Multilevel Current Source Converters for High Power Medium Voltage Applications

In medium voltage high power applications,multi-level current source converters(CSCs)are good candidate to increase system power region,reliability,and the quality of output waveforms.Compared with widely researched voltage source multi-level converters(MLCs),the current source MLCs have the advantages of inherent short-circuit protection,high power capability and high quality of output current waveforms.The main features of MLCs include reduced harmonics,lower switching frequency and reduced current stress on each device which is a particularly important for high power application with low voltage and high current requirements.This paper conducts a general review of the current research about MLCs in higher power medium voltage application.The different types of parallel structure based MLCs and the modulation methodologies will be introduced and compared.Specifically,the circuit analysis of the common-mode(CM)loop for parallel structures will be conducted,the common-mode voltage(CMV)and circulating current suppression methods developed on the base of multilevel modulations will be addressed.

Analysis and Optimization of Boost Converter Parameters in Internal Model Control for Voltage Source Converter-based AC Microgrids

This paper investigates integration of distributed energy resources(DERs)in microgrids(MGs)through two-stage power conversion structures consisting of DC-DC boost converter and DC-AC voltage source converter(VSC)subsystems.In contrast to existing investigations that treated DC-link voltage as an ideal constant voltage,this paper considers the non-ideal dynamic coupling between both subsystems for completeness and higher accuracy,which introduces additional DC-side dynamics to the VSC.The analysis shows parameters of the boost converter’s power model that impact stability through the DC-link.Carefully selecting these parameters can mitigate this effect on stability and improve dynamic performance across the DC-link.Hence,an optimization framework is developed to facilitate in selecting adequate boost converter parameters in designing a stable voltage source converter-based microgrid(VSC-MG).The developed optimization framework,based on particle swarm optimization,considers dynamic coupling between both subsystems and is also effective in avoiding inadequate boost converter parameters capable of propagating instability through the DC-link to the VSC.Simulations are performed with MATLAB/Simulink to validate theoretical analyses.

Detection of Nonlinear Behavior Induced by Hard Limiting in Voltage Source Converters in Wind Farms Based on Higher-order Spectral Analysis

In recent years, sub-synchronous oscillation accidents caused by wind power integration have received extensive attention. The recorded constant-amplitude waveforms can be induced by either linear or nonlinear oscillation mechanisms. Hence, the nonlinear behavior needs to be distinguished prior to choosing the analysis method. Since the 1960s, the higher-order statistics(HOS) theory has become a powerful tool for the detection of nonlinear behavior(DNB) in production quality control wherein it has mainly been applied to mechanical condition monitoring and fault diagnosis. This study focuses on the hard limiters of the voltage source converter(VSC) control systems in the wind farms and attempts to detect the nonlinear behavior caused by bi-or uni-lateral saturation hard limiting using the HOS analysis. First, the conventional describing function is extended to obtain the detailed frequency domain information on the bi-and uni-lateral saturation hard limiting. Furthermore, the bi-and tri-spectra are introduced as the HOS, which are extended into bi-and tri-coherence spectra to eliminate the effects of the linear parts on the harmonic characteristics of hard limiting in the VSC control system, respectively. The effectiveness of the HOS in the DNB and the classification of the hard-limiting types is proven, and its detailed derivation and estimation procedure is presented. Finally, the quadratic and cubic phase coupling in the signals is illustrated, and the performance of the proposed method is evaluated and discussed.

Locating Sources of Oscillations Induced by Control of Voltage Source Converters Based on Energy Structure and Nonlinearity Detection

The oscillation phenomena associated with the control of voltage source converters(VSCs)are concerning,making it crucial to locate the sources of such oscillations and suppress the oscillations.Therefore,this paper presents a location scheme based on the energy structure and nonlinearity detection.The energy structure,which conforms to the principle of the energy-based method and dissipativity theory,is developed to describe the transient energy flow for VSCs,based on which a defined characteristic quantity is implemented to narrow the scope for locating the sources of oscillations.Moreover,based on the self-sustained oscillation characteristics of VsCs,an index for nonlinearity detection is applied to locate the VSCs that produce the oscillation energy.The combination of the energy structure and nonlinearity detection distinguishes the contribu-tions of different VSCs to the oscillation.The results of a case study implemented by the PSCAD/EMTDC simulation validate theproposed scheme.

