Analysis and comparison of three topologies of the ladder multilevel DC/DC converter

In this paper, three dc/dc ladder multilevel converters are compared. The first one is the classical ladder topology and the two other topologies presented are based on the classical one. A mathematical calculation of the output resistance and the gain of the converter as a function of the number of levels is carried out for the three topologies in order to estimate the voltage drop due to the output current. These calculations are validated with simulations and experimental results. Finally, the behavior of the three topologies is compared through experimental tests. Results show higher performance for the presented converters compared to the classical ladder.