Abstract

The topic of this paper is advancing technology to create a new T-type multilevel inverter (TMLI) matrix converter (MC) that can deliver a three-phase output voltage. In this newly developed 3TMLIMC architecture, three unbalanced TMLIs can be connected to a 3x3 MC to enable voltage sharing and to obtain higher output levels without increasing the inverter's hardware. A custom voltage selection algorithm (VSA) was designed to control the topology, and this paper provides a case study for both the seven-level (7L) and thirteen-level (13L) outputs. The 7L architecture uses three three-level TMLIs and the 13L design implements three five-level TMLIs. The theoretical and simulation models were designed in MATLAB/Simulink to validate and prove the design's approach and results were both feasible and effective. The topology's component count (CC) was calculated, and the results were compared to several legacy architecture designs to validate a bold claim of improved CC and overall greater efficiency. The 3TMLIMC is a strong candidate for further development in this field.

Key words: matrix converter, T-type multilevel inverter (TMLI), DC-AC converter, multilevel voltage generation, voltage selection algorithm (VSA), total harmonic distortion (THD), component count (CC), MATLAB/Simulink.