Comparisons and Improvements of Key Operating Characteristics of Current Source Converter Applied in HVDC System

Because of its controlled power factor and no commutation failure,current source converter(CSC)made up of reverse-blocking IGCTs(RB-IGCTs)offers broad application prospects in the field of HVDC system.Valve voltage and power operating range as the most important operating characteristics should be paid attention to but they are always contradictory.First,the relationship between valve voltage and modulation index is obtained.In particular,valve voltage of converter under the three typical modulation methods is compared,analyzed,and verified.Second,with the help of the independent control strategy and coordinated control strategy of both ends,power operating ranges of the three modulation methods are comprehensively analyzed and compared.Third,in order to solve power coupling at a low active power,the improved coordination control strategy at both ends in this paper is proposed and the relationships among active power,reactive power,DC current and phase angle difference are given in detail.Finally,a 500 kV/3 kA simulation system was built in PSCAD/EMTDC to obtain comparison results of the key operating characteristics of CSC under different modulation methods and the converter can realize unity power operation under random active power after adopting the improved coordinated control strategy,and DC current does not decrease to zero,verifying effectiveness of the coordinated control strategy.

Proportional integral plus multi-frequency resonant current controller for grid-connected voltage source converter under imbalanced and distorted supply voltage conditions

This paper proposes a current control scheme for a grid-connected pulse width modulator(PWM) voltage source converter(GC-VSC) under imbalanced and distorted supply voltage conditions.The control scheme is implemented in the positive synchronously rotating reference frame and composed of a single proportional integral(PI) regulator and multi-frequency resonant controllers tuned at the frequencies of 2ω and 6ω,respectively.The experimental results,with the target of eliminating the active power oscillations and current harmonics on a prototype GC-VSC system,validate the feasibility of the proposed current control scheme during supply voltage imbalance and distortion.

Robust current control design of a three phase voltage source converter

In this paper,a robust design method for current control is proposed to improve the performance of a three phase voltage source converter(VSC)with an inductorcapacitor-inductor(LCL)filter.The presence of the LCL filter complicates the dynamics of the control system and limits the achievable control bandwidth(and the overall performance),particularly when the uncertainty of the parameters is considered.To solve this problem,the advanced H?control theory is employed to design a robust current controller in stationary coordinates.Both control of the fundamental frequency current and suppression of the potential LC resonance are considered.The design procedure and the selection of the weight functions are presented in detail.A conventional proportional-resonant PR controller is also designed for comparison.Analysis showed that the proposed H∞ current controller achieved a good frequency response with explicit robustness.The conclusion was verified on a 5 kW VSC that had a LCL filter.

Improved direct power control of a grid-connected voltage source converter during network unbalance

This paper deals with an improved direct power control(DPC) strategy for the pulse width modulation(PWM) voltage source converter(VSC) under unbalanced grid voltage conditions.In order to provide enhanced control performance for the VSC,the resonant controllers tuned at the double grid frequency are applied in the DPC design to eliminate the power pulsations and dc link voltage ripples produced by the transient unbalanced grid faults.In this way,the output power and dc link voltage of the VSC can be directly regulated without positive and negative sequential decomposition.As a result,and as has been verified by experiment,the proposed method can provide fast dynamic response with easy implementation.

Recent Developments of Modulation and Control for High-Power Current-Source-Converters Fed Electric Machine Systems

The pulse-width-modulated(PWM)current-source converters(CSCs)fed electric machine systems can be considered as a type of high reliability energy conversion systems,since they work with the long-life DC-link inductor and offer high fault-tolerant capability for short-circuit faults.Besides,they provide motor friendly waveforms and four-quadrant operation ability.Therefore,they are suitable for high-power applications of fans,pumps,compressors and wind power generation.The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively review recent developments of key technologies on modulation and control of high-power(HP)PWM-CSC fed electric machines systems,including reduction of low-order current harmonics,suppression of inductor–capacitor(LC)resonance,mitigation of common-mode voltage(CMV)and control of modular PWM-CSC fed systems.In particular,recent work on the overlapping effects during commutation,LC resonance suppression under fault-tolerant operation and collaboration of modular PMW-CSCs are described.Both theoretical analysis and some results in simulations and experiments are presented.Finally,a brief discussion regarding the future trend of the HP CSC fed electric machines systems is presented.

