Performance evaluation of edge-resonant ZVS-PWM high-frequency inverter using trench-gate IGBTs for consumer induction cooking heater

A novel prototype of the active voltage clamping capacitor circuit-assisted edge-resonant ZVS-PWM high-frequency inverter, which uses newly developed generation consumer application specific IGBTs, is presented. This soft-switching inverter can operate under the condition of a variable power constant frequency ( VPCF) power regulation scheme. This high-frequency inverter, with asymmetrical PWM regulation in addition to the active power filtering functions, has been developed for consumer induction heater (IH) cooking appliances such as IH rice cookers and warmers, IH cooking heaters and IH hot water producers. The application of specific trench-gate IGBTs with low saturation voltage characteristics, which are used for edge-resonant ZVS-PWM high-frequency inverters is particularly designed and introduced to reduce the conduction power losses of the power semiconductor devices. The switching losses of this inverter can also easily be reduced with the aid of the ZVS commutation technique. This voltage-source-type edge-resonant ZVS-PWM inverter, which uses the latest specially designed IGBTs in addition to various types of trench-gate IGBTs, is evaluated and discussed from a practical energy-saving application point of view.