Search

Switched capacitor multilevel inverters with low input DC voltage sources and voltage boost capability are very attractive to producing a high voltage levels in the output. The paper introduces a modified switched capacitor multilevel inverter with voltage boost capability. The suggested topology can be extended into symmetric and asymmetric configurations. Nearest-level modulation method is employed to generate high-quality output waveforms. The presented multilevel inverter is compared with the similar configurations by considering various criteria. Finally, to confirm the operation of the suggested topology, a laboratory scale of the suggested inverter is implemented and the results are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Increasing environmental problems and challenges have led to increased use of renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic or PV system. One of the attractive research fields is power electronic converters as interfaces for renewable energy sources. Multilevel inverters can operate as such interfaces. This paper introduces modified topologies of switched-capacitor multilevel inverters, designed to overcome constraints of low voltage renewable energy sources such as PV. Methods: Configuration of topologies utilize a single DC source with series or parallel connection of capacitors to produce 7-level, 9-level, and 11-level voltage in the converter load side. The paper presents the converter operation principle, elements voltage stress analysis, and capacitor sizing calculations. Also, operation analysis of suggested inverter topologies is validated using implemented set up. Results: Comprehensive comparative analysis reveals that the proposed topologies have merits and superior performance compared to existing solutions regarding component number, voltage boost factor, and voltage stress. The experimental measurement results confirm the accuracy of multilevel output voltage waveforms and the self-balancing of capacitor voltages, as predicted by theoretical analysis. Conclusion: The suggested switched-capacitor multilevel inverters, moreover the superiority over previously presented topologies, show great potential for application in photovoltaic systems and electric vehicle battery banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a novel 9L-switched capacitor inverter circuit with a voltage-boosting feature. The presented circuit uses fewer energy-stored capacitors, which reduces the size and cost. The conventional Active Neutral Point Clamped (ANPC) inverter output voltage is half of the input voltage, i.e. dc-link voltage requirement is double the output voltage which leads to several challenges such as high dc-link capacitor size and voltage ratings, front-end DC-DC boost converter, etc. These issues are eliminated in the proposed topology due to boosting features, but a soft-charging method is required to suppress the inrush current. A detailed comparison between the proposed and existing SC-based 9L- inverter is presented. To validate the proposed circuit, the simulation is carried out using MATLAB/Simulink tool and the same is verified in a prototype setup for 0.8 kW and its efficiency is 97.02% which is superior than the other topologies relating to this research work.

This paper introduces a novel Multi-Level Inverter (MLI) design which utilizes a single input and leverages capacitor voltages source to generate a four-fold increase in output voltage as the main problem that stays with the inverters is their low boost ability and efficiency while maintaining power quality at the same time. One capacitor is charged to match the input voltage magnitude, while the other two capacitors store twice this magnitude. Through a series-parallel combination with switching operations, all capacitors are effectively charged and discharged within each cycle, ensuring natural voltage balance. A comprehensive comparative analysis is conducted to highlight the advantages of this innovative approach, particularly in terms of component reduction and mitigation of voltage stress. Detailed assessment of power losses within the proposed circuit is undertaken, simulation studies are first carried out while extensive experimentation verifies its operational efficiency under diverse conditions such as varying modulation indices, loads, and supply-side fluctuations with an impressive maximum efficiency of 96.9 % at a 200 W power rating, our research contributes to advancing compact power converters, addressing crucial challenges in modern power electronics applications, and paving the way for enhanced performance and reliability in such systems.

