Applications of cascade multilevel inverters

Cascade multilevel inverters have been developed for electric utility applications. A cascade M-level inverter consists of (M-1)/2 H-bridges in which each bridge‘s dc voltage is supported by its own de ca-pacitor. The new inverter can : ( 1 ) generate almost sinusoidal waveform voltage while only switching one timeper fundamental cycle ; (2) dispense with multi-pulse inverters‘ transformers used in conventional utility in-terfaces and static var compensators; (3) enables direct parallel or series transformer-less connection to medium- and high-voltage power systems. In short, the cascade inverter is much more efficient and suitable for utility applications than traditional multi-pulse and pulse width modulation (PWM) inverters. The authors have experimentally demonstrated the superiority of the new inverter for power supply, (hybrid) electric vehicle (EV) motor drive, reactive power (var) and harmonic compensation. This paper summarizes the features,feasibility, and control schemes of the cascade inverter for utility applications including utility interface of renewable energy, voltage regulation, var compensation, and harmonic filtering in power systems. Analytical,simulated, and experimental results demonstrated the superiority of the new inverters.     

Effect of Mn content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–6Li–4Zn-xMn alloys

The as-cast Mg–6Li–4Zn-x Mn alloys were prepared and extruded at 280℃ with an extrusion ratio of 25:1. The effects of Mn content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–6Li–4Zn-x Mn alloys were investigated in this study. The XRD results show that Mg–6Li–4Zn–x Mn alloys consisted of α-Mg(hcp) + β-Li(bcc)duplex structured matrix, Mg Li₂Zn and Mn phases. The grains of the extruded Mg–6Li–4Zn–x Mn alloys were refined by dynamic recrystallization during the extrusion process...     

Preliminary estimation of the organic carbon pool in China’s wetlands

Accurate estimation of wetland carbon pools is a prerequisite for wetland resource conservation and implementation of carbon sink enhancement plans.The inventory approach is a realistic method for estimating the organic carbon pool in China’s wetlands at the national scale.An updated data and inventory approach were used to estimate the amount of organic carbon stored in China’s wetlands.Primary results are as follows:(1) the organic carbon pool of China’s wetlands is between 5.39 and 7.25 Pg,accounting for 1.3%-3.5% of the global level;(2) the estimated values and percentages of the organic carbon contained in the soil,water and vegetation pools in China’s wetlands are 5.04-6.19 Pg and 85.4%-93.5%,0.22-0.56 Pg and 4.1%-7.7%,0.13-0.50 Pg and 2.4%-6.9%,respectively.The soil organic carbon pool of China’s wetlands is greater than our previous estimate of 3.67 Pg,but is lower than other previous estimates of 12.20 and 8-10 Pg.Based on the discussion and uncertainty analysis,some research areas worthy of future attention are presented.