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Review Article

Comprehensive analysis of selected multi level power converters for solar pv

applications

Yash Shukla1, Zaid Ahmad Khan1, and Dr.M Saad Bin Arif1,*

1
Department of Electrical Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

* Correspondence: saad.ee@amu.ac.in; Tel: +91 9368105903;

Abstract: Presently, Multi-Level Invertors have become popular for various applications like PV
systems and other industries as well due to their ability to provide reduced total harmonic
distortion(THD), switching stress, and lower electromagnetic behavior. Their usage has also been
extended to low-power applications to overcome issues associated with high switching frequencies
etc. The photovoltaic systems have become the most popular option among these renewable energy
system. These power electronic devices are crucial for the process of generation of power using PV
systems and other renewable energy resources. This work presents a critical analysis of selected
single dc-source 5-level inverter topologies. Modeling of the converter is done in MATLAB/simulink
software. In order to have lower conduction losses low switching frequency technique is used and the
performance analysis of the converters is carried out under different loading conditions. On the basis
of different circuit parameters comparative analysis is carried out.

Keywords: (5 to 10 keywords)

1. Introduction
Due to the growing population and the growth of high-energy demanding industries, the energy
demand on the power systems has dramatically increased over the last decade and according to
Energy Information Administration (EIA) it is expected to increase by 56% by 2040. According to
the “Renewables 2022” report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable electricity
generation is expected to increase by almost 2400 GW between the years 2022 and 2027,
representing an increase of 75%1. An area where the renewable energy applications are increasing is
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the electric car industry. The concept of an automobile, having rooftop PV panels with unique
concentrators for battery charging has been introduced2. For such rise in the renewable energy
utilization, it requires production of high quality waveforms, whilst utilizing low voltage devices and
reduced switching frequencies, therefore leading to the development of multi-level inverter.
Multilevel converters or MLCS utilizes an arrangement of power electronic devices and DC sources
to create a staircase output voltage waveform, providing various benefits such as3:
1. The low switching frequency contributes to the lower switching losses and better efficiency.
2. They can enhance the utility systems, dynamic stability and power quality.
3. They may be stacked up to an essentially infinite number of levels because to its modular and
straightforward structure.
4. Low electromagnetic interference (EMI) and switching stress.
5. They serve as the best link between the utility and renewable energy sources, such as fuel
cells or photovoltaics (PV).
The purpose of this paper is to give a thorough and in-depth analysis of some selected 5 level
multilevel inverter topologies that are now accessible. The study has also provided succinct
descriptions and explanations of topologies and their applications.
2.System configuration

Solar PV systems comprises of many components that are linked together to provide power based on
the application. The system consists of a solar panel which generates DC electricity from light. As
seen from the connections given in fig. I the Voltage (Vpv) and Current (Ipv) from the panel is
controlled using an MPPT algorithm following with a PWM technique and a gate drive, is fed to the
DC-DC converter. The output from the DC-DC converter is then fed to the Multilevel Inverter where
the DC waveform is converted to AC efficiently4.

Figure 1. System configuration

SPV system configurations can be of two types for different applications as described below:
2.1 Grid integrated solar pv system-
To improve the efficiency of the electrical network, grid-connected PV systems are deployed. PV
arrays supply electricity to the distribution system's load side, which lowers the feeder's active power
loading and boosts efficiency5. Fig.II )a) depicts the grid-connected solar photovoltaic system's
block diagram.
The grid, three-phase voltage source inverter, MPPT controller, DC-DC boost converter, SPV array,

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filter, and grid are the major elements of a grid-interactive solar PV system. The PV cell connection6
may be in series or parallel depending upon the required voltage and current value for the PV
module. The modules are connected in series and parallel to provide the output voltage and current,
which is then given to the MPPT controller. The MPPT controller then regulates the switching of the
DC-DC boost converter to ensure that the maximum power is obtained at its output. The three-phase
voltage source inverter is then used to convert this DC output power to AC, which is ultimately
supplied to the grid. As well as having harmonics, the inverter's output is not synchronized with the
grid. Therefore, it is synchronized with the grid using a phase lock loop, and unwanted harmonics are
eliminated using a filter. In this arrangement, there is no need for batteries because the grid can meet
any excess demand that arises when demand surpasses generation.

