This paper presents a novel seven-level inverter topology for medium-voltage high-power applications. It consists of eight active switches and two inner flying-capacitor units forming a similar structure as in a conventional Active Neutral Point Clamped (ANPC) inverter. This unique arrangement reduces the number of active and passive components. A simple modulation technique reduces cost and complexity in the control system design without compromising reactive power capability. In addition, compared to major conventional 7-level inverter topologies such as the Neutral Point Clamped (NPC), Flying Capacitor (FC), Cascaded H-bridge (CHB) and Active NPC (ANPC) topologies, the new topology reduces the dc-link voltage requirement by 50%. This recued dc-link voltage makes the new topology appealing for various industrial applications. Experimental results from a 2.2 kVA prototype are presented to support the theoretical analysis presented in this paper. The prototype demonstrates a conversion efficiency of around 97.2% ± 1% for a wide load range.

This paper presents an analysis and design of a new boost type six-switch five-level Active Neutral Point Clamped (ANPC) inverter based on switched/flying capacitor technique with self-voltage balancing. Compared to major conventional 5-level inverter topologies, such as, Neutral Point Clamped (NPC), Flying Capacitor (FC), Cascaded H-bridge (CHB) and Active NPC (ANPC) topologies, the new topology reduces the dc-link voltage requirement by 50%. Whilst reducing the dc-link voltage requirement, the number and the size of the active and passive components are also reduced without compromising the reactive power capability. The analysis shows that the proposed topology is suitable for wide range of power conversion applications (for example, rolling mills, fans, pumps, marine appliances, mining, tractions, and most prominently grid-connected renewable energy systems). Experimental results from a 1.2-kVA prototype justifies the concept of the proposed inverter with a conversion efficiency of around 97.5% ± 1% for a wide load range.