ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book gives the reader a deep insight to multilevel converters, mainly those with a common DC bus. It discusses a systematic topological analysis for the derivation of the main multilevel circuit structures. The design of an electronic power converter for motor drive applications should consider several issues regarding control requirements and power quality on both sides of the converter and, simultaneously, implementation and reliability features. An extensive analysis is presented regarding the topological characteristics of switching circuits, with special emphasis on the topologies with a common DC bus, namely, the diode-clamped multilevel converter, the flying capacitor multilevel converter, and the asymmetric cascaded multilevel converter. The book further provides two different case studies regarding the applications of the cascade asymmetric multilevel converter and the diode-clamped multilevel converter, in which the associated control problems are addressed through proper control schemes.
