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This paper analyzes in detail the effect of a simple solution for ground leakage current mitigation applicable to transformerless three-phase current source inverter (CSI). The circuit modification solution is assessed for both traditional CSI topology and for CSI with an additional seventh switch, in literature named CSI7 (or H7), in particular with the splitting of the dc input inductance. In the present work, the solution is applied to grid-connected converters for string photovoltaic applications: scope of the circuit modification is to provide an internal return path from the wye connected capacitors of the output CL filter. This additional return path is able to significantly reduce the ground leakage current without adversely affecting THD. The performance of the proposed solution is assessed by the numerical simulations in case of a string of photovoltaic (PV) modules and the different behavior of CSI and CSI7 topologies is thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, the definition of VcmZC is assessed by applying it to the common mode equivalent circuits for CSI7 with additional return path and their validation by means of a two-step simulation. The simulation results and experimental validation shows good agreement and confirm that the proposed solution is able to strongly reduce the ground leakage current.

A single-phase transformerless full-bridge photovoltaic grid-tie inverter is presented. It utilizes 1) a virtual ground technique to mitigate ground leakage current, 2) a hybrid pulsewidth modulation (HPWM) scheme to profile the output current and prevent sudden changes in the common-mode voltage, and 3) a nonlinear output inductor to attenuate current ripple around zero crossings and minimize filter size. The HPWM is effectively the same as unipolar PWM (UPWM), but with soft voltage transition modulation introduced around the zero crossings. Apart from low switching losses, the output filter is implemented with a minimum number of components to achieve high attenuation of ripple current. By deriving the switching trajectory, a mathematical model is formulated, and the ground leakage current and the output current with the traditional UPWM and the proposed HPWM schemes are compared. The output current harmonics caused by the nonlinear output inductor is analyzed by the Volterra theory. A 340 W, 380 Vdc/110 V ac, 50 Hz prototype has been built and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the influence of power semiconductor parasitic components on the ground leakage current in the three-phase Current Source Inverter topology, in the literature called H7 or CSI7. This topology allows reducing converter conduction losses with respect to the classic CSI, but at the same time makes the topology more susceptible to the parasitic capacitances of the semiconductors devices. In the present work, a grid-connected converter for photovoltaic power systems is considered as a case study, to investigate the equivalent circuit for ground leakage current. The same analysis can be extended to applications regarding electric drives, since the HF model of electric machines is characterized by stray capacitance between windings and the stator slots/motor frame. Simulation results proved the correctness of the proposed simplified common-mode circuit and highlighted the need of an additional common-mode inductor filter in case of resonance frequencies of the common-mode circuit close to harmonics of the power converter switching frequency. Experimental results are in agreement with the theoretical analysis.

In this article, a concept of separation of an inverter-fed induction motor drive from its mains supply by two transistor switches inserted in the dc-link circuit is re-examined based on the proposed parallel quasi-resonant dc-link inverter (PQRDCLI). The objective of the article is to show an advantage of the proposed topology in limiting high-frequency common-mode voltage and bearing currents. In the laboratory setup, an induction machine was equipped with hybrid ceramic bearings and an insulated clutch to measure the shaft-to-frame bearing voltage and the shaft-grounding current. Experimental tests of the PQRDCLI confirm significant reduction of common-mode voltage and shaft-to-frame bearing voltage at dc-link zero voltage notches. By controlling the output voltage slopes, the shaft-grounding brush current and the ground leakage current are also reduced. The efficiency measurement and evaluation of the proposed topology, as compared with a two-level hard switched inverter, reveal comparable efficiency of around 95% and indicate loss distributions in both inverters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A parallel voltage sag compensator (PVSC) is a power electronics device to compensate the voltage sag and interruption. The conventional PVSC uses an energy storage device and a bidirectional inverter with an injection transformer. However, the injection transformer reduces the power efficiency with high power losses. This paper proposes a PVSC without the injection transformer. The proposed PVSC has a bidirectional DC–DC converter to transfer the electrical power between the energy storage device and the bidirectional inverter. It uses the common-mode filter capacitors for the AC-side filter in the bidirectional inverter. The ground leakage current can be effectively suppressed between the energy storage device and the AC voltage. The proposed system has high power efficiency and low ground leakage current. Experimental results are discussed to evaluate the performance of the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this survey paper, typical solutions that focus on the reduction in negative effects resulting from the common-mode voltage influence in AC motor drive applications are re-examined. The critical effectiveness evaluation of the considered methods is based on experimental results of tests performed in a laboratory setup with an induction machine fed by an inverter. The capacity of a common-mode voltage level reduction and voltage gradient du/dt limitation is discussed to extend motor bearings’ lifetime and increase motor windings’ safety. The characteristic features of the described solutions are compared and demonstrated using laboratory results.

