International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive Systems (IJPEDS)

Vol. 14, No. 3, September 2023, pp. 1523~1533

ISSN: 2088-8694, DOI: 10.11591/ijpeds.v14.i3.pp1523-1533  1523

Implementation of a modified carrier-based PWM technique

for a cascaded MLI using DSP microcontroller

Youssef Babkrani1, Gourmaj Mourad2, Ahmed Naddami3, Karim Choukri4, Sanaa Hayani Mounir5
1
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Hassan 1ST-FSTS, Settat, Morocco
2
MATIC Team, Sultane Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco
3
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Hassan 2-ENSEM, Casablanca, Morocco
4
Laboratory EEIS, University of Hassan 2, ENSET Mohammedia, Casablanca, Morocco
5
Department of Renewable Energy, University Sultane Moulay Slimane-FP, Khouribga, Morocco

Article Info ABSTRACT

Article history: A multi-level converter is a power electronic device desired to generate a
desired AC voltage level using several introduced DC voltages, the output
Received Dec 22, 2022 voltage of the converter is characterized by a low harmonic content (THD)
Revised Mar 26, 2023 compared to conventional inverters. The adopted innovative design permits
Accepted Apr 6, 2023 the independent control of PV modules, enabling, in this way, to operate
independently and won’t be very affected by intermittence. Additionally in
this paper, a new control strategy based on sinusoidal pulse width
Keywords: modulation (SPWM) technique is analyzed for cascaded H-Bridge inverter.
In this new technique, separate modified carriers are used for each H-Bridge
Cascaded H bridge (HB). Multiple-carrier SPWM is used with the new control SPWM
Multi-carriers’ control technique. Those carriers are being implemented with diverse sinusoidal
Multilevel inverter dispositions phase disposition (PD), phase opposition and disposition
Power converter (POD), alternative opposition and disposition (APOD), and with altered
Total harmonic distortion frequencies. Experimental results are obtained while using different
operating conditions.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license.

Corresponding Author:
Youssef Babkrani
Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, University Hassan 1ST-FSTS
50 Rue Ibnou Lhaytham B.P. 577, Settat 26002, Morocco
Email: [email protected]

1. INTRODUCTION
Inverters are used in all areas of power electronics [1]. Due to the rapid evolution of semiconductor
components made in terms of power, robustness, and speed. Although their many advantages, conventional
inverters exhibit certain inconveniences such as limitation of its application to low and medium power
voltages and the rapid deterioration of its components due to the voltage constraints on the power
switches [2]. To overcome these problems, a new type of inverter has been introduced: the multi-level
inverter. A converter is said to be multi-level when it generates an output voltage composed of at least three
levels. This type of converter has two particular advantages. On the one hand, the structure of the multi-level
inverter that makes it possible to reduce the voltage restrictions on the power switches. On the other hand, the
output voltage delivered by multi-level converters has interesting spectral qualities. It can generate voltages
close to the sinusoidal, with spectral performance superior to that of two-level inverters [3].
Numerous multi-level inverter topologies are stated in the literature. The most known ones are diode
clamped inverters (NPC), cascaded h-bridge inverters (CHB) and flying capacitor inverters (FC) [4]. Among the
diverse multilevel inverter topologies, the cascaded h-bridge multilevel inverter’s topology is an advantaged
choice to the new built design for its modularity and the robust degrees that make it possible to operate even

