A Modified Multilevel Inverter with Switched-Capacitor Technique

In this paper, an innovative topology for switched-capacitor multilevel inverters (SC-MLI) is studied. The introduced topology significantly decreases the quantity of power electronic switches, diodes, isolated power supplies, and, consequently, the overall cost and volume of the system when compared to traditional inverter configurations. Each stage of the proposed SC-MLI comprises a capacitor, a DC voltage source, a diode, and two power switches. The capacitor voltages are balanced accurately through self-voltage balancing, without the need for auxiliary circuits or a closed-loop control system. The paper discusses the operating principle in steady state and provides a detailed analysis of the discharging and charging behavior of the proposed converter. The phase disposition pulse width modulation (PD-PWM) method is utilized to generate the output voltage waveform of the proposed multilevel inverter. To assess the efficacy of the proposed SC-MLI, this study presents both simulation and experimental results of the implemented topology. These results are critical for validating the performance and reliability of the proposed system.