Extending the utilization of DC-link voltage in multi-level inverters using a new modulation technique

This paper presents a novel modulation strategy for multilevel inverters. The proposed method generates the maximum achievable voltage with the highest first order harmonic content and fairly low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Using the proposed method, each phase of the inverter can be controlled independently within a wider range of linear modulation indices compared to conventional Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) techniques. In this digest, first an introduction to different modulation strategies for multilevel inverters is provided. Then the proposed modulation method is explained briefly. Finally, preliminary simulation results are provided to validate the proposed modulation technique.