DESIGN and MODELLING of MULTILEVEL

POWER INVERTER
PRESENTED BY
Pranav Sevekari
Harshal Lad
Charushila Khade
Samruddhi Kale

GUIDED BY
Mr. Punit L. Ratnani

Department of Electrical Engineering

Vidya Pratishthan’s College Of Engineering, Baramati
2015-16
 Organization

• Methodology.
• Literature Survey.
• Introduction.
• Objectives and Need of Multilevel Inverter.
• Classification of Multilevel Inverter.
• Cascaded Multilevel Inverter.
• Diode clamped Multilevel Inverter.
• Applications, Advantages and Limitations.
• Software Simulation using MATLAB/Simulink
• Real-time implementation scheme for MLI hardware configuration.
• Future Scope.
• Time bar chart.
• References
 Methodology

Literature Survey Hardware testing Future Work

Identification of Real time

different Multilevel implementation Simulation
Inverter technology using Arduino Uno

Understanding of Software
selected Multilevel simulation based Conclusion
Inverter analysis using
technologies MATLAB
 Literature Survey

• Multilevel Inverter topology survey.

Andreas Nordvall, Department of Energy and Environment Division of
Electric Power Engineering Chalmers University Of Technology Göteborg,
Sweden, 2011
This report present information about several Multilevel Inverter topology
such as diode clamped inverter and cascaded H-bridge inverter .The result of
both these technologies compared with 2-level inverter and comparison shows
that Multilevel Inverter produce less THD.

• Cascaded H-bridge Multilevel Inverter using SPWM.

M.Balchandran, N.P.Subramaniam, Asst. Prof., Department of EEE,
Pondicherry Engineering College, Puducherry, India,jan 2013
The paper represents the concert of cascaded Multilevel Inverter .The
elimination of harmonics in cascaded Multilevel Inverter by taking unequal
and separated DC sources .SPWM technique is used for the switching process
and result shows that thee output has less harmonics.
 Literature Survey

• Analysis of Cascaded Multilevel Inverter

Yashobanta Panda
This paper aims to extend the knowledge about the performance of cascaded
Multilevel Inverter. Since cascaded multilevel inverter is considered to be
suitable for medium ,high power applications ,this paper examined and
compared the analysis of 3-level ,5-level multilevel inverter through analysis
,simulation and experiment.

• Multilevel Inverter : A survey of topology ,control and application.

Jose Rodriguez, Senior Member, IEEE, and Fang Zheng Peng, August 2002
It is hard to connect a single power semiconductor switch directly to medium
or high voltage grids .For this reason benefits of multilevel inverter has
emerged which includes cascaded multilevel inverter, Diode clamped
inverter etc are discussed in this paper.
 Introduction

• Multilevel voltage source inverter is recognized as an important alternative to

the normal two level voltage source inverter especially in high voltage
applications

• Multilevel inverters have been attracting increasing interest recently the main
reasons are
 Increased power ratings,
 Improved harmonic performance,
 Reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI) emission

• Using multilevel inverters renewable energy sources can be easily interfaced

to the grid.
 Introduction

• In particular multilevel inverters have abundant demand in applications such

as medium voltage industrial drives, electric vehicles, and grid connected
photovoltaic systems.

• Multilevel inverters can generate the output voltages with low distortion and
have suitable features for reactive power compensation.
 Objectives
• To study the topology of cascaded multilevel inverter .

• To study and simulate cascaded type of five level multilevel inverter

configuration in MATLAB/Simulink.

• To propose topology to reduce the number of required power switches

compare to traditional multilevel inverter.

• To study generalized functional simulation for five level inverter using

switching function concept.

• To demonstrate the simulation practically through AURDINO hardware kit.

• To study the effect of change in total harmonic distortion (T.H.D.) of output

voltage with respect to variation in the modulation index (M.I.)
 Need of multilevel inverter
• Multilevel inverter includes an array of power semiconductor devices and
capacitors voltage sources, the output of which generates voltages with
stepped waveforms.

• Multilevel inverter is based on the fact that sine wave can be approximated
to a stepped waveform having large number of steps.

• The unique structure of multilevel inverter allows them to reach high

voltages and therefore lower voltage rating device can be used.

• Harmonic reduction in multilevel inverter using selective harmonic

elimination for power quality improvement purpose.
 Need of multilevel inverter
• The current energy arena is changing. The feeling of dependence on fossil
fuels and the progressive increase of its cost is leading to the investment of
huge amounts in recourses.

