Reduction in overvoltages and dynamic power losses in power switches of multilevel voltage inverters

A number of the circuit and design decisions that provide a reduction in overvoltage and dynamic power losses in power switches of multilevel voltage inverters with clamping diodes is considered. It is shown that the integral or unpackaged version is the most effective method for a reduction in the stray inductance in the multilevel circuit, which is the general cause for occurrence of dynamic overvoltage. To reduce dynamic losses of power, a method for resonant commutation on fronts, which provides commutation of switches in the multilevel circuit at zero voltage (SZV) and zero current (SZC), is proposed. The resonant switching method as applied to the multilevel circuit simultaneously solves a problem of dynamic overvoltage by means of limitation for the rate of voltage rise in the SZV mode or the mode of preliminary fault of energy stored in the inductance of the switching circuit in the SZC mode.