AC Side Research Articles

A Noninvasive Sliding Mode Observer Based Approach for Detecting Open-Circuit Faults in HERIC Inverters

This article presents a new technique for detecting and localizing the open-circuit (OC) faults in the semiconductor switches of the Highly Efficient and Reliable Inverter Concept (HERIC) converter. It is a transformerless Photovoltaic (PV) inverter based on the full-bridge topology, with two extra switches on the AC side called ac bypass switches. The proposed method uses a sliding mode observer (SMO) to detect faults in the AC bypass switch and main switches of the full bridge inverter. To diagnose OC faults in the AC bypass leg, two parallel SMOs are created based on the converter’s state space model. Similarly, two SMOs are designed for the main switches. A residual is generated by combining the observed and measured grid currents to accurately locate the OC fault within the inverter system. To localize the faulty main switch, once the fault is detected the inverter is reconfigured and based on the grid current the faulty switch is identified. A major benefit of this method is that it does not rely on additional sensors for fault diagnosis, making the system more robust. The effectiveness and reliability of this approach are demonstrated through simulation studies. In addition, a laboratory prototype is developed to validate the practical applicability of the method.

Theoretical and simulation analysis of DC bus current fluctuation control strategies of modular multilevel converter under AC side fault conditions

Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) play a crucial role in high-voltage DC (HVDC) systems due to their adaptable control and swift response capabilities. However, AC side faults could introduce asymmetric double-line frequency components into the MMC's circulating current, jeopardizing DC bus stability. Although strategies to mitigate DC side fluctuations are well-established, a detailed comparison of their operational impacts remains unexplored. The operational effects of MMCs under AC side faults are firstly examined in this study, including issues related to grid-connected current asymmetry and DC bus current fluctuations. Subsequently, two targeted control schemes are devised based on the goals of suppressing the double-line frequency components and only the zero-sequence components of circulating current. Through simulation, these approaches are contrasted, delineating their advantages and disadvantages in terms of circulating current suppression, submodules(SMs) capacitance voltage fluctuation, and other performance metrics, which could provide a foundational reference for designing and selecting MMC control strategies under AC side faults.

An inherent fault current blocking modular series multilevel converter using half-bridge sub-modules for grid integration

This paper proposes an inherent fault current blocking modular series multilevel converter (MSMC) using half-bridge (HB) sub-modules (SMs) for grid integration. The proposed converter uses passive filters to decouple the AC and DC side. Compared to conventional three-phase modular multilevel converters (MMCs) that use half-bridge sub-modules (HBSMs), the new MSMC design significantly reduces the number of switching devices required. Furthermore, one of the features of the proposed MSMC is its inherent ability to limit fault currents, which is achieved through its unique topological configuration whereas the conventional HB-MMC is susceptible to DC and AC faults. Despite these advancements, the new MSMC design retains all the desirable characteristics of conventional HB-MMCs, ensuring compatibility and ease of adoption. The paper thoroughly examines the operation of the MSMC under both steady-state and fault conditions. It also discusses the equivalent voltage decoupling circuit, energy balancing which is essential for the proper functioning of the converter. Additionally, the pre-charging process of the sub-module capacitors, a critical step for ensuring the safe start-up of the converter, is discussed in detail. Furthermore, Extended topologies can be derived from proposed topology for different applications.

Application of Artificial Intelligent Techniques for Power Quality Improvement in Microgrid System

This paper focuses on modeling, control and power quality improvement of a microgrid connected system. This last was designed as a multi-converter system with Wind Turbine driven Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator, and lithium ion Battery Storage Energy System. These sources are connected by a continuous bus to a nonlinear load through a DC /AC converter and three-phases multi-functional voltage source inverter. Where, wind systems are considered as primary power resource, and the grid is used for the effect of consumption of the overage power available from sources, when the battery has been fully charged. Multi Functional Voltage Source Inverter is used to ameliorate the performance of the proposed system, guaranteeing both reactive power and harmonic compensation. Moreover an intelligent control by fuzzy logic control algorithm are managed In order to extract the maximum power from wind turbine, to guarantee an effective storage management, this about the DC side. For the AC side a direct power control strategy with fuzzy logic algorithm have been used. The simulation of the system solution is carried out in Matlab/Simulink. The obtained simulation results show that the technique of fuzzy logic furnish the best solution in term of robustness, optimization performance, low THD and fast dynamic response.