• The power electronics research community and industry have reacted to this
demand in two different ways:

 Developing semiconductor technology to reach higher nominal voltages

and currents (currently 8 kV and 6 kA) while maintaining traditional
converter topologies (mainly two-level voltage and current source
inverters)

 By developing new converter topologies, with traditional semiconductor

technology, known as multilevel inverters.
 Classification

High Power
Converter

Direct
Indirect Conversion
Conversion
(AC/DC/AC)
(AC/AC)

Matrix Voltage Current

Cycloconverter
Converter Source Source

Load
High Power Multilevel PWM current
Commutated
2-level VSI Inverter source Inverter
Inverter

Multilevel Matrix Flying Hybrid

NPC Cascaded
Converter capacitor Topologies

Stacked
Flying
capacitor
 Applications of Multilevel Inverter

• There are different power converter topologies and control strategies used in
inverter designs.

• They are potentially useful for a wide range of applications like,

 Low power devices,

 Home appliances,
 Electric vehicles,
 Photovoltaic,
 Transport (train traction, ship propulsion, and automotive
applications),
 Energy conversion,
 Manufacturing, mining,
 Petrochemical applications.
 Cascaded Multilevel Inverter

• Cascade multilevel inverter alternatively can be termed as H bridge inverter.

• For implementation of cascade inverter only one DC source is required.

• Basically a H bridge inverter can generate upto 3 output voltage levels.

Structure of Cascaded Multilevel Inverter

Power circuit of cascaded multilevel inverter

Basic structure of Five Level Cascaded
Multilevel Inverter

Power circuit of 5-level cascaded multilevel inverter

Basic structure of Five Level Cascaded
Multilevel Inverter

Power circuit of 5-level cascaded multilevel inverter

Basic structure of Five Level Cascaded
Multilevel Inverter
CASCADED MULTILEVEL INVERTER

ADVANTAGES:
• The modularized structure allows easy packaging and storage.
• The quantity of possible voltage levels is more than DC and FC type

DISADVANTAGES:
• Separated DC source or capacitor are required for each module.
• A more complex controller is required due to the amount of capacitors
,which need to be balanced.
DIODE CLAMPED MULTILEVEL INVERTER

ADVANTAGES:
• All of the phases share a common dc bus, which minimizes the capacitance
requirements of the converter.
• The capacitors can be pre-charged as a group.
• Efficiency is high for fundamental frequency switching.

DIADVANTAGES:
• Real power flow is difficult for a single inverter because the intermediate dc
levels will tend to overcharge or discharge without precise monitoring and
control.
• Ratings of switches used in this type of inverter differs from each other
since different switches operates at different voltage levels.
 Applications

• In utility systems for controlled sources of reactive power.

• In steady state operation to produce a controlled reactive current and
operates as STATCOM.
• Reduce size of the compensator and improve its performance.
• HV-Inverter allows direct connection to HV distribution system ,reducing
system cost.
• Variable speed drives
• Back to back intertie
Three phase current and voltage output
waveform
FFT Analysis
 FUTURE SCOPE

• Multilevel inverter can be used for simulation of 6,12,18,24,30,36,48 multi

pulse converter.

• Such inverter can be used for high voltage and high power applications
such as HVDC conversions.

• Overall it can be said that this inverters can be used for enhancing control and
efficiency.
 MONTH ACTIVITIES

July Finalization of topic

August Synopsis and demo preparation

September Designing of Multilevel Inverter and

simulation
October Component collection

November Introduction of Arduino

December Hardware designing

January Hardware testing

February Reporting
 27

References
1. D. Mohan, “A Comparative Analysis of Multi Carrier SPWM Control Strategies using Fifteen Level Cascaded H –
bridge Multilevel Inverter” International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887) Volume 41– No.21,
March 2012
2. Dhana Prasad Duggapu* and Swathi Nulakajodu “Comparison between Diode Clamped and H-Bridge Multilevel
Inverter (5 to 15 odd levels)” VSRD-IJEECE, Vol. 2 (5), 2012, 228-256
3. M .S. Aspalli., Anil Wamanrao, “Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation (SPWM) With Variable Carrier
Synchronization for Multilevel Inverter Controllers”.
4. J. S. Lai and F.Z. Peng “Multilevel Converters – A new breed of power converters” IEEE Trans. Ind Applicant , Vol.
32, May/June 1996.
5. Jose Roderiguez, Jih-Sheng Lai and Fang Zheng Reng, “Multilevel Inverters” A survey of topologies ,control, and
applications “,IEEE Trans. On Ind. Electronics, vol No.[4], August 2002.
6. Nabae, I Takashashi, and H. Akagi, “ A new neutral –point clamped PWM inverter,” IEEE Trans. Ind Application
Vol. No. IA-17,PP 518-523,Sept/oc 1981.
7. P.K.Chaturvedi, S. Jain, Pramod Agrawal “Modeling , Simulation and Analysis of Three level Neutral Point
clamped inverter using matlab/Simulink/Power System Blockst”
8. R. Krishnan, “Control, Modeling and Analysis of Electrical Drives”,
9. Bimal K. Bose, “Modern power electronics and drives”.
10. M. H. Rashid, “Power Electronics; circuits, devices, and applications”.