Abstract
The modular multilevel converter (MMC) has become one of the most attractive converters for high-power applications such as high voltage DC (HVDC) converters, but also for fusion devices power supplies. The combination of this technology with a high power density energy storages such as supercapacitors (SC) represents a promising alternative to power the toroidal field (TF) magnets of the ASDEX (Axially Symmetric Divertor Experiment) Upgrade experiment operated at the Max-Planck-Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) research center. After a first feasibility study, a single MMC submodule (SM) composed by four insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) forming a 4QC (4-quadrant chopper), a SC module and a power stage filter has been developed and successfully tested. Therefore, three additional identical modules were built to test their series and parallel operation in order to prove their capability to be scaled up.This work shows the step-by-step development of the MMC demonstrator, highlighting the results of the SM synchronized operation which is fundamental for the scalability of the system. The outcome of these experiments is relevant not only for the specific application of ASDEX Upgrade TF coils, but also for many other applications due to the flexible four-quadrant operation of the converter.
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