A 5-Level Cascaded Hybrid Multilevel Inverter for

Interfacing with Renewable Energy Resources

1

Surin Khomfoi1,2, Chatrchai Aimsaard2

Center of Excellence for Innovative Energy Systems, 2Faculty of Engineering

King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Chalongkrung Rd. Ladkrabang, Bangkok, 10520, THAILAND
Abstract- A 5-level cascaded hybrid multilevel inverter for
interfacing with renewable energy resources is developed. The
objective of this research is to propose an alternative topology of
hybrid cascaded multilevel inverter applications. The modified
PWM technique is also developed to reduce switching losses. Also,
the proposed topology can reduce the number of required power
switches compared to a traditional cascaded multilevel inverter.
PSIM (PowerSim) and Simulink/MATLAB are used to simulate
the circuit operation and control signal. The 3-kW prototype is
developed. The results show that this alternative topology can be
applied for high power applications as a multilevel inverter.

I.

(a)

INTRODUCTION

Renewable energy resources have become an alternative

power sources in recent year. Also, power electronics
technologies have provided an important improvement of
renewable energy applications. Many renewable energy
applications will require high power inverters (>50 kW); for
instance, a grid connected inverter. Therefore, multilevel
inverters are suitable for this application because a multilevel
inverter can possibly provide the high voltampere ratings; more
specially, in renewable energy applications, a cascaded Hbridge multilevel inverter can be applied to interface a group of
batteries, photovoltaic or fuel cells. Generally, three different
major multilevel converter structures have been reported in the
literature: cascaded H-bridges converter with separate dc
sources (SDCS), diode clamped (neutral-clamped), and flying
capacitors (capacitor clamped). An advantage and
disadvantage of each type of multilevel inverter have been
discussed in [1] and will not be repeated here. As explained in
[1], a cascaded multilevel inverter may have more potential
than others since input SDCS (Photovoltaic and Fuel cell)
could be naturally interfaced to the multilevel inverter to
provide higher output voltages; this may offer a high
transformerless multilevel inverter in a grid connected
application. Moreover, a cascaded configuration would provide
a possibility to connect a higher SDCS (> 600 VDC) for
getting higher output voltages which do not exceed the 600
VDC to ground as NEC limits. However, a cascaded
multilevel inverter contains a lot of power switches and this
number of power switches will be depended upon a number of
required output voltage levels. Consequently, higher switching
losses will be traded off with output voltage quality.
A cascaded hybrid multilevel inverter has been developed
from a conventional cascaded multilevel inverter as illustrated
in Fig. 1. An IGBT H-Bridge inverter and an IGCT H-Bridge
inverter are used as a hybrid multilevel inverter as proposed in

978-1-4244-3388-9/09/$25.00 2009 IEEE

(b)
Fig. 1. Single phase cascaded multilevel inverter configuration (a) a conventional
multilevel inverter (b) hybrid multilevel inverter using IGCTs and IGBTs.

[2]. The IGCT inverter can be used at higher voltampere rating

than the IGBT inverter; however, the IGBT inverter can be
operated at higher switching frequency than the IGCT inverter.
This illustrates that the hybrid inverter can operate at higher
voltampere rating with lower switching losses than a
conventional cascaded multilevel inverter. The IGCT inverter
can operate at fundamental switching frequency (square wave)
and the IGBT inverter can operate at PWM switching mode as
clearly explained in [2]. The hybrid inverter proposed in [2]
has the same number of power switches compared to a
conventional cascaded multilevel inverter. It would be better if
we could reduce a number of power switches in a hybrid
inverter with the same functionality. The application of hybrid
multilevel inverter with a single SDCS can be also applied in
vehicle applications as proposed in [3-4].
Therefore, an alternative hybrid multilevel inverter (HMI)
is developed as shown in Fig. 2. The HMI consists of two types
of inverter: a conventional three phase six switches inverter
and a single phase four switches H-bridge inverter. The
objective of this proposed HMI is to apply with the renewable
energy resources for a high power application; thereupon, two
SDCS is used to supply both inverters. The switching paradigm
of both inverters will be developed with low switching losses.

A
Sa3
Vdc
2

Sa5

Sb3

+
-

Sa4

Sa6

Vdc
2
Sb4

Sa1
Vdc

+
-

Sb5

Vdc
2

Sb6

Sb1

Sc1

Sb2

Sc2

Sc3

Sc5

Sc4

Sc6

+
-

(a)

N
Sa2

Fig. 2. Proposed three phase cascaded hybrid multilevel inverter.