Journal homepage: http://ijpeds.iaescore.com

1524  ISSN: 2088-8694

under defective conditions, increasing the reliability of the system [5]. In spite of all these features, the cascaded
multilevel topology has also some weaknesses; for instance, the strings of photo-voltaic (PV) panels are not
grounded; so additional procedures have to be engaged in order to remove the returning currents.
The production of the modulation control signals for Cascaded H Bridge multi–level inverters is
generally done in real time. To determine the closing and opening moments of the switches, analog control,
digital or both simultaneously, there are several pulse width (PWM)modulation techniques, mainly sinusoidal
modulation and vector modulation space vector modulation [6]. The space vector pulse width modulation
(SV-PWM) space vector modulation has been widely applied because of its simple structures. However,
despite the easy implementation for converters with low levels “below 5”, the implementation can become
complex for those above 5 levels with an excessive computing time [7].
Sinusoidal PWM (S-PWM) also recognized as multi-carrier PWM is widespread because of its
simplicity, and its ability to produce good quality in the output [8]. This technique is classified into phase
disposition (PD-PWM), phase opposite disposition (POD) and alternative phase opposite disposition (APOD-
PWM) [9]. SPWM technique is generally used in Cascaded H Bridge multilevel inverters, as it offers many
advantages. In this paper an S-PWM with modified carriers’ techniques, on CHB multilevel inverter is
analyzed. It is found that for similar device and switching frequency, the overall performance of the modified
carriers SPWM technique in terms of line voltage THDs is superior compared to those with conventional
techniques. In addition, the switch utilization is uniform among the PV modules.

2. NUMBER OF NECESSARY COMPONENTS

With the help of the following Table 1, indicate the number of indispensable components “main
switches, capacitors and clamped diodes” to build the different types of multilevel inverters. Implicitly from the
Table 1, the cascaded inverter requires a minimum number of components. So those types of inverters offer the
most profitable multi-level solution, especially when the number of levels becomes important. Cascaded
inverters have the flexibility of their circuit design because each level has the same structure, and there are no
additional diodes or balancing capacitors. The number of output voltage levels can be easily adjusted by adding
or removing a full bridge, when the inverter does not need to produce the power to the system [10].

Table 1. Number of components required for the three-level multi-levels inverters topologies
Topology N E K Dp Dc C
Diode clamped (NPC) 3 2 4 4 2 0
Flying capacitor (FC) 3 2 4 4 0 1
Cascaded h-bridge 3 1 4 4 0 0
With, N: number of voltage levels, Dp: number of the main diodes, E: number of DC sources,
Dc: number of clamped diodes, K: number of necessary switches, and C: number of balancing capacitors

3. CASCADED H-BRIDGE TOPOLOGY

The N-level Cascaded H-Bridge, multilevel inverter contains (N-1)/2 single phase H-bridges [11],
this type of converter with a “modular” structure is based on the placement in series of H-bridge converters
of Figure 1. Each module has its own voltage source and power components. The H-bridge alone makes it
possible to obtain 3 voltage levels (Vdc, -Vdc, 0).

Figure 1. Waveforms for an N-level cascaded inverter

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The use of this serial conversion structure allows increasing the number of voltage and power level.
But the major restriction of this topology is the large number of isolated DC voltages required for each H-
bridge. Its modular assembly of identical H-bridges is a positive feature due to possibility to adjusting levels
by adding or removing H-bridges [12].
Thanks to its benefits, the cascaded inverter bridge has been widely used to applications with high
power production due to its aptitude to produce waveforms with better harmonic spectrum and low switching
frequency. Many benefits can be count for using cascaded multi-levels inverter: i) The number of possible
output voltage levels is higher than the number of dc sources introduced to the inverter; and ii) The series of
H-bridges will allow the built-up process to be done fast and cheaply

