Solar photovoltaics (PV) is the fastest-growing renewable energy resource based on installed capacity. Among solar power, the major growth is in the solar plants which use string or central inverters to process the generated power. With the availability of medium voltage (MV) SiC devices, direct MV grid connect inverters are now possible. This paper proposes a detailed design methodology for a three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) converter, five-level active NPC converter, three and five-level modular multilevel converter, and cascaded H-bridge converter. The design methodology of the inverter incorporates device selection, choice of switching frequency, filter design, and DC capacitor sizing. To compare the inverter’s performance loss analysis is required. Hence, this paper proposes an improved loss model based on the datasheet parameters. The proposed loss model is validated experimentally using 1700 V SiC MOSFETs. Based on the designed inverters, comparisons are carried out from different points of view, including part count, euro efficiency, device stress, harmonic content, and total volume.
.jpg "Jenson Joseph C. Attukadavil (he/him/his) photo")