Designing An Open-Source Power Inverter (Part 4): The Optimal Power-Line Waveshape

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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Author & Publication:

Dennis Feucht, Innovatia Laboratories, Cayo, Belize, How2Power Today, May 13 2022

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