Circuit Configuration of a Reduced Count Modular Multi-Level Inverter. Issue 7 (3rd July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zare, Hassan; Asgharpour-Alamdari, Hossein
• Is Part Of: International journal of electronics. Volume 109:Issue 7(2022)
• Page Start: 1233
• Page End: 1251
• Publication Date: 2022-07-03
• Subjects: Modular structure -- single source -- boosting -- multi-level inverter -- voltage multiplier -- switched-capacitor; Electronics -- Periodicals; Electronic control -- Periodicals; 621.381
• DOI: 10.1080/00207217.2021.1966670
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7217

Abstract

ABSTRACT: A novel topology of the modular multilevel inverter with the ability to boost the input voltage is proposed in this work. The proposed single-source structure requires neither any external controller nor transformers to balance the voltages of the capacitors. In addition, the output voltage polarity of the inverter is generated inherently with a low switching frequency, making it suitable for both residential and industrial applications. The Nearest Level Modulation (NLM) is applied to control the operation of the inverter. The detailed comparative analysis of the proposed inverter with other inverters indicates that the proposed structure can produce similar voltage levels with a fewer number of elements and less voltage stresses. Moreover, to verify the performance of the proposed converter, a single-phase 13-level prototype was implemented in the laboratory environment and the test results were compared to the simulation ones. The advantages of low harmonic contents with Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of 6.5% and 92.69% efficiency make the proposed inverter appropriate for applications with a limited number of low voltage sources.