In this paper, a novel structure of self-voltage balanced switched-capacitor-based seven-level inverter (SVB-SCSLI) is proposed for asymmetrical input energy source applications. SVB-SCSLI develops a seven-level staircase waveform with a minimum number of semiconductor devices compared to existing multilevel inverters (MLIs). The proposed converter is more suitable for the solar PV system where unequal DC voltage sources are available. The SVB-SCSLI also resolves the main difficulty of connecting many inverters in parallel to achieve staircase voltage. Besides, it attains voltage balancing capability at DC-link by holding constant capacitor voltage at every cycle. The detailed loss and steady-state analysis of the SVB-SCSLI are examined. Furthermore, the proposed converter's efficiency improves with better power quality than other topologies reported in the literature. Finally, a prototype is fabricated, and experimental results are presented to validate the feasibility of SVB-SCSLI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper presents a novel single‐source common‐ground switched‐capacitor (CGSC) type dual‐mode five‐level (5L) transformer‐less (TL) multilevel inverter (MLI) topology with inherent boosting capability. The proposed topology comprises a single DC source, nine power switches, and two capacitors with self‐voltage balancing ability, reducing the inverter's size, cost, and complexity. The direct connection of the negative terminal of the source to the neutral point of the load eliminates the leakage current. The converter can operate in both buck and boost mode based on the series–parallel switching conversion of the involved switches. The circuit description, control strategy, and design guidelines are discussed in detail. The steady‐state and dynamic performance of the proposed circuit is validated using MATLAB Simulink software. Reliability analysis of the proposed converter is done in detail. Furthermore, the proposed converter is being compared with state‐of‐the‐art topologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper proposes a single‐phase dual‐input step‐up switched‐capacitor multilevel inverter that employs three capacitors, 15 switches, and two diodes to provide 13 voltage levels and triple‐voltage boosting factor in its symmetric form and 37 levels with voltage boosting factor of 3.6 in its asymmetric version. This high boosting factor is accomplished without utilizing any transformer. For each output voltage level, there exists flow paths for both the positive and negative load current directions, which makes the proposed inverter capable of supplying any load type with variety of power factors (zero to unity). The voltage balancing of the capacitors takes place naturally, which tackles the need to auxiliary charge‐balancing circuits or control mechanisms. The proposed inverter can generate negative levels without the end‐side H‐bridge. Moreover, the voltage stress on the semiconductor devices is less than the peak output voltage. The increased number of levels and sinusoidal‐like waveform of the output voltage waveform enhances the quality and lowers the harmonic content of the load voltage and current waveforms, even for resistive loads. As the result, the load‐side filter can be downsized or removed. This paper employs the fundamental frequency method (FFM) as the switching technique, which is simple to implement and also operates the switches at low frequencies, leading to lower switching losses. The ascendancy of proposed inverter over similar counterparts has been investigated through comprehensive comparative analysis. Moreover, the correct performance of the proposed inverter at different modulation indices, and load types as well as during dynamic load changes has been verified by simulation and experimental analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel Multi-Level Inverter (MLI) design which utilizes a single input and leverages capacitor voltages source to generate a four-fold increase in output voltage as the main problem that stays with the inverters is their low boost ability and efficiency while maintaining power quality at the same time. One capacitor is charged to match the input voltage magnitude, while the other two capacitors store twice this magnitude. Through a series-parallel combination with switching operations, all capacitors are effectively charged and discharged within each cycle, ensuring natural voltage balance. A comprehensive comparative analysis is conducted to highlight the advantages of this innovative approach, particularly in terms of component reduction and mitigation of voltage stress. Detailed assessment of power losses within the proposed circuit is undertaken, simulation studies are first carried out while extensive experimentation verifies its operational efficiency under diverse conditions such as varying modulation indices, loads, and supply-side fluctuations with an impressive maximum efficiency of 96.9 % at a 200 W power rating, our research contributes to advancing compact power converters, addressing crucial challenges in modern power electronics applications, and paving the way for enhanced performance and reliability in such systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a high-gain Quasi-Z-Source (QZS) DC-DC converter with continuous input current is investigated. In order to increase the voltage level from lower to higher, a switched capacitor (SC) branch is added to QZS. This converter has absolute common ground, high gain, continuous input current, and low current stresses across the inductors and power switch. In this article, the principles of the converter's operation have been reviewed, and then the voltage and current stress on the elements have been calculated. In addition, in order to analyse the efficiency of the proposed converter, it has been compared with other converters in detail. Furthermore, the parameters design of the main components is presented. The proposed converter is simulated in MATLAB, and the results validate the functionality of theoretical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes, analyzes, designs, and validates superior topologies of UHGH converters that are capable of supporting extremely large conversion ratios up to ∼2000× and output voltage up to ∼4-12 kV for future mobile soft robots from an input voltage as low as the range of a 1-cell battery pack. Thus, the converter makes soft robots standalone systems that can be untethered and mobile. The extremely large voltage gain is enabled by a unique hybrid combination of a high-gain switched magnetic element (HGSME) and a capacitor-based voltage multiplier rectifier (CVMR) that, together, achieve small overall size, efficient operation, and output voltage regulation and shaping with simple duty-cycle modulation. With superior performance, power density, and compact size, the UHGH converters prove to be a promising candidate for future untethered soft robots.

