A new sub-multilevel inverter with reduced number of components

During a few decades many multilevel topologies have been proposed. Contemporary research has engaged for new multilevel inverter topology by unique circuits. This paper presents a new sub-module inverter for cascaded multilevel inverters with reduced number of count. The recommended inverter generates 17 step by four DC links (only two DC link are unequal) and 8 power switches. The suggested sub-module inverter generates all voltage levels (positive, negative and zero) at the output without any additional circuit. Also, a cascaded connection for suggested structure is proposed. The advantages of the suggested cascaded connection are reduction number of components such as semiconductor switches, driver, IGBTs, the variety of the value of DC links and DC links in comparison with classical cascaded structures and other new structures which presented in literatures. For specifying the magnitudes of the DC links three new methods are calculated in order to produce more voltage steps, too. PSCAD/EMTDC simulation outcome are demonstrated to confirm the suggested structure excellent operation.