II. PROPOSED PWM PARADIGM

(b)

Before continuing discussion in this research, it should be

noted that the word main inverter is used to refer to the sixswitch three phase inverter and the word auxiliary inverter
is referred to four-switch H-bridge inverter. Since the low
switching losses during PWM operation is required, the
main inverter will operate at square wave mode and
auxiliary inverter will operate PWM mode as depicted in
Fig. 3. In practical, if a single chip is used to generate the
PWM signals, it normally has only one carrier signal with
six PWM channels; nevertheless, the HMI requires 12
PWM channels for both main and auxiliary inverter.
Thereafter, the referent signal of sinusoidal PWM (SPWM)
used for the auxiliary inverter is modified by using
equation (1)-(4). The multiplexing signals from (3) and (4)
are used to fabricate PWM signal by using logic diagram as
shown in Table I. and Fig. 4. In this particular application,
PIC18F4431 single chip is used to generate the PWM
signals incorporating with a CPLD XC9536XL to fabricate
the PWM signals for the HMI.
f (t ) = ma Sin ( t )

1 1
2 f (t ) ; f (t ) 1
TP
2 2
=
1

TC 1
2 f (t ) ; 0 f (t )
2
2

1 ; f (t ) 0
A1 =
0 ; f (t ) < 0

when

f (t )
ma

A1
A2
TP
TC

1 ; f (t ) 2
A2 =
1
0 ; f (t ) <

2
is Reference signal,
is Modulation Index (0-1.0),

is multiplexing signal #1,

is multiplexing signals #2,
is Pulse width of PWM (01).

(c)
Fig. 3. Proposed PWM paradigm: (a) Output phase voltage, (b) Auxiliary and
main inverter output voltages and (c) Modulation signals of both main and
auxiliary inverter.

(1)
(2)

(3)

(4)

Fig. 4. Logic diagram.

TABLE I.
FABRICATED PWM SIGNAL FOR PROPOSED HYBRID MULTILEVEL INVERTER

Sn
SA1
SA2
SA3
SA4

PWM + (( A2 A1) + ( A2 A1))

SA5
SA6

PWM + (( A2 A1) + ( A2 A1))

Hybrid PWM mixing operator

A1
A1
PWM (( A2 A1) + ( A2 A1))

PWM (( A2 A1) + ( A2 A1))

III. SIMULATION STUDY

PSIM (Powersim) [5] and MATLAB/Simulink are utilized to
create the simulation model as shown in Fig. 5.
MATLAB/Simulink is used to simulate the control signals and
PSIM acts as a hardware prototype. This simulation model
could offer the simplicity of a changing control scheme and
simple to transfer the control model from simulation to
implementation in a single chip. Fundamental output voltages
can be controlled by changing a modulation index ma of
referent signal; also, the fundamental output frequency can be
adjusted by changing frequency of the referent signal. The
simulation results of the proposed hybrid multilevel inverter
are illustrated in Fig. 6-8. As can be seen, the simulation model
can operate at different modulation indices. The results show
that this hybrid can be also applied with traction drive
applications.

Fig. 7. Line to line and line to neutral Output voltage of the hybrid inverter
operated at ma = 0.48/1.0.

Fig. 8. Line to line and line to neutral Output voltage and output current of the
hybrid inverter operated at ma = 0.9/1.0.

Fig. 5. Simulation model using PSIM and Simulink.

Fig. 6. Output voltage of main and auxiliary inverter operated at ma 0.9/1.0.

IV. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP

The 3-kW prototype was developed by using power bipolar
transistor (TOSHIBA MG50G6EL1 50A 600V) in main
inverter and IGBT (FAIRCHILD G20N60B30 40A 600V) in
auxiliary inverter. The switching power supplies were used as
SDCS for supplying dc voltages to HMI. A 1-hp induction
motor was used as a load. A Yokogawa oscilloscope
incorporating with a PC was used to perform a measurement
unit. The experiment setup is shown in Fig. 9 and Fig 10.
Experimental results are illustrated Fig. 11. Fig. 11 (a) shows
the output line to neutral voltage and line output current of the
proposed HMI operating at unity modulation index. As can be
seen, the HMI can operate in PWM mode with a good
sinusoidal output current. The output voltage of main and
auxiliary inverter is depicted in Fig. 11 (b). Clearly, the main
inverter operates at square wave mode, but the auxiliary
inverter operates at PWM mode. This operation can reduce the
switching frequency losses in the HMI. The experimental
results suggest that the proposed HMI can be used with
renewable energy resources. It should be noted that, in most
cases, the HMI in renewable energy applications may not
require a wide range of modulation index; however, a wide
range modulation index does require for drive applications.
Also, it should be mentioned that this HMI do require a half of
dc input voltage of the main inverter supplying to the auxiliary
inverter in order to achieve a balance output voltages.

(a)

(a)

(b)
Fig. 9. Experimental setup: (a) connected with load and measurement unit, (b)
proposed hybrid multilevel inverter.

(b)
Fig. 11. Experimental results operating at ma =1.0/1.0: (a) Output phase voltages
and line current (b) Output voltages of main and auxiliary inverter with line
current.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work is supported by Kings King Mongkut's Institute
of Technology Ladkrabang Research Fund and Thailand
Research Fund.
REFERENCES
[1]
Fig. 10. Developed PWM generator board using a single chip.

[2]

V. CONCLUSION
A 5-level cascaded hybrid multilevel inverter for interfacing
with renewable energy resources has been proposed. The
modified PWM technique has also been developed to reduce
switching losses. Also, the proposed topology can reduce the
number of required power switches compared to a traditional
cascaded multilevel inverter. Simulation and experimental
results have been validated. The results show that this
alternative cascaded hybrid multilevel inverter topology can be
applied for high power applications as a multilevel inverter and
can be used to interface with renewable energy resources.

[3]

[4]

[5]

S. Khomfoi, L. M. Tolbert, Multilevel Power Converters, Power

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