ABSTRACT This paper proposes an improved single‐source switched‐capacitor inverter that can operate either as 7 or 9‐level inverter based on its capacitors' charging scenario. The proposed inverter utilizes single DC supply, two capacitors, ten switches (all unidirectional) and a single diode to provide a triple/quadruple boosting factor in its seven/nine‐level operation mode. In 7‐level (7 L) operation mode, both the capacitors are charged to identical voltage value (equal to the source voltage), but in 9‐level (9 L) mode, the capacitors are charged to different voltages. Any load type with variety of power factors can be supplied by the proposed inverter. The capacitors' impulsive charging current issue has been solved by employing compact (small‐inductor based) and low‐cost soft‐charging L‐D cells. The reliability assessments have also been performed on the proposed 7/9‐level inverter. The superiority of the proposed inverter over its similar counterparts have been verified by comprehensive comparative analysis. The experimental outcomes have also been provided to make sure of correct performance of proposed inverter.

A new multi gain SC inverter topology with fewer switching components and lower voltage stress is presented in this paper. It comprises eight switches and two capacitors, which raise the output voltage by three times the supply voltage. The capacitors voltages are automatically balanced to ensure proper operation. The circuit constructional, operation, and parameter optimisation techniques are discussed in details. A simple logic-based multicarrier Level Shift Pulse Width Modulation (LS-PWM) is employed to control the switching operation that reduces the complexity of the control circuit. Furthermore, a comparative analysis with other recent topologies has been presented to demonstrate the virtues of this approach. Finally, the proposed topology (PT) verification, feasibility, and effectiveness have been demonstrated both in simulation and experimentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a novel topology for a high-gain Cuk converter without isolation, leveraging switched-inductor (SL) and switched-capacitor (SC) networks tailored for renewable energy sources. Unlike traditional Cuk converters that perform negative-to-positive boost DC-DC voltage conversion, this innovative design offers a significantly enhanced voltage-boosting capacity. They evolve from the conventional Cuk converter by integrating an SL instead of the singular inductor and substituting the energy-transferring capacitor with an SC. The standout benefits of the modified Cuk converters include a remarkable voltage conversion ratio and minimized voltage stress on the primary switch, allowing a low-voltage-rated switch for greater efficiency. Comparatively, the proposed designs surpass the classical Cuk and a few modified Cuk converters in voltage gain and reduced switch voltage stress. The converter also avoids the need for transformers or coupled inductors, resulting in minimized volume, loss, and expense. The converters' operation in continuous conduction mode is rigorously analyzed in this study. After deriving all the relevant equations, they are validated against outcomes. The proposed Cuk converter topology was simulated using the MATLAB/Simulink tool, and the findings are deliberated. The performance of the proposed converter is compared with the other converters, and the proposed converter's superiority is proved through the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a wide input range buck‐boost Light Emitting Diode (LED) driver designed for industrial and street lighting applications. The driver characterized by a continuous input current with less ripple and common ground between input and output featuring non‐inverting voltage at the output, suitable for green energy sources. The proposed topology achieves a high voltage conversion ratio which is a blend of quasi‐Z source boosting followed by conventional buck with enhanced step‐down voltage capability. Furthermore, the driver maintains a constant voltage at the load terminal for diverse source voltage variations by adapting the inherent buck‐boost nature. Also, the driver operates with low duty ratio results in lower voltage, current stresses and conduction losses. The steady state and design analysis of the proposed LED driver is carried out for an input voltage range from 24 to 96 V. An experimental prototype of 200 W/71 V LED driver is validated in the laboratory for wide input voltage. There is a high concordance exists between the theoretical analysis and experimental results of the proposed topology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a single-phase, transformer-less, seven-level inverter that utilizes eight switches, three capacitors, and two diodes to produce seven voltage levels with triple boosting ability. The availability of the common-ground point eliminates the leakage current in PV applications. The proposed Transformer-Less Triple-Boosting Seven-Level Inverter (TLTB7LI) has the ability to feed different types of loads from non-unity to unity power factors. The voltage balancing of capacitors takes place naturally without the need for auxiliary circuits and complicated control strategies. This paper investigates the appropriateness of the proposed TLTB7LI for grid-connected application. The Peak Current Controller (PCC) is employed to generate the switching pulses and regulate the active/reactive power transfer between the converter and the output, which guarantees the high quality of injected current to the output. Moreover, the operational principles, its control technique, as well