A Genetic-Based Hybrid Algorithm Harmonic Minimization Method for Cascaded Multilevel Inverters with ANFIS Implementation

Selective harmonic elimination pulse-width modulation (SHEPWM) is a widely adopted method to eliminate harmonics in multilevel inverters, yet solving harmonic amplitude equations is both time consuming and not accurate. This method is applied here for a 7-level cascaded multilevel inverter (CMLI) with erroneous DC sources. To meet the seven harmonic amplitude equations, two notches are applied with the use of higher switching frequency than nominal. These notches can be placed in six different positions in the voltage wave, and each was assessed in a separate manner. In order to solve the equations, a hybrid algorithm composed of genetic algorithm (GA) and Newton–Raphson (N-R) algorithm is applied to achieve faster convergence and maintain the accuracy of stochastic methods. At each step of the modulation index ( M ), different positions for the notches are compared based on the distortion factor (DF2%) benchmark, and the position with lowest DF2% is selected to train an artificial neural fuzzy interface system (ANFIS). ANFIS will receive the DC sources’ voltages together with required M and will produce one output; thus, eight ANFISs are applied to produce seven firing angles, and the remaining one is to determine which one of the notches’ positions should be used. Software simulations and experimental results confirm the validity of this proposed method. The proposed method achieves THD 8.45% when M is equal to 0.8 and is capable of effectively eliminating all harmonics up to the 19 th order.