Analysis and control of a three-phase Modular Multi-level Converter based on Inductive Power Transfer technology (M2LC-IPT)

The Modular Multi-level Converter (M2LC) topology promises to outperform other known converter topologies in various medium to high voltage applications. The topology requires a control scheme for controlling the voltage across module capacitors. This paper proposes a variant of the M2LC topology, which is based on Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) technology, to maintain the capacitor voltages within tight bounds. The proposed M2LC-IPT topology has the unique ability of independent control of capacitor voltages and load currents, and is even capable of producing a regulated output at low output frequency. To validate the proposed concept, simulated performance of a three-phase, three-level grid connected 2 kVA M2LC-IPT is presented with a discussion. A comparison with a conventional topology is also carried-out to demonstrate the improvements in performance associated with the M2LC-IPT.