as the design procedure of the key components of the proposed inverter have been presented. The superiority of the proposed inverter over existing counterparts has been verified through comparative analysis. The simulation and experimental analysis validated the proper operation of the proposed TLTB7LI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversion of DC power into AC power at medium and high level utilize Multilevel-inverter (MLI) because of many advantages of MLI over conventional inverters. The MLI converter topologies have gained a huge attraction towards various applications like photovoltaic and even electric vehicles (EVs). This article represents a new switched capacitor topology (SC-MLI). The proposed SC-MLI contains ten power electronic switches and has a boosting capability with the help of one capacitor. It also uses two input DC sources and has a voltage gain of 1.4. Also, the capacitor is self-balancing and switches have less stress as compared to other configurations. Selective Harmonic Elimination (SHE) technique is employed for the generation of eleven levels. A comparison is also made with the recently developed MLI topologies based on different parameters. Finally, a hardware prototype is developed to check the feasibility of the proposed MLI in the laboratory and satisfactory results have been presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformerless inverters have been extensively deployed in photovoltaic (PV) applications, owing to features such as high efficiency, high power quality, and low cost. However, the leakage current in such inverters due to the absence of galvanic isolation has resulted in several topological modifications. This paper introduces a single-input switched-capacitor (SC)-based multilevel inverter (MLI) that is capable of eliminating the leakage current due to its common-ground structure. Also, the proposed inverter has the capability of single-stage voltage boosting, which is essential in PV systems. The series–parallel switching facilitates the self-balancing of SCs, which, in turn, assists in voltage boosting. Moreover, the proposed MLI synthesizes a seven-level output using only eight switches. Following an in-depth analysis of the circuit operation, modulation scheme, and power losses, a detailed comparison among recently developed seven-level MLIs is carried out, which verifies the design's superiority. Extensive simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the prominent features of the seven-level MLI under dynamic operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft robots have the potential to fundamentally change interactions between robots and the surrounding environment, and between robots and animals, and robots and humans in ways that today's hard robots are incapable of doing. However, to realize this potential, soft robot actuators require extremely high voltage supplies of more than 4 kV. The electronics that can satisfy this need currently are either too large and bulky or unable to achieve the high power efficiency required for mobile systems. To meet this challenge, this paper conceptualizes, analyzes, designs, and validates a hardware prototype of an ultra-high gain (UHG) converter that can support extremely large conversion ratios up to ∼1000× to provide up to 5 kV output voltage from an input voltage of ∼5-10 V. This converter is demonstrated to be able to drive HASEL (Hydraulically Amplified Self-Healing Electrostatic) actuators, a promising candidate to realize future soft mobile robotic fishes, from an input voltage range of a 1-cell battery pack. The circuit topology employs a unique hybrid combination of a high-gain switched magnetic element (HGSME) and a diode and capacitor-based voltage multiplier rectifier (DCVMR) to enable compact magnetic elements, efficient soft-charging in all flying capacitors, and adjustable output voltage capability with simple duty-cycle modulation. Achieving an efficiency of 78.2% at 15 W output power, while providing 3.85 kV output from 8.5 V input, the proposed UGH converter proves to be a promising candidate for future untethered soft robots.

Abstract This paper presents a new structure for switched-capacitor multilevel inverter with octuple voltage gain capability. The proposed inverter utilizes three capacitors, 13 semiconductor switches, three diodes, and an input voltage source to achieve a 17-level output voltage. The switched capacitors naturally achieve voltage balancing without the need for sensors or additional circuits, indicating the ease of control of the proposed structure. To control the inrush current of the switched capacitors, a charge limiting inductor has been utilized in the charging path of the capacitors. This not only reduces the inrush current of the capacitors and the input source current but also enables faster capacitor charging and extends their lifetime. The switches used in the proposed structure can withstand a maximum of 4 times the input voltage value or the half of the maximum output voltage, which is a significant advantage for the proposed structure. A detailed comparison with similar structures is provided to examine the advantages and disadvantages of the suggested inverter. The procedure of self-voltage balancing of the capacitors and the functional modes of the proposed topology has been explained in detail. The proposed structure is suitable for applications such as renewable energy sources transfer to load or grid. The performance of the proposed topology under different conditions is confirmed through simulation in the Matlab\Simulink software and the implementation of the laboratory sample.

