A Novel Ten-Switch Topology for Unified Power Quality Conditioner

This paper proposes a new topological configuration for a unified power quality conditioner (UPQC). Generally, the power structure of the three-phase three-wire UPQC consists of two back-to-back connected six-switch inverters. For this configuration, out of 12 switches, six of the series inverter switches will be underutilized most of the time. To improve the semiconductor utilization and consequently to reduce the total switch count, this paper proposes a new reduced switch topology for the UPQC. The proposed topology is realized using only ten switches and retains all the performance merits of the 12-switch UPQC while minimizing its underutilization without increasing the switch VA rating. The paper provides a detailed analytical study and evaluation by comparing the proposed topology with the twelve- and nine-switch-based UPQC system configurations. The feasibility of the proposed topology is validated through experimental investigation.