This paper presents a novel neutral point clamped full-bridge topology for transformerless photovoltaic grid-tied inverters. Transformerless grid-connected inverters have been used widely in recent years since they offer higher efficiency and lower costs. Ground leakage current suppression is the main issue which should be considered carefully in transformerless photovoltaic grid-connected inverters. Among different methods used to decline ground leakage current, neutral point clamped (NPC) topologies are considered more useful and effective. In NPC topologies, the short-circuited output voltage at the freewheeling period is clamped to the middle of the DC bus voltage. Therefore, the common-mode voltage (CM) will be constant at the whole switching period. Various NPC topologies such as H6 [1], HB-ZVR [2], oH5 [3], and PN-NPC [4] have been proposed. In this paper, a novel NPC topology is proposed which has lower power losses and higher efficiency over previous topologies. Furthermore, the proposed NPC topology exhibits a similar ground leakage current with the PN-NPC topology. The proposed NPC topology is analyzed theoretically using simulation studies and an experimental prototype is provided to verify theoretical analysis and simulation studies.

This paper proposes a transformerless line-interactive uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with low ground leakage current. A high-efficiency bidirectional inverter is suggested, which performs the line-interactive UPS functions with low ground leakage current. It has a full-bridge inverter and a bidirectional switch, which operate with the unipolar pulsewidth modulation. Because the bidirectional switch operates at the line-frequency, switching losses can be lower than the previous transformerless inverters. As the inverter operates, the parasitic capacitance between the inverter and the ac voltage ground is clamped to zero voltage for a positive line cycle and to the ac voltage for a negative line cycle, respectively. Thus, the parasitic capacitance can be prevented from being charged or discharged, which ensures the absence of the ground leakage current. The operation modes of the proposed system are described. The control schemes are presented to design the proposed inverter for the line-interactive UPS. Experimental results for a 2.0 kW prototype are discussed to verify the performance of the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the performance of a grid-tied, wide power range, transformerless, modified three-phase current-source inverter (CSI), named CSI7. The CSI7 topology is here analyzed along with a suitable space vector modulation strategy able to attenuate the excitation of the output CL filter. The theoretical analysis and simple analytic expressions highlighted the performance and limitations of the topology when employed as a single-stage photovoltaic (PV) inverter, with a particular emphasis on injected grid current distortion and ground leakage current values. The inverter wide input range allows interfacing PV strings of different module count with a simple closed-loop control. The principle of operation and control is described; the viability of the CSI7 topology was assessed with simulations and extensive experiments on a full-size laboratory prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a novel neutral point clamped fullbridge topology for transformerless photovoltaic grid-tied inverters. Transformerless grid-connected inverters have been used widely in recent years since they offer higher efficiency and lower costs. Ground leakage current suppression is the main issue which should be considered carefully in transformerless photovoltaic grid-connected inverters. Among different methods used to decline ground leakage current, neutral point clamped (NPC) topologies are considered more useful and effective. In NPC topologies, the short-circuited output voltage at the freewheeling period is clamped to the middle of the DC bus voltage. Therefore, the common-mode voltage (CM) will be constant at the whole switching period. Various NPC topologies such as H6 [1], HB-ZVR [2], oH5 [3], and PN-NPC [4] have been proposed. In this paper, a novel NPC topology is proposed which has lower power losses and higher efficiency over previous topologies. Furthermore, the proposed NPC topology exhibits a similar ground leakage current with the PN-NPC topology. The proposed NPC topology is analyzed theoretically using simulation studies and an experimental prototype is provided to verify theoretical analysis and simulation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel grid-connected high step-up inverter is proposed. The topology is composed of two stages. The first stage is a single-switch high step-up dc–dc converter with bipolar outputs, and the second stage is a conventional half-bridge dc–ac grid-connected inverter. Negative grounding of the photovoltaic (PV) module has resulted in elimination of unwanted ground leakage currents in the PV system. Simple structure, employing few semiconductor switches, simple control, and high efficiency are the features of the proposed topology. Theoretical analysis and principal operation of the circuit are discussed. An experimental prototype is implemented to verify the performance of the proposed inverter. The experimental results confirm the aforementioned features and the theoretical analysis of the converter operation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The problems of increasing electricity demand by the unabated population and economy growth can be solved by employing sustainable distributed generation technologies. Convectional primary energy sources such as coal, liquid hydrocarbons' and natural gasses create environmental degradation and energy security problems. Even though the cost of solar energy is zero, the same cannot be said of a solar energy system. The system cost especially the initial capital investment has been hindering the rapid deployment of solar energy systems. One way of reducing the system cost of a solar energy system is to look into the constituent components and see where cost can be reduced without compromising the system efficiency and human safety. Eliminating the isolation transformer reduces the cost and increases the system overall efficiency. However, the galvanic connection between the PV array and the utility grid creates a safety