Multilevel Inverter Based on a Dual Two-Level Nine-Switch Converter for a Dual Three-Phase or Six-Phase Motor Drive System

The nine-switch inverter is considered as a very interesting solution for three-phase dual output applications, such as dual three-phase or six-phase motor drive systems. The main advantage of this approach is a converter topology with a reduced number of power semiconductors. However, the AC output voltages are limited to only two levels. This work proposes a new inverter topology for dual three-phase or six-phase motor drive systems with multilevel output characteristics. The proposed topology is based on two isolated inverters, but the number of legs is reduced from six to three. This structure creates a modular multilevel inverter with a high number of voltage levels while using a comparatively smaller number of power semiconductors. A modulation strategy, associated with the proposed topology, is presented to ensure multilevel operation. The proposed topology and modulation strategy will be tested first through a simulation in Matlab/Simulink and then by laboratory tests using an experimental prototype. The obtained results show a good agreement between simulations and experiments, both confirming the theoretical studies.