Boost Packed E-Cell Thirteen-Level Inverter for Grid Interactive Systems

This study introduces a novel Boost Packed E-Cell Thirteen-Level Inverter (BPEC13), a boost multilevel inverter (MLI) with promising voltage boosting capability. This novel design features reduced count components consisting of nine power switches, a single four-quadrant switch, and two DC capacitors. A key feature of the BPEC13 inverter is its ability to boost the voltage, achieving a maximum voltage level that is 1.5 times the input DC voltage. To harness the capabilities of the BPEC13 inverter, a finite-control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) algorithm has been developed. This control strategy is carefully designed to ensure superior grid current control and maintain balanced DC-link capacitor voltages. The effectiveness of the FCS-MPC with the BPEC13 inverter is thoroughly evaluated through numerical simulations. The results confirm that the novel BPEC13 inverter, utilizing FCS-MPC, delivers superior grid current quality with total harmonic distortions of just 0.42. Additionally, it maintains DC-link capacitor voltage balance while providing significant voltage boosting capabilities.