Modelling and Harmonic Analysis of Symmetrical / Asymmetrical CHB Multilevel Inverters with PV arrays

An inverter is the required conditioning element for any renewable energy conversion system with an electrical grid to convert DC to AC power. Multi-level inverters have become a vital converter topology in high voltage industrial applications and contributed tremendously to renewable energy penetration into power generating capacity. This article analyses the harmonic performance of cascaded H bridge multi-level converters fed from photo-voltaic (PV) arrays. Both symmetrical and asymmetrical topologies of CHB converter have been considered for simulation studies. The simulations of 5 to 15 multi-level inverters with PV arrays have been done using the MATLAB/Simulink platform. The effects of parameters like temperature and solar irradiation on PV arrays are also considered.