A novel step‐up topology for multilevel power conversion

Abstract

AbstractRenewable energy sources employ a power conditioning unit for injecting power into the grid. Such resources of small capacity are characterized by low generated voltage and thus require a high voltage boost at the inversion stage. This paper proposes a novel transformer‐less, single‐phase grid‐connected, 13‐level inverter to yield the voltage boost. The presented topology is realized through 12 unidirectional switches, 2 diodes, and 3 capacitors. A single‐stage circuit synthesizes 13 levels with a single input source and yielding an overall voltage gain of six. The adapted modulation technique is robust enough to keep the capacitors self‐balanced for all values of the modulation index. The proposed topology is modular and cost‐effective in comparison to other similar typologies due to reduced device count and space requirement. The presented topology is validated experimentally with satisfactory operation in yielding input voltage boost by a factor of six.