Pareto-Driven Assessment of PWM-Based Performance Enhancements in Multiport Y-Converter

Multiport converters (MPCs) have emerged as a key enabling technology in distribution networks by integrating multiple energy ports within a single hub. While existing literature has largely focused on proposing new MPC topologies and validating their operation under diverse power flow scenarios, comparatively less attention has been paid to enhancing their efficiency and power density through modulation and design optimization. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of pulse-width modulation (PWM) strategies applied to the multiport Y-converter (Y-MPC). Specifically, sinusoidal PWM, symmetric PWM, and discontinuous PWM are considered. The analysis targets residential-scale applications, where a 10 kW Y-MPC interfaces the LV ac grid with two 400 V dc ports. A multi-objective optimization (MOO) procedure is employed to systematically explore the design trade-offs and identify Pareto-optimal solutions across a broad design space for the various PWM techniques. The results offer new insights into the impact of PWM strategies on MPC performance, establishing benchmark figures of merit for practical designs. Among the examined techniques, discontinuous PWM is shown to achieve superior efficiency and compactness, thereby redefining performance boundaries for MPC topologies.