Date of Graduation

8-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (PhD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Electrical Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Balda, Juan C.

Committee Member

Mantooth, H. Alan

Second Committee Member

Zhao, Yue

Third Committee Member

Huitink, David

Keywords

Cascaded ANPC building blocks; Medium voltage applications; Multilevel converters; Power conditioning systems; Power electronics

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to address the background, theoretical analyses, design methodologies, and evaluation techniques relevant to high-power power conditioning systems (PCSs) tailored for medium-voltage (MV) applications. Conventional PCSs, reliant on line-frequency transformers (LFTs), suffer from many problems including low power densities, inflexible designs, and scalability constraints. Employing multilevel converters (MLCs), particularly cascaded H-bridge topology, eliminates the need for these LFTs. A key focus lies in minimizing the number of cascaded building blocks by harnessing MV power switching modules. The dissertation makes two primary contributions: firstly, it offers a design methodology for MV-PCS, facilitating the selection of the most suitable design aligning with predefined figures of merit. Secondly, it introduces a novel MLC architecture based on cascading three-level active neutral point clamped (3L-ANPC) building blocks. Furthermore, the dissertation presents experimental testing results of two MV building block prototypes, which are analyzed to validate the theoretical analyses and design propositions put forth. Through these contributions, this dissertation aims to advance the understanding and practical implementation of high-power MV-PCSs.

Download

Share

COinS