International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering (IJECE) Vol. 12, No. 4, August 2022, pp. 3485~3493 ISSN: 2088-8708, DOI: 10.11591/ijece.v12i4.pp3485-3493  3485 Journal homepage: http://ijece.iaescore.com Fault tolerant nine-level inverter topology for solar water pumping applications Narasimha Rao Mucherla 1 , Nagaraj Karthick 1 , Airineni Madhukar Rao 2 1 School of Electrical Engineering, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India 2 Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Science, Warangal, India Article Info ABSTRACT Article history: Received Apr 17, 2021 Revised Mar 13, 2022 Accepted Mar 26, 2022 Diminished voltage pressure and occasional-general harmonic distortion are the essential causes for such a ways and extensive usage of multi-level inverters (MLIs) in numerous industrial applications. Nonetheless, unwavering quality is one of the significant worries of MLIs as it utilizes countless switches as contrasted to 2-level inverters. Here, a fault tolerant 9-level inverter setup for the use of photovoltaic (PV) system-water pumping applications is suggested. This fault tolerant 9-level inverter is accomplished by combining a 2-level inverter, a 3-level fault tolerant inverter alongside switches with bidirectional ability. The setup is taken care of with four PV fed sources. The arrangement suggested shows the behavior towards switch fault in at least one inverter legs under open circuit conditions. On account of source failure, it could use the better hotspot for introducing continuous power to the water pumping motor. Meanwhile, the suggested fault-tolerant inverter works as seven-level inverter. The activity related to proposed inverter in the course of various failure modes is mentioned and simulated the usage of MATLAB/Simulink. Keywords: Fault tolerant inverter Nine level inverter (9-L) Solar photovoltaic generation system Water pumping applications This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license. Corresponding Author: Narasimha Rao Mucherla School of Electrical Engineering, Lovely Professional University Phagwara, India Email: narsimhakits@gmail.com 1. INTRODUCTION Water is a need for enduring. It is required for drinking and home grown uses, and it is required for huge scope water system, development, and force creation. Water assumes an important feature within the advancement of any country. The non-public pride in any kingdom pretty is based on the quantity and nature of reachable water assets in that kingdom. It is classed that an ordinary of five liters of recent water is needed according to individual each day for day-by-day survival [1]. Although a lot of fine water is available in the world, regularly it is not always accessible at areas wherein it thoroughly can be directly applied. This increases the want to pump excellent water from its supply to the regions where it is miles popular. For this purpose, water pumping had been being used for quite a long term. Sun photovoltaic energy has been supplied in overdue eighties and has expanded excessive significance by mid-nineties. Earlier sunlight totally based photovoltaic (PV) cells had been very wasteful with the effectiveness as low as 5-6% and profoundly pricey [2]. Farmers in a country like India are subjected to difficulties with respect to water starting from lack of rainfall for months together in the summers to heavy, crop destroying rains in off seasons. This results in an inevitable drought leading to several socio-economic problems that affects the food chain of the whole country. Solar powered water pumping system will effectively terminate this problem with its ability to store solar power thereby strengthening the pumping system.