Figure 2.a) Grid-interactive spv system5

2.2 Stand alone solar pv system-

These are used for standalone applications, which are the least expensive and most straightforward,
as the name impliesFig.II)b) depicts the block diagram of a standalone solar PV system. Batteries, a
dump load, a DC/AC load, an MPPT controller, an SPV array, and a DC-DC boost converter make
up a stand-alone SPV system's primary components. The MPPT controller receives the output
voltage and current from the solar photovoltaic array. The DC-DC boost converter's switching is
managed by the MPPT controller7 so that the output power is maximized. The output power can be
supplied to the DC loads to the various AC loads by using suitable inverters. As power generation
exceeds demand, it can be stored in batteries and used to power additional loads as needed,
improving the reliability of the system. After the batteries are fully charged, the extra power is then
discharged into the heaters and dump loads that are linked to the shunt. The battery discharge diode
DB prevents overcharging of the battery. To prevent battery discharge through the array during
periods of low solar irradiation or at night, the array diode DA offers isolation between the array and
the battery.

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Figure 2.b) Standalone spv system5

3.Selected multi level inverter topologies
3.1 7S-5LANPC-
Seven-Switch Five-Level Active-Neutral-Point-Clamped Converter (6S-5LANPC) was initially
introduced by Hongliang Wang, Lei Kou, Yan-Fei Liu, and Paresh C. Sen in 20178.
This model was just another modification of the Five-Level Active-Neutral-Point-Clamped Converter
(5LAPNC). The basis of this topology was to reduce the number of active switches and to cut costs
for industrial applications and operate under reactive power conditions with the help of Phase
disposition PWM technique. Compared to the conventional 5L-ANPC inverter the proposed
topology uses seven active switches which is one less than the conventional one and two discrete
diodes. The proposed topology generally uses Space Vector Modulation (SVM) for three-phase
applications. By incorporating the cascaded two-level inverters, the voltage levels can be enhanced.
The number of active switches for an n-level architecture is n + 2, and the necessary FC count is (n -
3)/2. The FC to ratio voltages to half DC-link voltage are as follows: 1:2 : : (n - 3)/2 : (n - 1)/2. The
proposed 7S-5L-ANPC inverter has the advantage of drastically lowering conduction losses by 1/3
compared to Type I 5L-ANPC9and by 1/4 compared to Type III 5L-ANPC during specific switching
states. At high power factor settings (e.g., PF > 0.9), it outperforms Type I and Type III 5L-ANPC,
roughly matching Type II'si conduction losses, and reducing total conduction losses by 1/6 to 1/8.
3.2 6S-5LANPC-
A new topology was presented by Hongliang Wang, Lei Kou, Yan-Fei Liu, and Paresh C. Sen namely
Six-Switch Five-Level Active-Neutral-Point-Clamped Converter (6S-5LANPC) in 201710. It works well
in applications requiring medium voltage and high power. The analysis demonstrates that the
proposed topology is appropriate for grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) applications. It is noted that
at least eight active switches are necessary for the current typical 5L-ANPC inverter topologies. The
main idea of this proposed topology was to decrease the number of active switches so that
systems's prices could be brought down. To improve grid stability and power system reliability,
fewer switches are needed to input reactive power into the system. In comparison to the Five-Level
Active-Neutral-Point-Clamped Converters (5LAPNC), the 6S-5LANPC uses two six active switches and
two discrete diodes and has lower conduction loss. Conduction losses are greatly decreased by the
6S-5L-ANPC inverter being suggested. It reduces losses by roughly 1/6 overall and by 1/3 during
particular states when compared to Type I 5L-ANPC. On the other hand, it roughly resembles Type II
losses and outperforms Type III with a reduction of about 1/4 during particular states and about 1/8
generally, thus providing higherefficiency in high power conditions proving it to be a good option for
photovoltaic (PV) applications.
3.3 6S 5l with bidirectional switches-
Based on switched/flying capacitor technology with self-voltage balancing, a new boost type, six-
switch, five-level Active Neutral Point Clamped (ANPC) inverter was analysed and designed. by Yam.
P. Siwakoti, AswinPalanisamy, Akshay Mahajan, Stephan Liese, Teng Long and FredeBlaabjerg in
202011. The suggested topology is ideal for a variety of power conversion applications, including
those used in rolling mills, fans, pumps, marine appliances, mining, and most significantly grid-
connected renewable energy systems. In this analysis, only six active switches are required

