A generalized design methodology for hybrid multilevel inverters

This paper develops a detailed analysis and proposes a generalized design methodology for hybrid multilevel inverters. With these hybrid topologies, it is possible to minimize the number of series-connected cells for a given number of levels, minimizing the THD of the output voltage and, therefore, reducing or even eliminating the output filter. With the proposed design methodology, the number of series-connected cells and the value of the DC voltage source of each cell are defined so that few cells synthesize a large number of levels and the circulating energy among the series-connected inverters is minimized, increasing the efficiency of overall system.