A Novel AC Module with High gain Z-Source Converter and Pseudo DC-link inverter

Abstract

The effects of partial shading in low power PV systems can be considerably reduced by using a single PV module of appropriate rating. Such a system is termed as the AC module in the literature and consists of a PV module along with the required power electronic circuitry, known as module integrated converter (MIC). The AC module integrated with the grid is required to operate at high efficiency and provide an output voltage of the expected magnitude and frequency. In this paper an efficient MIC with pseudo DC-link (pDC-l) for grid integration of AC module is proposed. The proposed MIC is claimed to be high efficient due to the fundamental frequency operation of the inverter. To obtain a pDC-l of required magnitude from single photovoltaic (PV) module, a high gain Z-source buck-boost converter (ZBBC) is used. It is followed by an unfolding circuit which operates at fundamental frequency to convert the pDC-l to sinusoidal output. The fundamental frequency operation reduces the switching losses without affecting the total harmonic distortion (THD). The operation of the ZBBC, when used to obtain a pDC-l output is analysed and a simple closed loop control is developed. The control ensures a pseudo DC-link voltage at the input of the H-bridge that acts as an unfolding circuit. The control also ensures power balance by controlling the current injected to the grid. Simulations of the proposed AC module with ZBBC cascaded with pDC-l inverter have been carried out using MATLAB/Simulink platform and the results are presented to validate the proposed MIC and its closed loop control.