A Single Input DC Source Boost Multilevel Inverter for Renewable Energy Applications

In this paper, a single input DC voltage source boost multilevel inverter topology is presented. The presented converter does not require multiple isolated dc sources or additional circuit for voltage balancing of the split capacitors, thus reduces the overall cost and complexity. The salient feature of the proposed converter is high voltage gain boost capability. Furthermore, due to the input inductor, it has less input current ripple and variable fractional voltage gain, which is a key requirement for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in photovoltaic application. Based on the proposed topology, a hardware prototype of seven-level boost inverter is developed and the experimental results are presented to validate the performance of the proposed converter.