Optimal PWM Control of a New Generalized Family of Multilevel Inverters

Abstract

Abstract This article presents optimal pulse width modulation control of a new generalized family of multilevel inverters. The new family has the advantage of its reduced number of devices compared to traditional configurations, and can be extended to any number of levels. A novel genetic algorithm is used to find the optimal solution set of switching angles for a required harmonic profile and a given modulation index. Both single and three phase operations are covered. The presented technique reduces both the implementation complexity and the computational time. Both simulation results and experimental verification of the proposed inverter topology for different number of levels and different harmonic profiles are presented.