A new modular multilevel AC/DC converter topology applied to a modular multilevel DC/DC converter

With the rising demand for energy harvesting from regenerative power sources, increasing power and voltage ratings are required of power electronic converter systems. For high-power conversion systems, modular multilevel converters proved to be superior to conventional topologies. This paper introduces a reduced variant of the well-known modular multilevel converter (M
²
LC) topology suitable for AC/DC conversion. It is compared to the original M
²
LC topology and examined for its usability in a DC/DC converter application. Results from a detailed simulation model prove the topology's expected functionality.