Abstract Among different types of transformerless photovoltaic inverters, multi‐level inverters based on switched‐capacitors (SC) are the burning topic of recent decades due to their potential advantages, such as, single source requirement, voltage boosting capability, and high power density. However, for a seven level output voltage, a conventional SC based inverter architecture uses more than two units of SC, a large amount of power switches, which then lead to capacitor voltage balancing problems. This paper presents a seven‐level switched‐capacitor transformerless inverter (SCTI), which is structured with only two SC units, ten power switches, and a single DC source. The proposed SCTI ensures voltage boosting capability, self‐voltage balancing, and low power semiconductor losses. Apart from these, a modified sinusoidal pulse width modulation (MSPWM) is also proposed in this work, which guarantees better thermal performance and low inverter output voltage THD for the proposed SCTI. The proposed SCTI along with the MSPWM is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink and PLECS computer simulation environments. A reduced scale laboratory prototype is also built and tested to ensure the feasibility of the proposed SCTI.

This paper presents a new structure for switched-capacitor multilevel inverter with octuple voltage gain capability. The proposed inverter utilizes three capacitors, 13 semiconductor switches, three diodes, and an input voltage source to achieve a 17-level output voltage. The switched capacitors naturally achieve voltage balancing without the need for sensors or additional circuits, indicating the ease of control of the proposed structure. To control the inrush current of the switched capacitors, a charge limiting inductor has been utilized in the charging path of the capacitors. This not only reduces the inrush current of the capacitors and the input source current but also enables faster capacitor charging and extends their lifetime. The switches used in the proposed structure can withstand a maximum of 4 times the input voltage value or the half of the maximum output voltage, which is a significant advantage for the proposed structure. A detailed comparison with similar structures is provided to examine the advantages and disadvantages of the suggested inverter. The procedure of self-voltage balancing of the capacitors and the functional modes of the proposed topology has been explained in detail. The proposed structure is suitable for applications such as renewable energy sources transfer to load or grid. The performance of the proposed topology under different conditions is confirmed through simulation in the Matlab\Simulink software and the implementation of the laboratory sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among different types of transformerless photovoltaic inverters, multi‐level inverters based on switched‐capacitors (SC) are the burning topic of recent decades due to their potential advantages, such as, single source requirement, voltage boosting capability, and high power density. However, for a seven level output voltage, a conventional SC based inverter architecture uses more than two units of SC, a large amount of power switches, which then lead to capacitor voltage balancing problems. This paper presents a seven‐level switched‐capacitor transformerless inverter (SCTI), which is structured with only two SC units, ten power switches, and a single DC source. The proposed SCTI ensures voltage boosting capability, self‐voltage balancing, and low power semiconductor losses. Apart from these, a modified sinusoidal pulse width modulation (MSPWM) is also proposed in this work, which guarantees better thermal performance and low inverter output voltage THD for the proposed SCTI. The proposed SCTI along with the MSPWM is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink and PLECS computer simulation environments. A reduced scale laboratory prototype is also built and tested to ensure the feasibility of the proposed SCTI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electric Machines & Control / Dianji Yu Kongzhi Xuebao is the property of Electric Machines & Control and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Today, multilevel inverters are widely utilized in various applications. Reducing the number of components in the design of these converters is one of the crucial goals so that they have less volume and cost. This paper presents a single‐source structure for a multilevel switched‐capacitor inverter with voltage boost capability. The proposed structure can generate 25 sinusoidal‐like step voltage levels with a six times amplitude increase compared to the input. This converter uses only one direct current (DC) power source, 14 switches, and four capacitors. The nearest level control switching method has been used to control the converter, create voltage levels, and select the switching modes. A comprehensive comparison has been made with other recently presented structures to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed structure. The advantages of the proposed structure include using only one DC voltage source, the ability to increase the output voltage six times compared to the input, the use of fewer power electronics components compared to the number of voltage levels, proper efficiency, self‐balancing of capacitors, and as a result, the lower cost. The performance accuracy of the proposed converter has been simulated in the MATLAB Simulink environment and then evaluated by a laboratory prototype.

