Multilevel Power Converters, Advanced Converter Topologies, Advanced Control and Modulation, Grid Integration, Grid-Forming and Grid-Following Operation

Multilevel power converters have become a key enabling technology for medium- and high-power energy conversion due to their high efficiency, improved power quality, reduced voltage stress, and capability to operate at higher voltage and power levels. Their applications are continuously expanding across renewable energy systems, energy storage, electric transportation, motor drives, power quality improvement, and grid-connected energy conversion. Nevertheless, the increasing complexity of multilevel converters introduces important challenges related to converter topology, modulation, control, capacitor voltage balancing, common-mode voltage, reliability, and efficient grid integration.

Recent advances in wide-bandgap semiconductor devices, advanced control and modulation techniques, and grid-forming technologies are creating new opportunities for the development of high-performance, efficient, and reliable multilevel power converters. In particular, advanced converter architectures together with model predictive, adaptive, and intelligent control techniques can enhance converter performance under changing operating conditions and increasingly demanding grid requirements.

This Special Session aims to bring together researchers and industry professionals to present recent advances in multilevel power converter topologies, control and modulation techniques, grid integration, and emerging applications. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Novel, modular, and scalable multilevel power converter topologies
• Advanced modulation and switching techniques for multilevel converters
• Advanced control strategies, including model predictive, adaptive, and intelligent control
• Capacitor voltage balancing, common-mode voltage mitigation, and power quality improvement
• Grid-connected multilevel converters and renewable energy integration
• Grid-forming and grid-following operation of multilevel power converters
• Wide-bandgap-device-enabled multilevel converters and high-power-density designs
• Fault-tolerant operation, reliability, and condition monitoring
• Multilevel converters for energy storage, EV charging, V2G, and transportation electrification
• Emerging industrial applications of multilevel power converters