Single-Stage Active Split-Source Inverter With High DC-Link Voltage Utilization

Split-source inverter (SSI) has been proved to be an attractive single-stage dc/ac converter for its compact structure, continuous input voltage, and input current. However, due to the coupling of the boost stage and the inverter stage, SSI suffers from the low dc-link voltage utilization problem, which will increase the system cost and switching losses. To break through this inherent limitation, this article proposes an active SSI (ASSI). It replaces the two clamping diodes in SSI with reverse-blocking switches, which features extended control degrees of freedom. One modulation scheme tailored for the ASSI has also been developed in this article to enhance its performance. Theoretical analyses and simulation results show that the proposed ASSI features not only a high dc-link voltage utilization ratio but also higher efficiency compared to the traditional SSI. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed ASSI has been verified experimentally.