DC to AC Conversion

(INVERTER)
• DEFINITION:
• Converts DC to AC power by switching the DC input
voltage (or current) in a pre-determined sequence so as to
generate AC voltage (or current) output with variable
voltage and variable frequency according to load d .

• General block diagram

IDC Iac

+ +

VDC Vac



• APPLICATIONS:
– Un-interruptible power supply (UPS),
– Industrial (induction motor) drives,
– Traction,
– Active power filter
 Half-bridge inverter
(3-Wire inverter
S1 ON
Vdc S2 OFF
+
S1 2
VC1
-
V +
Vdc o
G 0
t
RL
+
VC2 S2
- Vdc

2 S1 OFF
S2 ON
• Also known as the “inverter leg”.

• Basic building block for full bridge, three phase

and higher order inverters.

• G is the “centre point”.

• Both capacitors have the same value. Thus the DC

link is equally “spilt” into two.

• The top and bottom switch has to be

“complementary”, i.e. If the top switch is closed
(on), the bottom must be off, and vice-versa.

• S the switch depends on the frequency.

– Thyristor: less than 1kHz and high current rating.
– IGBT: until 10 kHz and medium current rating.
– MOSFET: high switching frequency and lower current
rating.
Mode of operation with resistive
load

3
 Performance Parameters

2VS
vo (t )  
n 1,3,5,. n
sin nt

0 for n  2, 4,..

2
2   VS  VS
Vo ( rms ) 
  0   d 
 2  2
2VS
d=dt
Vo1( rms )   0.45 VS
2

V on
HFn  for n  1 Harmonic Factor
V o1

1
THD 
V o1
V
n  2,3,..
2
on Total Harmonic Distortion

 2
1 V on 
DF 
V o1
  2 
n  2,3,..  n 
Distortion Factor

V on
DFn  for n  1 Distortion Factor for n harmonic
V o 1n 2
LOH  3% V o 1 Lowest Order Harmonic

Von is the rms output of n harmonic

3/16/2020 4
 Single-Phase Bridge Inverter

• To illustrate the concept of AC waveform

generation

SQUARE-WAVE
INVERTER

T1 T3
D1 D3

+ VO -
VDC
IO
T4 T2
D2 D4

EQUIVALENT
CIRCUIT

S1 S3

S4 S2
 Single-phase, full-bridge (1)
• Full bridge (single phase) is built from two half-
bridge leg.

• The switching in the second leg is “delayed by 180

degrees” from the first leg.

VRG
Vdc
2
LEG R LEG R'  2 t
+
Vdc Vdc
S1 S3 
2 VR 'G 2
+ - Vdc
 Vo - 2
Vdc R R'
G  2 t
-

+ Vdc

2
Vdc S4 S2 Vo
2
Vdc
-
 2 t
Vo  V RG  VR 'G
G is " virtual groumd"

 Vdc
 AC Waveform Generation
S1,S2 ON; S3,S4 OFF for t1 < t < t2
vO

S1 S3 VDC

VDC
t
+ vO  t1 t2
S4 S2

S3,S4 ON ; S1,S2 OFF for t2 < t < t3

vO

S1 S3

VDC t2 t3
+ vO  t

S4 S2
-VDC

2 


4VS Vo ( rms )  VS2 d  VS
vo (t )   sin nt  0
n 1,3,5,. n
4VS
0 for n  2, 4,.. Vo1( rms )   0.90 VS
2
 AC Waveforms
INVERTER OUTPUT VOLTAGE
Vdc

 

-Vdc

FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENT
V1
4VDC


3RD HARMONIC
V1
3

5RD HARMONIC
V1
5
 Harmonics Filtering
DC SUPPLY INVERTER (LOW PASS) FILTER LOAD
L
+ +
C
vO 1 vO 2



BEFORE FILTERING AFTER FILTERING

vO 1 vO 2

• Output of the inverter is “chopped AC voltage with

zero DC component”. It contain harmonics.

• An LC section low-pass filter is normally fitted at

the inverter output to reduce the high frequency
harmonics.

• In some applications such as UPS, “high purity” sine

wave output is required. Good filtering is a must.
• In some applications such as AC motor drive,
filtering is not required.