This paper proposes a new auxiliary commutation cell for PWM inverters that allows the main switches to be turned on and off at zero voltage and zero current. The main switches zero current turn-on reduces the undesired effects of parasitic inductances related to the circuit layout. The main diodes reverse recovery losses are minimized since di/dt and dv/dt are controlled. The ZCZVT commutation cell is located out of the main power path of the converters and is activated only during switching transitions. Additionally, the auxiliary switches are turned on and off at ZCS and use the same ground signals of the upper main switches. The commutation losses are practically reduced to zero. Soft switching operation is guaranteed for full load range without changes in command strategy. The operation of the ZCZVT PWM full-bridge DC-AC Converter is analyzed and an auxiliary commutation cell design procedure based on the analysis is proposed. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed commutation cell.
Inverter; soft switching; ZCZVT
