Dynamic and Balanced Control of Three-Phase High-Power Dual-Active Bridge DC–DC Converters in DC-Grid Applications

Abstract

The three-phase dual-active bridge (DAB) is a dc–dc converter, which provides galvanic isolation, inherent soft-switching capability, and small filter size. In this study, the dynamic behavior of three-phase DAB is analyzed and a dynamic control strategy is developed. Furthermore, a compensation technique is implemented to compensate unbalanced transformer phase currents. The latter is often caused by asymmetric leakage inductances. State space averaging and first harmonic approximation models, both for the steady state and transient analysis, are developed to describe the dynamic behavior of the three-phase DAB. The accuracy of the models is compared with a detailed circuit simulation and the benefits of each model are identified. When the transferred power of the DAB changes fast, the transformer currents can become unbalanced, leading to oscillations in the output current. A unique control method is presented, which allows settling of the transformer currents within one-third of the switching period. Additionally, the transformer currents stay symmetrical and oscillations are avoided. Based on this fast current control, an outer voltage controller is designed. The comparison of the control system using the fast current control and the conventional quasi-steady-state control demonstrates the potential advantages of the new approach under dynamic conditions. In practice, it is difficult to achieve completely symmetrical short-circuit impedances in a high-power medium-voltage transformer. Asymmetric leakage inductances, however, result in unbalanced phase currents and higher dc current ripple in a three-phase DAB. The new control scheme that is developed here can be extended to compensate any unbalances in the transformer. This approach enables effectively the balancing of the three-phase currents. The new control schemes are experimentally verified.