Control Strategy Optimization of Voltage Source Converter Connected to Various Types of AC Systems

Connecting the voltage source converters(VSCs) to various types of AC systems results in different operation characteristics and core problems associated with traditional control strategies. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the control strategies of the VSCs according to the types of AC systems.For the VSCs connected to islanded renewable power plants, a voltage/frequency(V/f) droop control strategy is proposed to damp fluctuations of AC voltage and frequency in the island,which is vital for bipolar VSC control. In addition, a multibranch impedance equivalent method for renewable power plants is proposed, with which large-scale renewable power plants can be modeled accurately in the frequency domain to prevent wide-band oscillation. For the VSCs connected to strong AC systems, smart AC voltage and coordinated frequency transient control strategies are proposed, which can improve AC system transient stability. For the VSCs connected to weak AC systems, the relationship between the system stability and strength is analyzed, and then the control strategy of inner-loop control parameter optimization and outer-loop power limiting(if necessary) is proposed to improve the stability of the allied system. The proposed strategies are verified by both software simulation and field commissioning.

A Review of Series Voltage Source Converter with Fault Current Limiting Function

The series voltage source converter(SVSC)is widely used in the power electronic equipment,such as series active power filter,dynamic voltage restorer,unified power flow controller and so on.However,while the SVSC is more vulnerable to the impact of fault current,its applications are increasing,bringing huge challenges to the safe operation of the grid.In recent years,the topology and control strategy of the series voltage source converter with fault current limiting(SVSC-FCL)are a research hotspot.In this paper,it suggests classifying SVSC-FCL based SVSC into two groups:the control scheme optimization group and the existing topology improvement group.The research challenges and perspectives of the SVSC-FCL are introduced in detail.This paper aims to illustrate current research progress on SVSC-FCL and enrich the available pool of the multi-functional power electronic equipment.

Overview on Fault-Tolerant Four-Switch Three-Phase Voltage Source Converters

With the rapid development and widespread applications of power electronic converters,strong fault-tolerant capability of power electronic converters is required since they play important roles in power systems.In this paper,a review of one of the most promising fault-tolerant topologies for semiconductor open-circuit fault,called four-switch three-phase(FSTP)topology,is presented in terms of modeling analysis,modulation techniques,and control strategies.The configuration of FSTP voltage source converter(VSC)is illustrated.To minimize the negative effects caused by the innate drawbacks of this fault-tolerant converter topology,considerable research has been carried out regarding modulation techniques and control strategies.The modulation principle for FSTP topology is explained in detail,since the performance of FSTP VSCs relies on it.This paper aims to illustrate current research progress on this fault-tolerant FSTP VSC topology.

Derivation of Multilevel Voltage Source Converter Topologies for Medium Voltage Drives

Multilevel voltage source converters(MLVSCs)have been widely applied in the medium voltage drive(MVD)industry.The performance of a MVD system is strongly dependent on the utilized topology.As of today,many interesting topologies have been proposed and evaluated in literature.In addition to proposing new topologies,another important research topic is the MLVSC topology derivation.In this paper,two topology derivation principles,i.e.horizontal conformation principle and vertical conformation principle,are proposed from the standpoint of modularity.In both principles,a MLVSC topology can be considered as a certain combination of one base switching cell and several module switching cells.With the proposed principle,the derived topology will naturally have modularity,which is favorable in practical applications.In addition,voltage level extension based on cascaded H-bridge building blocks(HBBBs)is also introduced.The challenging issues faced by the emerging topologies for MVD applications are also discussed.It is hoped that this paper can provide a new perspective on the MLVSC topology derivation and inspire new topologies in the future.

Three Phase Dual Input Direct Matrix Converter for Integration of Two AC Sources from Wind Turbines

This project proposes a novel dual-input matrix converter (DIMC) which is used to integrate the output of the wind energy to a power grid. The proposed matrix converter is developed based on the traditional indirect matrix converter under reverse power flow operation mode, but with its six-switch voltage source converter replaced by a nine-switch configuration followed by the current source inverter (CSI). Matrix electric power conversion topologies and their switch functions are flexible and are used for specific applications. With the additional three switches, the proposed DIMC can provide six input terminals, which make it possible to integrate two independent AC sources from two independent wind turbines into a single grid tied power electronics interface. Commanded currents can be extracted from the two input sources to the grid. The proposed PI control and modulation schemes guaranteed sinusoidal input and output waveforms as well as reduced THD. The simulation results are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control and modulation schemes for the proposed converter.

Carrier phase shifted SPWM based on current sourced multi-modular converter for active power filter

A novel current-source active power filter (APF) based on multi-modular converter with carrier phase-shifted SPWM (CPS-SPWM) technique is proposed. With this technique, the effect of equivalent high switching frequency con-verter is obtained with low switching frequency converter. It is very promising in current-source APF that adopt super-conducting magnetic energy storage component.

