Abstract
The concept of the modular multilevel converter (MLC) has been raising interest in research in order to improve their performance and applicability. The potential of an MLC is enormous, with a great focus on medium- and high-voltage applications, such as solar photovoltaic and wind farms, electrified railway systems, or power distribution systems. This concept makes it possible to overcome the limitation of the semiconductors blocking voltages, presenting advantageous characteristics. However, the complexity of implementation and control presents added challenges. Thus, this paper aims to contribute with a critical and comparative analysis of the state-of-the-art aspects of this concept in order to maximize its potential. In this paper, different power electronics converter topologies that can be integrated into the MLC concept are presented, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each topology. Nevertheless, different modulation techniques used in an MLC are also presented and analyzed. Computational simulations of all the modulation techniques under analysis were developed, based on four cascaded full-bridge topologies. Considering the simulation results, a comparative analysis was possible to make regarding the symmetry of the synthesized waveforms, the harmonic content, and the power distribution in each submodule constituting the MLC.
Highlights
Multilevel converters (MLC) present themselves as the greatest innovation of recent years in the concept of power electronics converters [1]
The ability to synthesize the ladder output waveform as a function of the combination of the different direct current (DC) buses makes the MLC concept widely used in different power electronics applications
This paper aims to provide a critical, thorough and objective analysis of different power electronics converter topologies that can be integrated into modular and multilevel systems
Summary
Multilevel converters (MLC) present themselves as the greatest innovation of recent years in the concept of power electronics converters [1].
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