ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the multilevel converters through their advantages in better approximating a sinusoidal waveform for an un-modulated operation. The modular structure of the H-Bridge multilevel converters is advantageous for manufacturing, service, and maintenance. The success of multilevel converter topologies comes from the reduction of voltage seen across each power semiconductor device during operation. The multilevel converters are able to produce output voltage similar to conventional 6-switch inverters, at multiple voltage levels. The multilevel converters of higher order require the clamping diodes to be chosen for different ratings, for reverse voltage blocking depending on what capacitor divider point are they connected to. Design of a space vector modulation method for a multilevel converter consists in identifying several vectorial locations in the neighborhood of the desired vector position, followed up by a vectorial decomposition of the desired vector into the adjacent vectorial positions.
