A random carrier frequency PWM technique with a narrowband for a grid-connected solar inverter

Abstract

The quality of power is always a concern for the high penetration of a grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) system due to the variation in solar irradiation and the temperature change of solar output, which in turn varies the fundamental component of power delivered to the grid. A solar source requires an inverter interface to supply the AC load as well as for the grid interconnection. Any reduction in the fundamental component generated by solar PV at a lower irradiation level or at high- temperature results in increasing %THD at the output of inverter for a given fixed switching frequency since harmonics due to PWM technique is comparable with the fundamental component. The selection of high-fixed-switching-frequency PWM reduces harmonics but increases the stress on switches and switching losses. It also suffers from issues of harmonics at carrier frequency and its sideband at multiples of switching frequency that causes acoustic noise and EMI. The random frequency PWM (Random PWM) method overcomes these issues presented by the fixed-frequency PWM method. However, a wide band of Random PWM makes the inverter filter design difficult and causes resonance in the distribution system. In addition, asymmetry in the carrier wave introduces even-order harmonics in the line current. Hence, this paper proposes a narrowband random frequency PWM method to reduce sideband harmonics, lower-order harmonics, even-order harmonics and a total harmonic distortion (THD) for a solar-based grid-connected inverter. Simulation results present a satisfactory performance of the proposed control technique for a steady-state and transient results. Experimental validation of the same is carried out on the OPAL-RT OP4500-based laboratory prototype of a 2-kVA inverter which depicts reduction in harmonics and hence improvement in power quality.