4. CARRIER-BASED PWM PULSE WIDTH MODULATION

Carrier-based pulse width modulation (PWM) is a popular technique used for power electronic
applications, especially for voltage source inverters [13]. This technique is used to control the power
delivered to an electronic load by adjusting the width of pulses in a high-frequency carrier signal. In carrier-
based PWM, the amplitude of the carrier signal is kept constant while the width of the pulses is varied in
proportion to the desired power level. The modulation index is the ratio of the pulse width to the period of the
carrier signal, and it determines the amount of power delivered to the load [14].
One of the main advantages of carrier-based PWM is its ability to produce a smooth output voltage
with low distortion. It is also an efficient technique, as it minimizes the power dissipation in switching
devices such as transistors or metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFETs). However, it can
be more complex to implement than other PWM techniques, as it requires a high-frequency carrier signal and
precise timing control. There are several different carrier-based PWM techniques, each with its own
advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the key differences between some of the most common
carrier-based PWM techniques:
Sinusoidal PWM (SPWM), SPWM is a widely used PWM technique for generating a sinusoidal
output waveform. The technique involves comparing a sinusoidal reference signal with a triangular carrier
wave to generate a pulse width modulated signal. SPWM produces low harmonic distortion, but the control
circuit is complex and can be sensitive to changes in the load [15].
Dual reference phase shifted PWM technique: This technique is used to produce a higher number of
output voltage levels. The technique involves two reference signals and two carrier signals that are phase
shifted from each other. This technique produces a better output waveform than standard carrier-based
PWMs, but it is more complex to implement [16]. Triple reference this technique involves three reference
signals and three carrier signals, which are phase shifted from each other. This technique produces a higher
number of output voltage levels than standard carrier-based PWMs [17]. Compared to the other techniques
the S-PWM present many positive aspects: Carrier-based SPWMs are effective in reducing harmonic
distortion in voltage source inverters. This is because the PWM technique produces a sinusoidal output
waveform that closely matches the input waveform, resulting in low harmonic distortion [18].
Simplified control, SPWMs have a simple control scheme, which makes them easy to implement
and maintain. The control strategy is based on the comparison of a reference signal and a carrier signal,
which generates the PWM signals [19]. It can operate at high switching frequencies, which leads to improved
system efficiency and reduced filter size. This is because the high-frequency switching reduces the size of the
output filter needed to remove unwanted harmonics [20]. Overall, the choice of PWM technique depends on
the specific requirements of the application, including the desired output waveform, the number of switching
operations, and the complexity of the control circuit [21]. Each technique has its own advantages and
disadvantages, and the optimal technique may vary depending on the specific application.

5. DESIGN METHODOLOGY
This project consists in realizing a multi-level inverter with the possibility of adjusting the levels by
adding or removing an H-bridge card. This realization will have H-bridge boards adapted to be inserted on
another main board with peripheral component interconnect (PCI) connectors” to increase the number of
levels. In this way, it will allow to control each solar panel of the system and make it independent, if the
system meets a problem the defaulted panels will be replaced by batteries when needed. As a result, the
system will not be mainly affected by any kind of defaulted elements or intermittence. The experimental tests
were performed in three stages. The first were performed on the testing setup to ensure the proper operation
of the different H-bridges.
Then, the inverter is tested with the triangular carrier-based control technique. After that, comes the
modification of the carrier to improve the control technique for this type of inverters. Thus, the realization of
the prototype will pass mainly by two phases: first a realization of the H bridges in the form of mini-bars
Implementation of a modified carrier-based PWM technique for a cascaded MLI … (Youssef Babkrani)
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Figure 2. Secondly, these bars can be inserted in another card that can detect the emplacement and then set
the control scheme according to their location.

5.1. H-bridge cards

A pulse voltage from a digital signal processor (DSP) is regularly sufficient to switch a metal oxide
semiconductor field effect transistor “MOSFET” working in small signals applications. However, 5 V drive
signal is not appropriate when working in high voltages. It is required to apply 12 V to switch completely the
components of the H Bridge [22]. A MOSFET driver translates the logical signals generated by those DSP in
order to switch completely and quickly the gate of the MOSFET even in high voltages. In addition, the driver
MOSFETS, generates from a single input signal, two signals with a dead time which minimizes the number
of output pins used by the controllers.
Since the converted voltages are high the drivers MOSFETS are needed their task is injecting
currents so the MOSFET spend the minimal time on the transition state. The design of the H-card for each H-
bridge will require the following equipment’s as shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Components required for the H-bridge card

Quantities Equipment Purpose
4 Resistances 10R Protective resistance
4 Resistances 1k MOSFET protection resistor
2 Capacity 33 uF/16 V Maintains the stability of the driver’s power supply
2 Drivers IR2304 Driver de grille à transistor
4 MOSFET IRF Z44N Bridge switches h
6 Diodes 1N4007 Freewheeling diodes/reverse current protection

MOSFET IRF Z44N offers great features that are essential for this application with high current
handling capability, fast switching speed and high efficiency for a wide variety of applications [23].
Resistances and Diodes are used to remove currents that might be introduced by the on/off times of the
MOSFETs. Based on the H-bridge components discussed in the previous Table 2, a design of the mini card
Figure 2 can be as shown Figure 2(a) shows the PCB design of the H-bridge cards and Figure 2(b) shows the
card after the realization.

