Common ground type five level inverter with voltage boosting for PV applications

Abstract

The boost-switched capacitor inverter topology with reduced leakage current is highly suitable for distributed photovoltaic power generation with a transformerless structure. This paper presents a single-stage 5-level (5L) transformerless inverter with common ground (CG) topology for single-phase grid-connected photovoltaic application. A generalized version of the proposed topology is also presented. The proposed topologies are derived by combining the dc/dc boost converter and switched capacitor cell. The primary focus has been given to the 5L version of the proposed topology. The number of switch counts is reduced, the maximum voltage gain is four times, and the inrush current is suppressed due to the input inductor configuration. Also, the voltages across the switched capacitors (SCs) are self-balanced. The negative source terminal and the load are connected directly to suppress the leakage current. It is thoroughly compared with other recent CG-Type topologies to attest to the advantages of the proposed topology. The laboratory prototype is developed for 600 W with the maximum efficiency is 94.21%, and the maximum source current is not more than 25A. Further, the operation of the proposed topology is verified under dynamic loading conditions, and the results are presented.