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compared to the other conventional 5LANPC which requires eight switches in total to operate and
two discrete diodes. The proposed topology outperforms a two-stage converter by 2-3% in terms of
efficiency, improving power production and lowering thermal load, which eventually results in less
cooling energy needed and a smaller grid-connected inverter system. In comparison to traditional
NPC, ANPC, and flying capacitor topologies, it requires 50% less voltage for the DC-link. Additionally,
the size of the active and passive components is reduced without the reactive power capabilities.
The proposedtopology, however, pulls more RMS current, which raises conduction losses
throughout the system, particularly on the diodes.
3.4 Hybrid T-type 5LANPC-
Introduced by JuhamattiKorhonen, ArtoSankala, Juha-PekkaStr m, and PerttiSilventoinen in
201412proposes a hybrid topology that uses the T-type inverter and FC to achieve a five-level
inverter. The topology consists of the same number of active switches and diodes as compared to
the conventional 5LANPC but the only difference lies in the voltage ratings. The five-level Pulse
Width Modulation (PWM) technique can be utilized to regulate any of the aforementioned systems.
The drawback of this topology is that it faces neutral point voltage imbalance issues which are
addressable with algorithms. .At modulation index range uref = 0.8 ... 1, efficiency is equivalent
ANPC-5L, but at low modulation indexes, the proposed topology efficiency is worse than ANPC-5L.
Also both topologies experience thermal cycling over a wide operational range because of variations
in the distribution of losses among the devices over the output voltage range.Alternatives such as
the use of anti-parallel reverse blocking IGBTs can be considered for testing to replace the proposed
topology sw7 and sw8 to achieve better drive efficiency.

(a) 7S-5L ANPC Topology Proposed in [] (b) 6S 5-L ANPC Topology Proposed in []

(c) 6S 5-L ANPC with bidirectional switches (d) Hybrid 5L T Type Topology Proposed in []
Topology Proposed in []
Figure 3: Selected Single input 5-Level Inverter topologies for Solar PV Applications

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4. Results and discussion

4.1 Static load analysis

The purpose of the simulation is to evaluate the proposed circuit's static stability. For the static
stability, constant RL loads are applied and various parameters like output voltage and current are
checked. A constant RL load is applied to the topology in order to do a static analysis of it. The
output voltage and current are tracked while a constant RL load is provided. The static load analysis
results are shown in Figure IV.
4.2 Dynamic load analysis
The goal of the dynamic analysis is to evaluate the topology's resistance to a sudden shift in load.
Both the load magnitude and the load power factor may vary as a result of the modification. Models
are fed for the first time by varying the R and RL load. For the R load, the load is changed. As the
load is decreased, the voltage envelope remains constant but the current envelope increases, as
seen in Figure VI. With the RL load, the same results as for the R load are produced. Figure V
illustrates how the voltage envelope remains constant while the current envelope rises as the
impedance decreases. These kinds of loads are related to domestic equipment, such as heater
loads. When the heating is adjusted, the RL load also changes in proportion. A fan load that is
managed by the regulator is a further example. The load supplied by the converter changes step-by-
step with each step of the regulator. The models are supplied variable R and RL load for dynamic
stability. The purpose of this is to simulate any control strategy problem that could arise during
operation. The loads vary to reflect the burden on the household equipment, which is dependent
upon the number of appliances utilized.
4.3 Total Standing Voltage
An essential factor in determining if the suggested circuit is feasible is total standing voltage. It is the
highest voltage that a switch must tolerate when it is in the off position. The total standing voltage
determines the switch's rating. Higher TSV would require higher switch ratings, which would
increase the cost. Different switches must endure various stresses to compute the TSV; The output
voltage level single-step change is denoted by Vdc in the following figure.

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Figure

Figure

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Figure

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Figure

5. Comparison among the topologies

In order to thoroughly determine which model is best suited for the application in the PV systems, it
is important to compare the different topologies present in the literature. For a fair comparison, a
comprehensive analysis based on five-level topologies has been carried out. The comparison is
carried out between four different known topologies based on differentparameters such as number
of IGBT with anti-parallel diode, number of IGBT, number of power diodes, cost factor, number of
capacitors, and TSV.
From the table , it can be noticed that the 6S 5L ANPC with bidirectional switches and Hybrid 5L T
type topology offers the lowest TSV of all the different topologies. Improved performance and
dependability of the converter result from less strain on the IGBT switches, which enhances its
reliability. Additionally, each of the four topologies generates five levels with the same THD using a
single DC source and three flying capacitors; The more IGBTs needed, the more complex fault
tolerance and clearance issues become. 6S 5L ANPC with bidirectional switches and 6S 5-L ANPC
topologies utilize the lowest number of IGBTs with anti-parallel diodes with Hybrid 5L T type
topology requiringthe most number of IGBTs with anti-parallel diodes, but Hybrid 5L T type topology
utlilizes zero normal IGBTs with the other three topologies requiring two or one IGBTS. The higher
the number of IGBTs conducted, the more associated losses leading to lower efficiency. In addition,
the cost factor generated is a crucial aspect in determining if the suggested circuit is economically
viable. The most inexpensive choice is the 6S 5L ANPC with bidirectional switches, which provides
the lowest TSV and 21 CF if the weighting factor for the TSV is 0.5 and 27 CF if the weighting factor
is 1.5. In addition, out of the three topologies, the Hybrid 5L T-type topology uses the fewest power
diodes.

