Current-Fed Quasi-Z-Source Inverter With Voltage Buck-Boost and Regeneration Capability

The conventional current-source inverter has two major problems: unidirectional power flow and voltage boost operation, which make it impossible to be used in many applications, such as hybrid electric vehicles and general-purpose variable-speed motor drives. Z-source inverters (ZSIs) can solve both problems. Quasi-ZSIs (qZSIs) were recently proposed as an important improvement to traditional ZSIs. Besides the advantages inherited from ZSIs, qZSIs also have several of their own merits. This paper presents a comprehensive study on the new features of current-fed qZSI, including the advantageous buck-boost function, improved reliability, reduced passive component ratings, and unique regeneration capability. The current-fed qZSIs are bidirectional with an additional diode, unlike the voltage-fed ZSI that needs a switch to achieve bidirectional power flow. A modified space vector pulse-width-modulation method is proposed, and the available operating regions for motoring and regeneration operation are analyzed in this paper. Since the current-fed qZSI has the same operation as the current-fed ZSI, many results of this paper are also applicable to the current-fed ZSI. A reverse-blocking insulated-gate bipolar-transistor-based current-fed qZSI prototype was developed in the laboratory. Simulation and experimental results are shown to verify the theoretical analysis.