New PWM Strategy to Enable Dual-Mode Operation Capability in Common-Grounded Transformerless Inverters

A novel pulsewidth modulation (PWM) technique has been presented in this article, which enables the converter to operate in the conventional (boost) mode as well as in the buck mode (proposed). The proposed buck PWM method significantly reduces the current stresses of the components compared to the boost mode. Using this combined modulation technique, a dual-mode operation of such a class of inverters is demonstrated to accommodate a wide input voltage variation while maintaining the regulation of the output ac voltage. The proposed modulation technique is simple to implement and has been implemented in some of the conventional Type-I and Type-II inverters to demonstrate a very wide input voltage range (200–400 V dc), while keeping a fixed output voltage of 110 V ac rms. The theoretical analysis, key operating circuit, and waveforms are presented along with the thermal profile of various switches. Experimental results show that Type-I and Type-II inverters rated at 500 VA have around $95.5~\pm ~1$ % efficiency for a wide load range with a peak efficiency of 97.3% in buck * invert mode for Type-I and 95.5% for Type-II inverters.