(a) (b)

Figure 2. Mini-card design (a) PCB design and (b) H-bridge mini-card

6. SERIAL CONNECTION OF THE H-BRIDGES

6.1. Dimensions and forms
To ensure a seamless integration between the H-bridge and the PCI connectors, it is important to
accurately measure and match the dimensions of the connectors before making the necessary adaptations to
the schematics. In this part, the necessary adaptation for the functioning H-bridge is created with the PCI
connectors. PCI connectors Figure 3, is adapted to the schematics in a suitable way that the connection
between the H bars with the PCI are made without errors, so first thing is determinate the different
dimensions of the PCI connectors.

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Figure 3. PCI connector diagram on areas

6.2. PCI connector features

By incorporating the printed PCI connectors, the H-bridge mini cards can be easily connected to the
control card through a serial connection, thereby enabling the efficient functioning of the system. The design
of the printed PCI connectors as shown in Figure 3 will allow the connection between the H-bridges mini
cards inserted and the card designed to control of the serial connection of those cards Figure 4 represent the
PCI connector with the top view Figure 4(a) and the bottom view Figure 4(b):
− Total length: 84.84 mm
− Length used: 63 mm
− Spacing between two pins: input: 1.27 mm
− Number of pins per line: 49
− Pin spacing: output: 2.5 mm
− Number of pins used: 25

(a) (b)

Figure 4. PCI Connector for cards connection (a) top view and (b) bottom view

The H-bridge mini cards will be inserted in the card shown in Figure 5(a) and Figure 5(b) designed
so it detects the emplacement and then set the control scheme according to their location. The use of a
normally closed relay, will allow the H-bridge stage to be cancelled if the mini card is not present, the DSP
generates a signal to detect the placement of the H-Bridge cards inserted. A code of 7-digit will indicate those
cards emplacements. For example, the code 0010010 means that two cards are inserted, and their location are
in the second and fifth slot. After the test, the SPWM sub program will generate the switching pulses
according to the code “from 3 to 15 level” and will run until the inverter stop Figure 6 shows the diagram to
generate the switching scheme [24]. Several ways have been developed with the objective of generating a
sinusoidal voltage with as little harmonics as possible at the output of the inverter [25]. A comparative study
between the 7 and 15 level inverters with different controls was done in the following analysis.

(a) (b)

Figure 5. Circuit design printed on are (a) PCB design and (b) H-bridge main card

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Figure 6. Diagram to generate the switching scheme

7. SWITCHING PROGRAM
To generate the control pulses based on sine modulation of an N level Inverter, N-1 triangular
carriers are required. This sinusoidal pulse width modulation technique is the most widely used for
controlling two-level or multi-level inverters [26]. It consists in comparing a reference signal, generally
sinusoidal (the signal to be synthesized) with a generally triangular carrier signal, the output signal changes
state at each cross between the modulated signal and the carrier. Those carriers are continuously compared to
the same reference voltage, focusing each carrier to a voltage level [27]. If the reference is superior to a
carrier signal, then the corresponding devices to that carrier is switched on and if the reference lesser than a
carrier signal, then the devices corresponding to that carrier is switched off this method is known as level-
shifted pulse width modulation (LS-PWM). Carriers further classified as multilevel PD-MLI phase, APOD or
POD-MLI phase opposition [28]. Depending on the arrangements of the carriers, these possibilities are
illustrated by the following Figures 7 to 9.

Figure 7. Phase disposition

Figure 8. Phase opposition disposition

Figure 9. Alternate phase opposition disposition

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7.1. Phase disposition

In phase disposition technique (PD) all the carriers have the same amplitude and frequency.
Furthermore, all the N-1 carriers are in phase. This technique is based on a comparison of a sinusoidal
reference signal with vertically shifted carrier signals, as shown in Figure 7, This method uses N – 1 carrier
signals to generate the N level output voltage. All the carrier signals require the same amplitude and
frequency [29].

7.2. Phase opposition disposition

The phase opposition disposition of the carrier signal is a common modulation technique used in
power electronics to reduce the harmonic distortion in the output waveform and improve the overall
efficiency of the system. In phase opposition disposition (POD) Figure 8, the carrier signal above the zero
have same frequency, same amplitude and in phase of each other’s. But the below the zero are phase shifted
180 degree compares to the above zero [30].

