A Novel Multilevel Inverter with Symmetric and Asymmetric DC-Link Voltages for Solar Photovoltaic based Microgrid Applications

The extension of distributed power generation using renewable energy sources (RES) has led to the development of new power electronic converters. These converters with distributed energy resources (DERs), such as solar photovolataic (PV), helps to create an efficient electric microgrid. Chopper (DC-DC) and inverter (DC-AC) circuits are needed to increase the voltage of DERs and incorporate them into the AC microgrid. A novel design of 17-level inverter is proposed to improve the overall efficiency of photovoltaic electricity generation for microgrid applications. The proposed Multilevel Multilevel Inverter (MLI) offers lower switching losses, simple switching methods, and modularity than its counterparts. Simulation results demonstrate the effective operation of the proposed inverter for different levels of operation (up to 17-level) under steady state and transient conditions.