytic capacitor has a drastically shortened life when used in a high-temperature environment. Of course, we may be able to use film capacitors instead of the electrolytic capacitors if we can pay for the extreme large volume of the inverter. However, this is not a realistic solution for ac module systems. This paper proposes a novel flyback-type utility interactive inverter circuit topology suitable for ac module systems when its lifetime under high atmospheric temperature is taken into account. A most distinctive feature of the proposed system is that the decoupling of power pulsation is executed by an additional circuit that enables employment of film capacitors with small capacitance not only for the dc input line but also for the decoupling circuit, and hence the additional circuit is expected to extend the lifetime of the inverter. The proposed inverter circuit also enables realization of small volume, lightweight, and stable ac current injection into the utility line. A control method suitable for the proposed inverter is also proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed inverter is verified thorough P-SIM simulation and experiments on a 100-W prototype. Index Terms--AC module, flyback inverter, photovoltaic (PV) power generation, utility interactive inverter.

This paper presents an overview of single-phase inverters developed for small distributed power generators. The functions of inverters in distributed power generation (DG) systems include dc-ac conversion, output power quality assurance, various protection mechanisms, and system controls. Unique requirements for small distributed power generation systems include low cost, high efficiency and tolerance for an extremely wide range of input voltage variations. These requirements have driven the inverter development toward simpler topologies and structures, lower component counts, and tighter modular design. Both single-stage and multiple-stage inverters have been developed for power conversion in DG systems. Single-stage inverters offer simple structure and low cost, but suffer from a limited range of input voltage variations and are often characterized by compromised system performance. On the other hand, multiple-stage inverters accept a wide range of input voltage variations, but suffer from high cost, complicated structure and low efficiency. Various circuit topologies are presented, compared, and evaluated against the requirements of power decoupling and dual-grounding, the capabilities for grid-connected or/and stand-alone operations, and specific DG applications in this paper, along with the identification of recent development trends of single-phase inverters for distributed power generators. Index Terms--Distributed power generation, multiple-stage inverters, single-phase inverters, single-stage inverters.

This paper presents a novel photovoltaic inverter that can not only synchronize a sinusoidal ac output current with a utility line voltage, but also control the power generation of each photovoltaic module in an array. The proposed inverter system is composed of a half-bridge inverter at the utility interface and a novel generation control circuit which compensates for reductions in the output power of the system that are attributable to variations in the generation conditions of respective photovoltaic modules. The generation control circuit allows each photovoltaic module to operate independently at peak capacity, simply by detecting the output power of the system. Furthermore, the generation control circuit attenuates low-frequency ripple voltage, which is caused by the half-bridge inverter, across the photovoltaic modules. Consequently, the output power of system is increased due to the increase in average power generated by the photovoltaic modules. The effectiveness of the proposed inverter system is confirmed experimentally and by means of simulation. Index Terms--Maximum power point tracking control, photovoltaic module, photovoltaic power generation, utility interactive inverters.

A novel type of solid-state ballast, which operates in the megahertz-range frequency, is presented in this paper. A circuit composed of a voltage-source half-bridge inverter, distributed constant line, and parallel LC resonant circuit has been developed for this purpose. The high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp is connected to the output terminal of the inverter through the distributed constant line. Here, since the length of the line is adjusted to 1/4 of the propagation wavelength [Lambda] ([Lambda]/4 condition), the output voltage of the voltage-source inverter can be converted to a current source on the load side. Therefore, the ballast can supply not only high voltage to the HID lamp for initiating discharge, but also stable current to it during discharge condition. The modification of the proposed circuit is also proposed in order to expand the operating frequency without increasing the undesirable harmonic current. The experimental results from a prototype system verify the theoretical procedure. Index Terms - Ballast, distributed constant line, HID lamp, high-frequency inverter.

A novel type of solid-state ballast, which operates in the megahertz-range frequency, is presented in this paper. A circuit composed of a voltage-fed half-bridge inverter, a distributed constant line, and a parallel LC resonant circuit has been developed for this purpose. The high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp is connected to the output terminal of the inverter through the distributed constant line. Here, since the length of the line is adjusted to 1/4 of the propagation wavelength [Lambda], the output voltage of the voltage-fed inverter can be converted to a current source on the load side. Based on the experiment results, the ballast appears to be able to supply not only high voltage, but also constant current for ignition of the HID lamp. The experimental results from a prototype system are used to verify the theoretical procedure. Index Terms - Ballast, distributed constant line, high-intensity discharge lamp, megahertz operation, metal-halide lamp, voltage-fed inverter.

This paper presents a new auxiliary resonant commutated pole inverter that has series-connected batteries as the dc source. This inverter has two main switches and two auxiliary switches, and of all these devices achieve soft switching. The resonant operations are employed only during the commutating intervals; therefore, pulsewidth modulation (PWM) can be applied to the circuit. This circuit has the feature of using two internal voltage points of the dc source. Consequently, the circuit has the advantages of stability, simplicity in control, and high efficiency. The principle of the circuit operation and the experimental results are described in this paper. Index Terms - Auxiliary resonant commutated pole, batteries, pulsewidth modulation, soft switching.

This paper presents a new topology for a pulsewidth modulation (PWM) rectifier which achieves unity power factor on the ac supply side and ripple reduction on the dc output side. The main circuit of this rectifier consists of a conventional PWM rectifier and a pair of additional switches. The switches and PWM rectifier are controlled such that the ripple current on the dc line is reduced, and unity power factor is achieved on the ac line. As a result, this circuit does not require a large dc capacitor or a passive LC resonant circuit. Furthermore, control of the additional switches and PWM rectifier requires only a simple control circuit. The effectiveness of this circuit was confirmed by experiments and analysis. The rectifier is useful for uninterruptible power systems (UPS's) and dc power supplies, especially for cases in which batteries are connected to the dc line. Index Terms - Battery, PWM converter, ripple.