A fully integrated ultra-low-power step-down DC-DC converter in 65nm is presented. The purpose of this converter is to convert battery voltage levels, in the range of 2.5-3V, to digital and mixed-signal voltage levels for low-power always-on domains. A down-conversion with a ratio of 5:1 is employed to provide a digital voltage level near the threshold voltage (Vth), which ranges from 0.55-0.6V. Higher voltage levels, such as 1.2V and 1.8V, are also made available for analog circuits. To achieve high-speed regulation at low power, an inverter-based comparator is utilized. Silicon results indicate an Efficiency-Enhancement-Factor (EEF) of 66% and a power density of 2.56 mW/mm2 at an output power of $100\mu $ W. These parameters represent the state-of-the-art for this level of power. The DC-DC converter exhibits a fast transient response, leading to minimal droops and overshoots, even for a 50pF output capacitor.

This research presents a unique bidirectional converter based on the active switched-inductor and switched-capacitor networks of the ASL-SU2C converter. The converter's primary advantages are its high voltage gain and reduced switch stress. This was accomplished by the converter using three inductors, two switched-capacitors, two switches, and diodes. Switches are used in place of diodes to enable bidirectional power flow in the proposed work, and synchronous rectification is used to boost efficiency by reducing conduction losses. Two inductors and two switches on the low voltage side of the converter aid in lowering the average switch current and, consequently, the current stress. The control operation is made simpler by the fact that two switches on the high voltage side (HVS) have one duty cycle and the other two switches on the low voltage side (LVS) have a different duty cycle. Consequently, two switches will always have identical duty cycles. In order to validate the theoretical findings, the performance of the transformerless bidirectional switched-inductor switched-capacitor (TBSISC) topology is examined in steady state, compared to that of other bidirectional converters, its efficiency is calculated, and experiments with a 500 W prototype are conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two types of asymmetric switched-capacitor five-level single-phase DC-AC inverters are presented based on the clamping half-bridge circuit and the output half-bridge circuit. Furthermore, the switches of the two proposed circuits can be driven by half-bridge gate drivers and can be modularized. Moreover, the detailed analysis of the operation principle, design of clamping capacitor and output filter of these two inverters are presented. Finally, the feasibility and validity of the proposed structures are verified by PSIM-simulated results and experimental results using FPGA as the control kernel, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, multilevel inverters are widely utilized in various applications. Reducing the number of components in the design of these converters is one of the crucial goals so that they have less volume and cost. This paper presents a single‐source structure for a multilevel switched‐capacitor inverter with voltage boost capability. The proposed structure can generate 25 sinusoidal‐like step voltage levels with a six times amplitude increase compared to the input. This converter uses only one direct current (DC) power source, 14 switches, and four capacitors. The nearest level control switching method has been used to control the converter, create voltage levels, and select the switching modes. A comprehensive comparison has been made with other recently presented structures to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed structure. The advantages of the proposed structure include using only one DC voltage source, the ability to increase the output voltage six times compared to the input, the use of fewer power electronics components compared to the number of voltage levels, proper efficiency, self‐balancing of capacitors, and as a result, the lower cost. The performance accuracy of the proposed converter has been simulated in the MATLAB Simulink environment and then evaluated by a laboratory prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electric Machines & Control / Dianji Yu Kongzhi Xuebao is the property of Electric Machines & Control and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A feature known as high-voltage gain conversion is necessary for a number of applications, including photovoltaic (PV) connected systems, UPS, SMPS, and some inverter applications, specifically for the power processing of low-voltage renewable sources. This article makes a suggestion for an ultra-gain boost converter based on a switched-inductor switched-capacitor (SISC) network. Ultra-voltage gain (> 15) and lower voltage stresses across the switches are the main benefits of the proposed converter. Additionally, compared with other high-gain topologies, the number of components decreases. This paper presents a systematic analysis of the proposed ultra-gain boost DC–DC converter along with a comparison to other topologies that have been previously published in the literature. The simulation model confirmed that the efficiency of the proposed topology is 95.23%.

