Comparative study of single-phase multilevel cascaded transformerless inverters with different modulation methods

This paper presents an in-depth exploration of a single-phase multilevel cascaded H5 (CH5) transformerless inverter employing both phase-shifted PWM (PS-PWM) and level-shifted PWM (LS-PWM) methodologies. A comparative analysis is conducted with the conventional multilevel inverter (MLI) topologies, specifically the cascaded H-bridge (CHB) and H5 inverter configurations. The investigation delves into the impact of modulation index variations, load fluctuations, and modulation methods on the inverter's operational performance.While switches in the CHB-MLI operate continuously at the carrier frequency state using PS-PWM and LS-PWM methods, the CH5-MLI exhibits a unique behavior with some switches toggling at high frequency, while others synchronize with the grid frequency. The CH5-MLI topology demonstrates efficiency improvements and a reduction in total harmonic distortion (THD). Notably, employing the LS-PWM method yields more significant efficiency enhancements and THD reduction compared to the PS-PWM method. To analyze power loss characteristics under diverse operating conditions, the PLECS simulation environment is leveraged for calculating conduction and switching losses.The application of phase-shifted and level-shifted carrier-based pulse width modulation strategies to high and low-frequency switching switches results in minimized output harmonics, elevated operator safety, and enhanced overall reliability and efficiency. This work contributes significantly to the field by offering a detailed exploration of the CH5-MLI topology's dynamic behavior, modulation strategies, and their collective impact on performance metrics such as efficiency, THD, and power losses.