Designing An Open-Source Power Inverter (Part 4): The Optimal Power-Line Waveshape
by Dennis Feucht, Innovatia Laboratories, Cayo, Belize, How2Power Today, May 13 2022
Focus:
What is the optimal waveshape for a power-line inverter to generate? Part 2 began to
address this question, noting the effects of inverter output waveshape on power component
ratings, efficiency and its influence on the choice of the two-stage power architecture
selected for this Volksinverter design. It concluded that these considerations led to our
selection of a third-harmonic sine wave (3HSW) for the inverter waveshape. This part 4
delves further into why that waveshape is optimal. After comparing waveshape
characteristics of sine waves, square waves and third-harmonic sine waves, the article
looks at some PWM switching techniques that can be applied to the H-bridge to generate
these waveforms. This discussion of inverter-output waveshapes is meant to help designers
evaluate waveshapes for a range of inverter design requirements and not just the
Volksinverter, which is the design presented in this series.
What you’ll learn:
- How to select the optimal output waveshape for a power inverter design
- How to analyze the impact of PWM switching techniques on H-bridge performance in a power inverter
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