Model Predictive Control Circuit of the Current Source Matrix Converter

In this paper, a new predictive control strategy for current source matrix converter (CSMC) is presented. Proposed predictive control strategy allows for creating output voltages with boost type voltage transfer ratio and desired frequency. The description of predictive control circuit of the CSMC is presented. Furthermore the simulation test results to confirm functionality of the proposed control strategy and converter properties under this strategy are shown.

Research on Active and Reactive Power Decoupling Control Based on VSC-HVDC

Voltage Source Converter-based High Voltage Direct Current(VSC-HVDC)transmission technology represents a groundbreaking approach in high voltage Direct Current(DC)transmission,offering numerous technical advantages and broad application prospects.However,in the d-q synchronous rotating coordinate system,the VSC-HVDC exhibits the coupling effect of active power and reactive power,so it needs to be decoupled.This paper introduces the basic principle and mathematical model of the VSC-HVDC transmission system.Through the combination of coordinate transformation and variable substitution,a feedforward decoupling control method is derived.Then the VSC-HVDC simulation model is designed,and the simulation analysis is carried out in the MATLAB environment.The simulation results demonstrate that the method effectively achieves decoupling control of active and reactive power,exhibiting superior dynamic performance and robustness.These findings validate the correctness and effectiveness of the control strategy.

FPGA-Based Real-Time Simulation of Modular Multilevel Converter HVDC Systems

AC-HVDC-AC energy conversion systems using MMC （modular multilevel converters） are becoming popular to integrate distributed energy systems to the main grid. Such multilevel converters pose a serious problems for HIL （hardware in the loop） simulators required for control, protection design and testing due to the large number of cells that must be simulated individually using very small time steps. This paper demonstrates the advantages of using a very small time step to simulate a MMC topology. The MMC is implemented on FPGA （fiel-programmable gate array） to simulate fast transient with a time step of 250 ns. The AC network and HVDC bus is simulated on the PC, with a slower time step of 10 μs to 20 μs. The simulator architecture and the components simulated on the FPGA and on the PC will be discussed, as well as the method allowing the interconnection of this slow and fast system.

Large-disturbance Stability Analysis of Power Systems with Synchronous Generator and Converter-interfaced Generation

This letter studies large-disturbance stability of the power system with a synchronous generator(SG)and a converter-interfaced generation(CIG)connected to infinite bus.The power system is multi-timescale and first simplified.It is shown that the boundary of region of attraction(ROA)of the simplified model is composed of stable manifolds of unstable equilibrium point(UEP)or semi-singular point(SSP),named anchor points,and singular surface pieces.The type of anchor point determines the dominant instability pattern of the power system.When the anchor point is UEP or SSP,the dominant instability pattern is the instability of rotor angle of SG or the instability of phase-locked loop and outer control loop(OCL)of CIG,respectively.Transition of dominant instability pattern can be analyzed with the relative position relationship between UEP and SSP.The effect of OCL is discussed.When the OCL is activated,the ROA becomes smaller and the system is more prone to instability of CIG.It is necessary to consider the OCL when studying the large-disturbance stability of the power system.

An Adaptive Wireless Power Sharing Control for Multiterminal HVDC

Power sharing among multiterminal high voltage direct current terminals(MT-HVDC)is mainly developed based on a priority or sequential manners,which uses to prevent the problem of overloading due to a predefined controller coefficient.Furthermore,fixed power sharing control also suffers from an inability to identify power availability at a rectification station.There is a need for a controller that ensures an efficient power sharing among the MT-HVDC terminals,prevents the possibility of overloading,and utilizes the available power sharing.A new adaptive wireless control for active power sharing among multiterminal(MT-HVDC)systems,including power availability and power management policy,is proposed in this paper.The proposed control strategy solves these issues and,this proposed controller strategy is a generic method that can be applied for unlimited number of converter stations.The rational of this proposed controller is to increase the system reliability by avoiding the necessity of fast communication links.The test system in this paper consists of four converter stations based on three phase-two AC voltage levels.The proposed control strategy for a multiterminal HVDC system is conducted in the power systems computer aided design/electromagnetic transient design and control(PSCAD/EMTDC)simulation environment.The simulation results significantly show the flexibility and usefulness of the proposed power sharing control provided by the new adaptive wireless method.