A new family of modular multilevel converter based on modified flying-capacitor multicell converters

Modular multilevel converters (MMCs) are one of the next-generation multilevel converters intended for medium/high-voltage high-power market. This paper initially studies a modified topology for flying-capacitor multicell converters (FCMCs) as a modular submultilevel module. The main advantage of the modified FCMC, in comparison with the conventional one, is that the number and voltage rating of the required dc voltage sources are halved. Afterward, the MMC that comprises the series connection of the modified FCMCs used as submultilevel modules is proposed. Simulation results and experimental measurements taken from the four-cell-five-level laboratory prototype system of the modified FCMC as a modular submultilevel module are presented in order to validate its performance and advantages. Moreover, simulation results and experimental measurements of three cascaded two-cell-three-level modules (ultimately seven-level proposed MMC) and four cascaded two-cell-three-level modules (ultimately nine-level proposed MMC) are presented in order to validate its viability, merits and the proposed control strategy.