A Switched-Capacitor-Based Multilevel Inverter Topology With Reduced Components

Cascaded multilevel inverter (CMI) topology is prevalent in many applications. However, the CMI requires many switches and isolated dc sources, which is the main drawback of this type of inverter. As a result, the volume, cost and complexity of the CMI topology are increased and the efficiency is deteriorated. This paper thus proposes a switched-capacitor-based multilevel inverter topology with half-bridge cells and only one dc source. Compared to the conventional CMI, the proposed inverter uses almost half the number of switches, while maintaining a boosting capability. Additionally, the main drawback of switched-capacitor multilevel inverters is the capacitor inrush current. This problem is also averted in the proposed topology by using a charging inductor or quasi-resonant capacitor charging with a front-end boost converter. Simulation results and lab-scale experimental verifications are provided to validate the feasibility and viability of the proposed inverter topology.

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A new multilevel inverter topology based on switched-capacitor technique

International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive Systems (IJPEDS) ◽

10.11591/ijpeds.v12.i1.pp627-636 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 627

Author(s):

Saifullah Kakar ◽

S. M. Ayob ◽

M. Saad Bin Arif ◽

N.M. Nordin ◽

Z. Daud ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Input Voltage ◽

Multilevel Inverter ◽

Voltage Source ◽

Switched Capacitor ◽

Switching Scheme ◽

Voltage Level ◽

High Magnitude ◽

Blocking Voltage ◽

Power Switches ◽

Inverter Topology

This paper presents a new multilevel inverter based on the switched-capacitor technique. The topology aims for renewable energy and fuel cell applications that demand high magnitude output ac voltage. This configuration of the inverter can produce a total of thirteen voltage levels using a single DC source. The topology features voltage boosting with a triple gain of the input voltage source without utilizing a boost DC-DC converter. Furthermore, the voltages of the capacitors are self-balanced at any desired voltage level during each cycle. Therefore, auxiliary circuits are no longer needed. A comparative study of the presented inverter with the classical topologies and recently introduced topologies has been done in power switches, driver circuits, blocking voltage of the switches, and boosting the input voltage. A simple fundamental switching scheme is applied to the proposed topology to validate the viability of the topology.

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Single-Phase Boost Switched-Capacitor Based Multilevel Inverter Topology with Reduced Switching Devices

IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics ◽

10.1109/jestpe.2021.3129063 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

Marif Daula Siddique ◽

Mohammad Fazlul Karim ◽

Saad Mekhilef ◽

Muhyaddin Rawa ◽

Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Single Phase ◽

Multilevel Inverter ◽

Switched Capacitor ◽

Inverter Topology ◽

Switching Devices

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A Limited Common-Mode Current Switched-Capacitor Multilevel Inverter Topology and Its Performance and Lifetime Evaluation in Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Applications

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14071915 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (7) ◽

pp. 1915

Author(s):

Hossein Khoun Jahan ◽

Reyhaneh Eskandari ◽

Tohid Rahimi ◽

Rasoul Shalchi Alishah ◽

Lei Ding ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lifetime Distribution ◽

Multilevel Inverter ◽

Switched Capacitor ◽

Common Mode ◽

Common Mode Voltage ◽

Photovoltaic Applications ◽

Simulation Results ◽

Current Reduction ◽

Inverter Topology ◽

Mission Profile

In this paper, a switched-capacitor multilevel inverter with voltage boosting and common-mode-voltage reduction capabilities is put forth. The proposed inverter is synthesized with one-half bridge and several switched-capacitor cells. Due to the voltage boosting and common-mode current reduction features, the proposed multilevel inverter is suitable for grid-connected PV applications. In addition, an analytical lifetime evaluation based on mission profile of the proposed inverter has been presented to derive lifetime distribution of semiconductors. Whereas in the proposed inverter, any components failure can bring the whole system to a shutdown. The series reliability model is used to estimate the lifetime of the overall system. The performance of the suggested multilevel inverter in grid-connected applications is verified through the simulation results using the grid-tied model in Matlab/Simulink. Moreover, the viability and feasibility of the presented inverter are proven by using a one kW lab-scaled prototype.

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