A voltage reference is indispensable in Integrated Circuits. To improve the limited linear output voltage range and energy efficiency of a voltage reference, we innovatively propose a switched-capacitor-based programmable voltage reference scheme employing inverter-based OTAs to reduce the power consumption, simultaneously using a novel Correlated Level Shifting (CLS) technique (without active overhead) to enhance the OTA's DC gain and integral gain. Experimented with SMIC 180 nm CMOS technology, a scheme-based voltage reference realizes a programable output voltage range from 266 to 995 mV at −30 to 120 °C, and the corresponding temperature coefficient (TC) ranges from 82.4 to 99.5 ppm/°C. The power consumption is 976 nW. Furthermore, comparative experiments and evaluations with other schemes have unequivocally verified the superiority of our proposed scheme, characterized by its high energy efficiency and wide output voltage range. The scheme can be suitably deployed in a multitude of novel edge-data processing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: An analysis and design method of the equalization circuit based on switched‐capacitor (SC) units and graph networks is proposed in this paper. In the analysis method, the SC equalization circuit is decomposed into multiple SC units and one or more graph networks, which can simplify the analysis process. The effects of circuit parameters and structure on the equalization performance are analyzed in detail. And the average resistance distance among cells is proposed to mathematically analyze and compare the equalization path of the SC equalization circuits. Based on four types of SC units and graph networks of the equalization circuit, a design method of the SC equalization circuit and two SC equalization circuits are proposed. The proposed SC equalization circuit based on cell equalization units has the optimal equalization speed. The proposed SC equalization circuit based on cell equalization units and substring equalization units implements the trade‐off between equalization speed and device number. Simulation and experimental results are provided to verify the validity of the proposed analysis method and SC equalization circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes, analyzes, designs, and validates superior topologies of UHGH converters that are capable of supporting extremely large conversion ratios up to ∼2000× and output voltage up to ∼4–12 kV for future mobile soft robots from an input voltage as low as the range of a 1-cell battery pack. Thus, the converter makes soft robots standalone systems that can be untethered and mobile. The extremely large voltage gain is enabled by a unique hybrid combination of a high-gain switched magnetic element (HGSME) and a capacitor-based voltage multiplier rectifier (CVMR) that, together, achieve small overall size, efficient operation, and output voltage regulation and shaping with simple duty-cycle modulation. With superior performance, power density, and compact size, the UHGH converters prove to be a promising candidate for future untethered soft robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformerless grid-connected inverters have attained a lot of research interest in renewable energy interface applications, due to certain promising properties like greater efficiency, light weight, affordable price, and tolerable power density. Among various types of transformerless grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) inverters, multilevel inverters (MLIs) are mostly popular due to their ability to transmit reactive power, small filter size for reducing total harmonic distortion (THD) and their common-ground (CG) configuration to mitigate the detrimental leakage current due to the parasitic capacitances of the PV array. Again, among different types of MLIs for PV systems, switched-capacitor (SC) based multilevel inverter topologies are the burning topic in current decades due to their single source requirements for producing multilevel output voltage. However, for mostly used single-phase five-level inverters, most of the existing SC based topology requires at least two SCs for power conversion. In this paper, a five-level transformerless inverter based on a single SC is proposed, requiring only seven switches, no diode, a single capacitor, and one dc voltage source. The proposed transformerless MLI also has auto-boosting capability. Notably, the number of power switches operating at high frequency is limited to three, which lowers down the switching losses of the inverter. Rather than a new single SC based five-level transformerless inverter topology, a control scheme is also presented to inject a precisely regulated current into the grid that can govern both the active and reactive power support modes. In-depth comparisons between the proposed and cutting-edge MLIs are also provided. All these claims are validated through MATLAB/Simulink and PLECS computer simulation environments. A laboratory-scaled prototype is also built and tested to support the simulated claims further and validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed five-level transformerless inverter topology.

In this work, two new topologies of single-phase hybrid multilevel inverters for symmetrical and asymmetrical configurations are presented for use in drives and control of electrical machines and the connection of renewable energy sources. The proposed topology uses 2 dc sources, 12 switches, 1 flying capacitor, and 3 diodes to generate boosted 13-levels and 17-levels for symmetric and asymmetric configuration, respectively. Self-voltage balancing of its capacitor voltage regardless of load type, load dynamics, or modulation index is a key advantage of the suggested design. The higher performance of proposed topologies in terms of the total number of switches, TSV, THD, switch stress, and dc sources are demonstrated by comparing those with recently published topologies. In addition, a widely employed nearest level control modulation approach is used to provide output voltage levels with low THD. Finally, experiments were undertaken to validate the performance of the suggested topology.

