A modified cascade transformer-based multilevel inverter and its efficient switching function

A modified multilevel PWM inverter is proposed to increase the number of output voltage levels and to improve the system characteristic of a prior 11-level shaped PWM inverter scheme. In appearance, it consists of three full-bridge modules and a cascade transformer; therefore, the configuration of the proposed multilevel PWM inverter is equal to that of the prior one. Only the turn-ratio of one transformer and its corresponding switching function are different from each other. Based on the difference, the proposed multilevel PWM inverter has two promising advantages. First, output voltage levels increase almost two-fold. Consequently, it can generate more sinusoidal output voltage waves. Second, due to a suitable switching pattern, it lightens power imposed on the transformer, which is used for compensating output voltages with chopped pulses between step levels. Operational principle of the proposed 19-level shaped PWM inverter is analysed with comparisons of the prior 11-level shaped PWM inverter. The validity of the proposed inverter system is verified by computer-aided simulations and experimental results based on a 1 kW prototype.