Estimation of the capacitor voltages in flying capacitor multi‐level converters

Flying capacitor multi-level converters use charged capacitors as a critical element. For proper operation, the voltages must be known and regulated. Direct measurement is straightforward, but when number of required measurements high, this complicated approach. This paper introduces an estimation method for n voltages. The scheme based on system ( + 1 ) equations, which defined in way that it incorporates information actual open-loop estimates solution gives best sense least square errors. requires only output voltage current sensors its computational burden low, saving cost design efforts, simplifying hardware system. performance proposed evaluated experimentally 9-level flying chopper, where are used by balancing strategy controller.