A High Step-up Multilevel Inverter with Minimized Components Featuring Self-balancing and Continuous Input Current Capabilities

Multilevel Inverters (MIs) offer several advantages, but the lower reliability and requiring many components are associated. To address the issues, this paper proposes an MI topology. This topology features i) a modular structure, ii) using only a single dc source, iii) employing minimized switches, iv) compact size, v) self-balancing ability, vi) high step-up capability, and vi) drawing a smooth and continuous input current. Moreover, it can be easily scaled up for high-voltage applications. The proposed inverter can only offer a unidirectional power flow. Due to the above characteristics, the proposed inverter can be a promising solution for renewable energy applications. Simulation results are provided, which demonstrate the feasibility and viability of the proposed topology.