TIDUEZ0A March 2021 – March 2022 TMS320F28P550SG , TMS320F28P550SJ , TMS320F28P559SJ-Q1
This reference design provides a design template for implementing a three-level, three-phase, gallium nitride (GaN) based ANPC inverter power stage. The use of fast switching power devices makes it possible to switch at a higher frequency of 100 kHz, reducing the size of magnetics for the filter and increasing the power density of the power stage. The multilevel topology allows the use of 600-V rated power devices at higher DC bus voltages of up to 1000 V. The lower switching voltage stress reduces switching losses, resulting in a peak efficiency of 98.5%.
TIDA-010210 | Design Folder |
Product Folder | |
UCC21541 | Product Folder |
TMDSCNCD280049C | Tool Folder |
TMS320F280049C | Product Folder |
AMC3302, OPA4376 | Product Folder |
ISO7741, SN6501 | Product Folder |
TPS563200, LP5907 | Product Folder |
TLV9004, LMT87 | Product Folder |
Modern commercial scale solar inverters are seeing innovation on multiple fronts, which lead to smaller, higher efficiency products in the market:
By increasing the voltage to 1000-V or 1500-V DC from the array, the current can be reduced to maintain the same power levels. The reduction in current reduces conduction losses and hence results in higher efficiency. The reduction in di/dt also reduces the stress on electrical components. However, high DC bus voltages can limit the choice of power components that can be used as devices with higher voltage withstand capability is needed.
To compensate for the voltage stresses generated by high-voltage solar arrays, new topologies of solar inverters have been designed. Traditional half bridges block the full input voltage on each switching device. By adding additional power components, the overall stress on the device can be significantly reduced. This reference design shows how to implement a three-level ANPC converter that limits the voltage stress on all the power components to only half the DC bus voltage, allowing use of more abundant and faster power components. This design also demonstrates the use GaN devices in solar inverters which was not possible with other topologies due to their limitation of voltage withstand capability.
Additional power density is also being enabled by moving to higher switching speeds in power converters. As this design shows, a higher switching speed reduces the overall size requirement of the output filter stage—a primary contributor to the design size.
Though multilevel topologies enable the use of lower voltage switching devices, they come with certain limitations – the need to drive more switches and need to avoid overvoltage even during abnormal operation. This design tries to demonstrate how to address all 18 power devices in the power stage with the limited number of PWMs available from a common MCU and also how to implement hardware based interlocking protections needed to avoid device overvoltage under all operating conditions without the use of additional components.
Another requirement that is becoming more prevalent for inverter power stages is the need for bidirectional power transfer. This is important in storage ready inverters where there can be a need for the power from the grid to be stored in local power storage like a battery. The power conversion stage in an electronic energy storage system also has the same requirement. The ANPC power stage demonstrated in this design is inherently capable of bidirectional operation – only software is required for it to operate either as inverter or power factor controller (PFC). Currently the design is tested in inverter mode operation and the testing in PFC mode is in progress.
PARAMETER | SPECIFICATIONS | DETAILS |
---|---|---|
Output power | 11 kW | At 400-V AC |
Nominal AC voltage | Three-phase 400-V AC | |
Output frequency | 50 or 60 Hz | |
Output current | 16 A | |
Nominal DC voltage | 800-V DC | 600-V to 800-V DC |
Inverter switching frequency | 100 kHz | |
Efficiency | 98.5% | At 400-V AC, 60% load |
Power density | 2.57 kW/L |