A Thirteen-Level Flying Capacitor based Single-Phase Inverter with Self-Balancing Capability

This paper proposes a novel Symmetric Multilevel Flying Capacitor Inverter (SMFCI) structure using a two dc sources and four capacitors. The proposed single-phase 13-level inverter has the capability to increase the output voltage with fewer semiconductor components compared to the modern structures. The Phase Disposition Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation (PDSPWM) strategy is utilized to produce switching signals. Using this modulation scheme facilitate the SMFCI with self-balancing capability of voltage of capacitors. The SMFCI is also capable of transferring reactive power through R-L loads without any limitations. Furthermore, the inverter can properly generate 5-level, 9-level and 11-level output voltage for different applications. Moreover, a comparison with modern 13-level inverters is provided in terms of the number active and passive components in order to show the advantages of the proposed structure. The performance of the converter is illustrated through simulations for different operating conditions for resistive and resistive-inductive loads.