Inversor híbrido de cinco níveis : controle preditivo e uso de dispositivos de silício e carbeto de silício

Abstract

With the advancement of the global energy transition, multilevel inverters play a crucial role in power conversion and control. Since their inception in the 1970s, these inverters have evolved significantly, transitioning from traditional two-level configurations to more advanced topologies, such as three-level and five-level structures, with ongoing research aimed at developing even more sophisticated architectures. Due to their ability to improve waveform quality, reduce semiconductor stress, and enhance energy efficiency, multilevel inverters have been widely adopted in renewable energy generation systems and electric mobility applications. In this context, this study presents a five-level inverter that combines characteristics of floating capacitor and neutral-point clamped inverters. This hybrid topology aims to reduce the number of components while minimizing the inverter volume compared to conventional two-level and classical multilevel topologies. The study includes a detailed analysis of the inverter’s operating modes, as well as its performance under both unity and non-unity power factor conditions. Predictive control is applied to regulate the output current and stabilize the voltage across the floating capacitor. Additionally, sinusoidal modulation is implemented as an alternative control strategy to enable a comparative evaluation with predictive control. Simulations are conducted to analyze both the operational principle of the five-level hybrid inverter and the effectiveness of the predictive control strategy. Furthermore, the study examines the impact of different semiconductor technologies used in the inverter, including conventional silicon (Si) devices and silicon carbide (SiC) devices. Experimental results validate the inverter’s operation under predictive control, demonstrating the system’s ability to precisely regulate both the output current and the floating capacitor voltage.