Generalized Carrier-Based PWM Method for a 12-Switch Converter

This paper proposes a generalized carrier-based pulse-width modulation (CBPWM) method for a 12-switch converter feeding three independent loads. The converter topology is part of the (3N + 3)-switch converter family where N is the number of outputs (N = 3 for this special case). Its more famous sibling is the 9-switch converter which is gaining considerable interest from researchers because of its reduced-switch count architecture. The structure and limitations of the converter are elaborated; its modulation method applicable to both equal and different frequency (and/or amplitude) operations is formulated. The generalized neutral voltages for the converter is derived for the first time and used as the offset voltages required by this type of topology to decouple its three outputs. The proposed algorithm is validated by both theoretical simulations and experimental results.