Abstract
The series bridge converter (SBC) is a modular multilevel converter (MMC) recently developed to enhance power density in high-voltage high-power applications. The MMC is a well-established solution, widely researched, and exploited in practical HVdc connections, thanks to its high power quality and high efficiency. However, the main limitation of the MMC is the relatively large energy storage, also due to the fact that power ripples in the submodule capacitors include a component at the fundamental ac frequency. As a result, volume becomes critical in applications such as offshore or city center in-feeds, where space is restricted and expensive. The SBC offers a more compact footprint by exploiting a series connection on the dc side and by operating the submodules with rectified waveforms, thus moving the minimum component of the instantaneous power to twice the ac fundamental and reducing capacitors size. The drawback of the converter is a more complex energy control compared to the MMC. This paper proposes the first experimental validation of the SBC, using a 2-kW laboratory-scale prototype. Since the basic converter design has been discussed in previous papers, the focus of this paper is on converter control design and experimental validation.
Highlights
N OWADAYS, with the increasing demand of electricity and the growing market share of renewables, new technologies are being researched in order to improve the AC electrical transmission systems and guarantee seamless integration of the new resources
High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission has been developed since the 1950s for its advantages in terms of cost and efficiency over the more traditional AC transmission systems for long distance transmission [1]
HVDC has been increasingly deployed in the last few decades to support the expansion of the transmission networks driven by the requirements to connect a growing number of far-offshore wind farms [2] and enabled by the developments on Voltage Source Converters (VSCs)
Summary
N OWADAYS, with the increasing demand of electricity and the growing market share of renewables, new technologies are being researched in order to improve the AC electrical transmission systems and guarantee seamless integration of the new resources. HVDC has been increasingly deployed in the last few decades to support the expansion of the transmission networks driven by the requirements to connect a growing number of far-offshore wind farms [2] and enabled by the developments on Voltage Source Converters (VSCs). The scope of HVDC is not limited to off-shore systems but it represents an enabling technology for the development of the European and global Super-grid [3], [4] and to support the dramatic growth of the Chinese energy market [5]. There is a widespread interest in minimising the footprint - in terms of volume and weight of HVDC converters, to drive the cost down and increase the number of connections
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