problem for people and system equipment. We present a simplified model for the investigation of the common mode voltage and ground leakage current that can lead to electromagnetic interference. The leakage current level is used for the determination of the suitability of the investigated PV inverter topology for grid connection without isolation transformer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses shaft end-to-end and shaft-to-frame voltages that appear in the 400-V, 15-kW induction motor driven by a voltage-source pulsewidth modulation (PWM) inverter. A shaft-to-frame voltage can be observed at either shaft end with respect to the grounded motor frame. A shaft end-to-end voltage can be observed as a voltage difference between the shaft-to-frame voltage at the drive end (DE) and that at the nondrive end (NDE). Experimental waveforms lead to the following interesting observations: motor internal coupling and parasitic capacitance, along with the high-frequency common-mode voltage generated by the PWM inverter, cause a shaft-to-frame voltage with a peak of 8 Vat both DE and NDE. When the shaft-to-frame voltage at either DE or NDE exceeds a dielectric breakdown voltage of thin bearing lubricating grease films, a shaft end-to-end voltage with a peak of 2 V and a width of 30 ns occurs along the motor shaft. This paper makes experimental discussions on the shaft end-to-end voltage generation. Installing a differential-mode filter and/or a common-mode filter on the motor drive system gives a hint on the mechanisms of the occurrence of the shaft end-to-end voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the influence of power semiconductor parasitic components on the ground leakage current in the three-phase Current Source Inverter topology, in the literature called H7 or CSI7. This topology allows reducing converter conduction losses with respect to the classic CSI, but at the same time makes the topology more susceptible to the parasitic capacitances of the semiconductors devices. In the present work, a grid-connected converter for photovoltaic power systems is considered as a case study, to investigate the equivalent circuit for ground leakage current. The same analysis can be extended to applications regarding electric drives, since the HF model of electric machines is characterized by stray capacitance between windings and the stator slots/motor frame. Simulation results proved the correctness of the proposed simplified common-mode circuit and highlighted the need of an additional common-mode inductor filter in case of resonance frequencies of the common-mode circuit close to harmonics of the power converter switching frequency. Experimental results are in agreement with the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a practical approach to eliminating both bearing current and ground leakage current from an inverter-driven motor rated at 400 V and 3.7 kW. When the shaft voltage with respect to the motor frame exceeds the dielectric breakdown voltage of thin lubricating grease films in two metal bearings at the drive and non-drive ends, an electrical discharge machining (EDM) current flows through the bearings. A passive electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter can keep the shaft voltage in check, as a result of having eliminated high-frequency common-mode voltage from the motor terminals. Hence, no dielectric breakdown occurs in the grease films, so that no EDM current flows in the bearings. Experimental results verify the viability and effectiveness of the passive EMI filter designed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a small-sized passive electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter for the purpose of eliminating high-frequency shaft voltage and ground leakage current from an ac motor driven by a voltage-source pulsewidth-modulation inverter. The filter requires access to the neutral point of the motor. A common-mode inductor is connected between the inverter and the motor. The neutral point of the motor is connected to the dc-bus midpoint via a resistor. The dc-bus midpoint is created by using two capacitors in series across the dc positive and negative buses. This unique circuit configuration makes the common-mode inductor effective in reducing the common-mode voltage appearing at the motor terminals. The validity and effectiveness of the EM! filter is verified by experimental results obtained from a 5-kVA laboratory system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this survey paper, typical solutions that focus on the reduction in negative effects resulting from the common-mode voltage influence in AC motor drive applications are re-examined. The critical effectiveness evaluation of the considered methods is based on experimental results of tests performed in a laboratory setup with an induction machine fed by an inverter. The capacity of a common-mode voltage level reduction and voltage gradient du/dt limitation is discussed to extend motor bearings' lifetime and increase motor windings' safety. The characteristic features of the described solutions are compared and demonstrated using laboratory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the modeling methodology of the AC drive system with a Parallel Quasi-Resonant DC Link Inverter (PQRDCLI) is described. A presented modeling approach is an attractive tool used for the effective evaluation of a common-mode (CM) voltage and grounds current reduction methods. Designed models of inverter, induction machine (IM), and cable are simple, thus the methods for parameter extraction are not complicated. Verification of the proposed modeling approach was realized with the use of the the Synopsys (Mountain View, CA, USA) SABER simulator, while simulation results were experimentally verified. Operation principles of the proposed PQRDCLI converter topology are also described. Based on simulation and experimental results, it was confirmed that the proposed PQRDCLI solution represents required performance within the reduction of common-mode voltage and ground current in electric drives. Moreover, comparisons from a simulation complexity point of view have been performed to the existing methods. The evaluation is being shown at the end of the paper. It is confirmed that the presented method is simple, fast, accurate, and robust as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]