Designing of a Reduced Switch MLI-Based Standalone Solar Inverter Suitable for Water Pump Application

Abstract

Designing of a reduced switch multi-string cross-connected source type multilevel inverter (CCS-MLI)-based solar pump is introduced in this article. Integration of the Photovoltaic (PV) system with the inverter is achieved through a DC–DC converter equipped with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to enhance overall reliability. The asymmetrically switched CCS-MLI utilizes only 8 switches to generate 13-level waveform and facilitates power control between battery-assisted PV panels and the single-phase Induction Motor (IM). Multicarrier Pulse Width Modulation (MCPWM) is employed for frequency and fundamental component control in the output voltage. Solar-powered drive systems face the challenge of maintaining intended motor operation amid varying power generation from the PV array. The addition of batteries through a bidirectional DC/DC converter, mitigates this issue by supporting the load during reduced power output from PV panels due to unpredictable solar irradiation levels. Besides ensuring power quality, the proposed control technique realizes constant (V/f) control enabling stable drive operation. The efficacy of the proposed scheme is tested in MATLAB SIMULINK platform with a solar battery combination, considering changing environmental conditions. Furthermore, a hardware prototype of the battery-assisted CCS-MLI-based solar inverter is implemented, and various results are rigorously tested and analyzed using an equivalent machine circuit.