Grid-Connected Five-Level Split-Source Packed U-Cell Inverter – A Proof of Concept

This paper proposes a grid-connected single-stage multilevel inverter topology as a proof of concept, which is based on the five-level packed U-cell (PUC5) and the split-source inverter (SSI) topologies. The distinctive feature of the proposed topology is that it can boost the input voltage without requiring a separate DC-DC converter, only by adding three passive components to the original PUC5: a capacitor, an inductor, and a diode. Moreover, despite the added passive components, the proposed topology can still benefit from the sensor-less voltage balancing technique originally introduced for PUC5 to balance the voltage of its flying capacitor without the need for an external controller. The voltage gain is affected by different system parameters due to discontinuous conduction mode operation. The simulation results obtained using MATLAB/Simulink verified the functionality and potential of the single-stage topology introduced.