Abstract

This paper introduces a new multilevel topology for Five –level inverter (FLI) referred to as the Self-Voltage Balancing Reduced Switch Count Five-Level Inverter (SVB-RSC-FLI) and specifically designed for electric vehicle (EV) applications. The proposed design minimizes the number of switching devices, enhances overall efficiency, reduces switching losses, and produces high-quality output voltage waveforms. In contrast, conventional inverter topologies such as Neutral Point Clamped (NPC), Flying Capacitor (FC), and Cascaded H-Bridge (CHB) typically require a higher number of components and face difficulties in maintaining capacitor voltage balance—especially as the number of voltage levels increases. The SVB-RSC-FLI topology addresses these limitations by achieving natural voltage self-balancing while using fewer active components. This results in reduced voltage stress across the switches and a lower overall switching frequency, contributing to improved reliability and operational efficiency. The inverter provides five distinct voltage levels: +2Vdc, +Vdc, 0, -Vdc, and -2Vdc. It utilizes the Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation with Phase Disposition (SPDPWM) technique for accurate and efficient switching control. Due to its inherent self-balancing mechanism, the design eliminates the need for additional balancing circuits. A comprehensive Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) analysis was conducted on the output waveforms, both with and without filtering. The system’s performance was further validated through simulations using a single-phase induction motor model in Matlab/Simulink, followed by the successful development of a hardware prototype that confirmed the simulation results.

Authors

D. Ashoka Raju, P. Vetrivel
Government College of Engineering Salem, India

Keywords

Five-level Inverter (FLI), Sinusoidal Phase disposition PWM, Total Harmonic distortion (THD)