A new reduced component multi-level inverter with low total standing voltage for renewable and EV application

This article presents a novel reduced component multilevel inverter with 3 DC sources and 9 switches which is suitable for renewable energy and electric vehicle applications. The proposed topology can operate with symmetrical and asymmetrical DC sources and produces seven levels and a maximum of 15 levels, respectively. Additional benefits of the suggested topology include modularity, lower total standing voltage, and fewer on-state switches. Effective comparison with existing topologies is provided to demonstrate the novelty of the suggested topology. Generalized horizontal, vertical, and two-way Extendable topologies are discussed. Discrete modulation approaches are used to investigate the influence of modulation index variation on the proposed inverter’s output voltage, THD, power, and efficiency while considering static and dynamic load changes. The performance of MLI with proposed optimized nearest level control method using particle swarm optimization technique surpasses conventional nearest level control and multi-carrier level shift modulation methods. Extensive simulation tests are carried out in MATLAB/Simulink and validated the results with experimental tests. 5.6% THD and efficiency in the range of 93% to 95% are achieved with the proposed15-level inverter.