A multilevel inverter structure with open circuit fault-tolerant capability

Modularity, efficiency, power quality, and high reliability are the attractive advantages of multilevel inverters (MLIs). But it has limitations in terms of an increased number of semiconductor devices as compared to conventional 2-level inverters. In this paper, a fault-tolerant single-phase 5-level MLI configuration is proposed. The proposed fault-tolerant configuration of the MLI can significantly improve its reliability while maintaining the modularity of its software implementation. Examination, design, and implementing thought for both normal and abnormal operating situations of the proposed MLI are presented in this paper. The feasibility of the proposed fault-tolerant MLI is verified by simulation in MATLAB/Simulink environment and experimental results in a laboratory prototype.