7.3. Alternate phase opposition disposition

Alternate phase opposition disposition PWM (APOD), all carriers are changing phase 180 degree
with its adjacent as shown in Figure 9, Odd carriers are in phase going from 0 to 1, but even carrier
waveforms are phase shifted from 0 to -1 with 180 degree [31]. This technique is particularly useful in
applications where high switching frequencies are required, such as in motor control and power supplies, as it
helps to minimize the switching losses and improve the overall efficiency of the system.

8. THD ANALYSIS
A cascaded H-bridge N-Level inverter uses a multi-carriers modulation system requiring (N -1)
triangular carriers, all having the same frequency and amplitude. The triangular carriers are arranged
fc
vertically [32]. For a converter of N levels, the modulation index m is defined as m = , with fc is the carrier
fr
Ac
frequency and fr is the reference frequency [33]. The voltage adjustment coefficient r = , with Ar:
Ar
Amplitude of the reference, and Ac: Amplitude of the carrier. At first, triangular multi-carriers with high
frequency are made Figure 10, to generate the pulses for the MOSFETS:
− Configuration I: m =20, r = 1/7, fr = 50 Hz and fC = fr × m = 1000 Hz.
− Configuration II: m = 20, r = 1/7, fr = 50 Hz and fC = fr ×m = 1000 Hz

Figure 10. PD control scheme for a 15-level inverter

To achieve better performance in the output signal, a modification is made to the multi-carrier
technique, as shown in Figure 11. This modification involves using a modified carrier with the same
parameters aiming to enhance overall efficiency and effectively suppress the undesirable harmonic content,
leading to a more refined and optimal signal representation. Moreover, the modified technique is
implemented with diverse sinusoidal dispositions to evaluate their effectiveness, thereby determining the
most optimal disposition. Through meticulous exploration of each technique's merits.

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Figure 11. PD control scheme for a 15-level inverter with modified carriers

9. RESULTS
The output voltage waveforms and the harmonic distortions are obtained for different multi-carrier
The results are obtained using triangular and the modified carrier techniques. These techniques are
implemented with different sinusoidal dispositions PD PWM, POD PWM and APOD PWM to determinate
the best technique for 15 LVL cascaded inverter. Figure 12 shows the output waveform and the harmonic
spectrum for the 15 LVL inverter using phase opposite dispositions PD PWM. The total harmonic distortions
are acquired for all the different configurations the conventional and the modified SPWM multi-carriers and
represented on Table 3. A comparative study between 7 and 15 levels was shown in the following table to
determinate the better technique for the H bridge inverter.

Figure 12. Harmonic spectrum analysis for a 15-level converter with phase opposite dispositions “POD”

Table 3. THD results acquired by the various control techniques

Triangular carriers Cascade H-bridge with fc = 1 kHz, fr = 50 Hz
7-level PD POD APOD
THD% 18.00 18.15 18.32
15-level PD POD APOD
THD% 7.20 7.95 8.28
Modified carriers Cascade H-bridge with fc = 1 kHz, fr = 50 Hz
7-level PD POD APOD
THD% 14.77 16.01 15.36
15-level PD POD APOD
THD% 6.59 6.71 7.20

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− Results analysis
The total harmonic distortions acquired for both multi-carriers and analyzed in Figure 13 to
determinate the best technique suited for cascaded multi-level inverter, Figure 13(a) is for the 7 LVL inverter
and the Figure 13(b) is dedicated to the 15 LVL inverter.
i) Increasing the number of “N” levels significantly escalate the quality of the output signal.
ii) Modifying the triangular carriers gives better results in all types of multi –level inverters.
This modification is better suitable for cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverters with an improved voltage
signal quality.

