An Advanced Fault Control of Transformerless Modular Multilevel Converters in AC/DC Hybrid Distribution Networks Under the Single-Phase Grounding Fault

Abstract

This paper presents an advanced fault control for transformerless modular multilevel converters (MMCs) in AC/DC hybrid distribution networks (HDNs) under the single-phase grounding (SPG) fault. The characteristics of voltages and transmission paths of zero sequence currents in AC networks with different voltage levels and neutral grounding types under SPG faults are analyzed. According to the analysis, the SPG fault results in two issues: 1) the voltage imbalances in nonfaulted networks, which have negative influence on the operation of nonfaulted networks; 2) the overcurrent of MMC-based terminals results in the shutdown of MMCs instead of fault ride-through. To solve these two issues, two types of zero sequence fault control are proposed, which are suitable for different fault ride-through abilities of transformerless MMCs in AC/DC HDNs. The proposed fault control is implemented by an advanced zero sequence current controller (ZSCC). Furthermore, to reduce the effect of fault control on the sensitivity of current differential protection based on the zero sequence fault current, an improved set of current reference value is addressed. Finally, the theoretical analysis and proposed fault control are verified through simulations performed in MATLAB/Simulink.