Cascaded Multilevel Inverter Employing Three-Phase Transformers and Single DC Input

Abstract

This paper proposes an isolated cascaded multilevel inverter employing low-frequency three-phase transformers and a single DC input power source. The proposed circuit configuration can reduce a number of transformers compared with traditional three-phase multilevel inverters using single-phase transformers. It controls switching phase angles to obtain an optimal switching pattern identified with the fundamental frequency of the output voltage. Owing to this control strategy, harmonic components of the output voltage and switching losses can be diminished considerably. To verify the performance of the proposed approach, we implemented computer-aided simulations and experiments using a prototype.