(a) (b)

Figure 13. THD analysis (a) THD comparative for 7 LVL inverter and (b) THD comparative for
15 LVL inverter

10. CONCLUSION
Nowadays, the improvement of power quality and the interconnection between different networks
require more and higher power electronic interface and power switching devices; multilevel converters are
typically adjusted to these applications. In all existing multilevel converter topologies, the higher the number
of levels, the more complicated the converter structure becomes. This increases its cost and the complexity of
its control schemes. Three major structures of multilevel converters have been stated in the literature:
cascaded h-bridges (CHB) with separate DC voltage sources, neutral point clamped (NPC) diodes, and flying
capacitors (FC), among the multilevel topologies presented, the modular aspect of the H-bridge inverter
caught our attention and then the focus was made on these types of H-bridge converters.
The development of the new multi-level will allow each string of PV panels to operate
independently; as a result, it won’t be extremely affected by shades or intermittence and can be easily
replaced by batteries if facing some defaults. This paper also proposes the development of a better control
strategy to generate a voltage closer to the sinusoidal form. For this purpose, different strategies of pulse
width modulation have been established. The applied control techniques are made, and their performances
are compared in terms of output voltage quality in order to reduce harmonics, the control used in this work is
the sinusoidal modulation SPWM. Two strategies were tested on the 15-and 7-level. Results proved that the
Modification carrier-based control shows better results.

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Int J Pow Elec & Dri Syst ISSN: 2088-8694  1533

BIOGRAPHIES OF AUTHORS

Youssef Babkrani received the Master degrees, in Electrical Engineering from

the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, he received his Ph.D. in electrical-engineering and
instrumentation in 2021 from the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques Settat-Morocco. His
current research interests include power electronics and its applications such as in, PV
systems, reliability, harmonics, adjustable speed drives, automatic control and renewable
energy. He can be contacted at e-mail: [email protected].

Gourmaj Mourad received the M.Sc in Telecommunication System Engineering

from Abdelmalek Essaadi University in Tetouan and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from
Hassan 1st University, Settat, Morocco. His research interests include Control engineering,
Data Acquisition, Virtual Instrumentation, Power Electronics, and Online Labs. He can be
contacted at email: [email protected].

Ahmed Naddami received his engineering degree in electro-mechanics from the

Higher School of Technical Education, Rabat-Morocco in 1994. In 2001, he received his Phd
in electro-mechanics and instrumentation from Hassan 2nd University, Casablanca-Morocco.
Then, he moved to Bordeaux University and worked as researcher. In 2004, he is a Professor
at ENSEM, Casablanca. He coordinates many international projects and published many
indexed papers and books. He has represented Morocco and UH1 in many scientific missions
in the USA, China, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Tunisia, Lebanon,
Netherlands, Poland, Greece, Belgium. He writes and presents widely on issues of online and
electrical engineering and renewable energy. He can be contacted at email:
[email protected].

Karim Choukri is a lecturer in Electrical Engineering Department at the Hassan

II University (UH2), Casablanca, Morocco. He received his B.Eng., and Ph.D. degrees in
Electrical Engineering from Hassan 1st University of Settat in 2011 and 2017 respectively. He
is an Associate Professor in UH2, Casablanca, Morocco since 2021. He has made significant
contributions to the Renewable Energy sector through his publications of articles and reports,
including the REMAP2030 report with IRENA and the Arab Future Energy Index RE Report
with RCREEE. As a member of the Renewable Energy University Network (REUNET) in
Morocco, he demonstrates his dedication to the advancement of sustainable energy solutions.
Furthermore, he serves as an expert reviewer for PRIMA. His research interests include the
field of Renewable Energy, Green Hydrogen, Converters design, industrial applications,
industrial electronics, industrial informatics, power electronics, motor drives. He can be
contacted at email: [email protected].

Sanaa Hayani Mounir is Professor of Higher Education at the University Sultan

Moulay Slimane, after obtaining her PhD from the University Henri Poincaré in France in
collaboration with EDF in 2002, she worked as an educational director for a training
organization. New Horizon for about ten years, before joining in 2012 the university, Hassan
first, and then the Sultan Moulay Slimane, university in Morocco. She is a member of a
multidisciplinary laboratory for research and innovation, her field of expertise is mainly
focused on energy efficiency in industry and photovoltaic installations. She has about 30
indexed papers. Also responsible for energy audit and optimization for the office’s industrial.
She can be contacted at email: [email protected].

Implementation of a modified carrier-based PWM technique for a cascaded MLI … (Youssef Babkrani)