Single-Phase Multilevel Inverter With a Coupled Inductor

Abstract

Multilevel inverters have become indispensable components in various power electronic applications, particularly in medium-and high-voltage scenarios. This paper introduces a novel single-phase seventeen-level inverter design that utilizes three DC sources and a coupled inductor, resulting in a reduced size and cost. The incorporation of coupled inductors empowers multilevel inverters to enhance performance, yielding high-quality output voltages while minimizing current stress on power devices. A topology-specific level shifted pulse-width modulation (LS-PWM) technique is presented and thoroughly discussed. The proposed topology is simulated and a hardware prototype was constructed to verify the performance of the proposed seventeen-level topology. The outcomes indicate that the implemented topology successfully attains the anticipated performance. Furthermore, a comparative analysis with other existing topologies has been conducted, unequivocally confirming the superior performance, efficiency, and cost of the proposed topology, setting it apart as an outstanding solution in the field of multilevel inverters.