This paper introduces a new topology of three-level quasi-switched boost F-type inverter (3L-qSBFTI) to improve voltage gain compared to traditional impedance-source inverters (ISIs). This topology uses a switched-capacitor (SC) structure to increase the boost factor to twice that of traditional ISIs. Unlike any conventional SC circuits, the currents through capacitors when they are connected in parallel are limited by inductor current. Hence, there is no inrush current through capacitors and semiconductor devices in this operating state. Furthermore, this SC structure helps to obtain self-balanced neutral-point-voltage. The lower-shoot-through (LST) state, which is inserted into P-type small vectors, is used to boost the DC-link voltage. This insertion helps to increase modulation index utilization. As a result, the component voltage rating of the introduced inverter is significantly improved. The comparison study, simulation, and experimental validations have been presented to verify the proposed inverter.

This paper presents a non-isolated bidirectional dc-to-dc converter (BDDC) topology employing a switched inductor switched capacitor (SISC) module. The bidirectional power flow capability aid to its application mainly in microgrids and electric vehicles. The switched inductor (SI) and switched capacitor (SC) cells in combination assist in the generation of high gain voltage without using a bulky transformer. The theoretical analysis of the proposed converter, its gain calculation, and small signal analysis are analyzed in detail. It benefits from having a wide voltage-gain range and less voltage stress across the power switches. Also, the proposed (SISC-BDDC) can operate both in boost and buck modes. Simulations are carried out for both the modes using MATLAB/Simulink platform. A 200 prototype is also developed to operate with $V_{\mathrm {in}}$ = 12 V and $V_{\mathrm {out}}$ = 160-200V. Using the dSPACE1104 control platform, the maximum efficiency of 95.25% of the converter is justified in steady and transient operating conditions.

Throughout this paper, a single-source hybrid switched-capacitor multilevel inverter is presented. The suggested topology is comprised of switched-capacitor modules. In this topology, two types of switched-capacitor modules are utilised: 1) basic module (BM) and 2) auxiliary units (AUs). By adding more AUs to the proposed topology, the voltage levels can be increased. By taking advantage of the switching procedure, three various configurations are made for the suggested MLI, in which the voltages of the capacitors are determined differently. Hence, in each configuration, according to the voltages of capacitors, different output voltage levels with different maximum output voltage and total standing voltage of switches are attained. To show the superiority of the proposed topology, a comprehensive comparison is made in terms of the number of DC voltage sources, power switches, capacitors, and diodes. Moreover, to investigate the performance of the suggested topology, a sample circuit with all configurations is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink. Finally, the experimental results are demonstrated to illustrate and verify the feasibility of the proposed inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an analytical model for the optimized design of a switched-capacitor programmable voltage reference (SC-PVR). This PVR topology guarantees a straightforward design, easy portability across different technology nodes, and does not require any special technology option. The developed model allows the study of the trade-offs and the a priori evaluation of the system performance. The circuit design optimization is carried out with MATLAB, and it permits SC-PVR to achieve current consumptions of few tens of nanoampere, with a voltage ripple specification of 500 μ V. An SC-PVR has been designed in 65-nm CMOS technology, with a sizing extracted by the model optimization. Transistor-level simulation results are aligned with MATLAB results and confirm that the investigated architecture is suitable for ultra low-power applications. • A model for the design of a switched-capacitor programmable voltage reference (SC-PVR) is proposed. • The model allows the study of trade-offs and a priori evaluation of system performance. • Design optimization with MATLAB permits to SC-PVR an ICC of few tens of nA and low ripple. • Transistor level design from the model confirms that SC-PVR can be ultra low-power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a single-stage, seven-level (7L), switched-capacitor-based grid-connected inverter architecture with a common ground feature. This topology has the ability to boost the output voltage up to three times the input voltage. The proposed topology can diminish the leakage current in grid-connected photovoltaic (GC-PV) applications, and its capacitor voltages are self-balanced without any additional control strategies. The different operating modes are described in detail with their related mathematical expressions. The design of passive components and a detailed power loss analysis are presented. The merits of the proposed structure are demonstrated using a detailed comparative assessment. The grid-connected operation of the proposed inverter structure is simulated in the MATLAB/Simulink environment, and the results are presented. The laboratory prototype of 935 W is built and analyzed to validate the performance of the proposed structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]