Selected IGBT with MOSFE Power Cost Factor No. of TSV

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anti-
Single DC Source T Diodes Total No. of Capacito
parallel 𝛼 = 0.5 𝛼 =1.5
MLI Topologies /IGBT (Nd) Components r
diode
7S 5L ANPC 6 1 2 9 4.75 6.25 3 3.75
6S 5-L ANPC 4 2 2 8 4.30 5.70 3 3.50
6S 5L ANPC 4 2 2 8 4.20 5.40 3 3.00
Hybrid 5L T Type 8 - - 8 4.40 5.60 3 3.00

Table 1. Comparison among the topologies

7.0
𝛼=1.5 𝛼=0.5
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
7S 5L ANPC 6S 5L ANPC 6S 5L ANPC with Hybrid T-Type
bidirectional
switches
Total Number Switches

10.0

9.0

8.0

7.0

6.0

5.0

4.0

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Total Standing Voltage (TSV) 4.0

3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0

6. Cost analysis

Cost analysis is conducted based on various factors, including the number of IGBTs used (NIGBT),
the number of driver circuits used (NDr), the number of capacitors used (NC), the number of diodes
used (ND), the number of DC sources used (NDC), and the TSV p.u., to determine the viability of the
proposed structure. Cost factor (CF) can be defined as follows based on the aforementioned
parameters:
Cost Factor (CF) = NIGBT + NDR + NC + NDC + TSV, where α is the TSV's weighing factor. α has two
standard values: 0.5 and 1.513. For each of these values, CF is determined.

6.1 For 7S 5L ANPC:

CF (𝛼=0.5)=20.75, CF (𝛼=0.5)∕Level =23.75∕5 =4.75
CF (𝛼=1.5)=28.25, CF (𝛼=1.5)∕Level =31.25∕5 =6.25

6.2 For 6S 5L ANPC:

CF (𝛼=0.5)=19.5, CF (𝛼=0.5)∕Level =21.5∕5 =4.3
CF (𝛼=1.5)=26.5, CF (𝛼=1.5)∕Level =28.5∕5 =5.7

6.3 For 6S 5L ANPC with bidirectional switches:

CF (𝛼=0.5)=19, CF (𝛼=0.5)∕Level =21∕5 =4.2
CF (𝛼=1.5)=25, CF (𝛼=1.5)∕Level =27∕5 =5.4

6.4 For Hybrid 5L T Type:

CF (𝛼=0.5)=19, CF (𝛼=0.5)∕Level =22∕5 =4.4
CF (𝛼=1.5)=25, CF (𝛼=1.5)∕Level =28∕5 =5.6

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7S 5-L ANPC 6S 5-L ANPC

1 1

0.75 0.75

0.5 0.5

0.25 0.25

0 0
T1/D1 T2/D2 T3/D3 T4/D4 T5/D5 T6/D6 T7 D7 D8 T1/D1 T2/D2 T3/D3 T4/D4 T5 T6 D7 D8

Stress Voltage Across Switches Stress Voltage Across Switches

6S 5-L ANPC with bidirectional Hybrid 5L T-type

switches 1
1
0.75
0.75
0.5
0.5

0.25 0.25

0 0
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 D1 D2 T1/D1 T2/D2 T3/D3 T4/D4 T5/D5 T6/D6 T7/D7 T8/D8

Stress Voltage Across Switches Stress Voltage Across Switches

7.Conclusions
This review paper selects the most appropriate model suitable by comparing various 5-level multi-
level topologies with the conventional 5-level topologies due to their potential to enhance
frequency, reduce costs, and meet the specific needs of grid-connected photovoltaic systems. Given
5L topologies place a strong emphasis on fewer active switches, lower conduction losses, and
improved performance in high-power conditions align well with the demands of solar PV
applications.
In the mentioned 5-level topologies there is an effort to reduce the number of active switches and
lower the conduction losses compared to conventional 5-level topologies. This reduction helps in
making the systems more economical, provides better efficiency for energy conversion, and
improves performance for solar PV applications. Due to all of these advantages primarily the cost
factor, lower TSV and the output, the 6S-5LANPC with bidirectional switches topology outperforms
the other 4, making it the best choice for grid-connected photovoltaic applications.

Use of AI tools declaration

The authors declare they have not used Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the creation of this

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article.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author Contributions:

The list of Authors should accurately reflect who carried out the research and who wrote the
article. All multi-authored papers should include an Authors’ Contributions’ section at the end of the
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has to declare the contributions of individual authors when submitting the article. Please follow the
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