Design of Integrated CM Inductors on Both DC and AC Sides for DC-Fed Motor Drive Systems: Structure, Modeling, and Optimization Method

Design of Integrated CM Inductors on Both DC and AC Sides for DC-Fed Motor Drive Systems: Structure, Modeling, and Optimization Method

Evaluation Approach and Controller Design Guidelines for Subsequent Commutation Failure in Hybrid Multi-Infeed HVDC System

Due to the difference in output characteristics between the line-commutated converter-based high-voltage direct current (LCC-HVDC) and voltage-source converter-based high-voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC), the hybrid multi-infeed high-voltage direct current (HMIDC) presents complex coupling characteristics. As the AC side is disturbed, the commutation failure (CF) occurring on the LCC side is the main factor threatening the safe operation of the system. In this paper, the simplified equivalent network model of HMIDC is established by analyzing the output characteristics of VSC and LCC. Hereafter, based on the derived model and the control system of LCC-HVDC, the dynamic equations of the extinction angle are deduced. Consequently, by applying the phase portrait method, the causes of CF occurring in the HMIDC system as well as the impacts of control parameters on the transient stability are revealed. Furthermore, the stabilization boundaries for the reference value of the DC voltage are obtained via the above analysis. Finally, the theoretical analysis is verified by the simulations in the PSCAD/EMTDC.

Resilient bus-bar protection scheme for DC microgrids connected to AC electric grids

ABSTRACT In recent years, there has been a growing interest in incorporating microgrids into existing electrical power networks to reduce reliance on conventional grids. This is further due to the numerous benefits of microgrids, most notably the ability to operate in either autonomous or grid-connected mode, making microgrids a highly versatile structure to incorporate intermittent production and energy storage. However, despite the many benefits, it is difficult to present resilience protection for DC bus bar to ensure the efficient operation of a DC microgrid, as there is a non-zero crossing phenomenon of DC fault current, while zero crossing phenomenon of an AC fault. Additionally, the DC bus bar has both an AC side with rectified DC and a DC line current, creating protection concerns for microgrids. To address these issues, this article proposes a novel fast fault detection scheme for DC microgrids with multiple renewable energy sources, energy storage, and loads. The scheme incorporates current and voltage sensing through current and voltage transformers, along with advanced digital relays, to detect and isolate faults on the DC microgrid. By analyzing rectified AC and DC line data, the scheme employs a differential current-based protection strategy to safeguard the DC bus bar. Validated through comprehensive fault simulations in PSS/SINCAL, the method proves effective in maintaining DC bus voltage stability and enhancing microgrid flexibility.

A new neuro-fuzzy controller based maximum power point tracking for a partially shaded grid-connected photovoltaic system

Today, renewable energy systems like photovoltaic system are widely used in various applications. Among the different types of microgrids, hybrid microgrids are the most used type, therefore, inverters should be used to exchange power between DC and AC sides. According to the existing economic issues, extracting the maximum possible power from these systems are an important issue. This paper presents a new neuro-fuzzy controller for achieving maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in a grid-connected PV system under partially shaded conditions. This controller uses the Gravity Search Algorithm (GSA) to track the global maximum power point (GMPP) of the presented grid-connected PV system. The method controls the grid-connected inverter at the desired voltage to achieve maximum power after receiving its required specifications from the system. The Matlab/Simulink software is used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method can track the maximum power point under uniform and partial shading conditions with high speed and accuracy. Specifically, the proposed algorithm improves the tracking speed and increases the power output compared to traditional methods. The neuro-fuzzy controller's adaptive capabilities allow it to respond efficiently to dynamic changes in shading, ensuring stable and optimal power output. These advantages make the proposed method a significant improvement over existing MPPT techniques.

An Improved Series 36-Pulse Rectifier Based on Dual Passive Pulse-Doubling Circuit on the System DC Side

The series-type 12-pulse rectifier generates a large amount of harmonics in the AC side current due to the strong nonlinearity of its rectifying diodes, causing serious harmonic pollution to the power grid. This article proposes a series 36-pulse rectifier based on a DC side dual passive frequency-doubling circuit to suppress the AC side current harmonics of a 12-pulse rectifier. The rectifier uses two symmetrical passive pulse multiplication circuits to regulate the circulation in the DC side circuit, increasing the output voltage and current state of the rectifier bridge, thereby increasing the number of pulses in the rectifier from 12 times to 36 times. Firstly, the working principle of the rectifier and the working mode of the dual passive frequency-doubling circuit were analyzed. Secondly, the harmonic suppression mechanism of the rectifier input current was revealed, and the frequency-doubling characteristics of the load voltage were analyzed. Finally, the correctness of the theoretical analysis was verified through a semi-physical platform. The verification and comparison results show that under the optimal conditions of the injecting transformer turns ratio, the DPPC can not only reduce the THD value of the input current by about 1/3 (from 14.87% to 4.78%) but can also increase the fluctuation frequency of the load voltage by 3 times (from 12 to 36), while improving the power quality of the AC/DC side rectifier and achieving the low harmonic operation of the rectifier. The proposed 36-pulse rectifier can effectively suppress harmonics; it has the advantages of simple structure, strong robustness, and high output voltage gain, and it is suitable for medium-voltage and high-voltage high-power rectification applications.

An optimized AC side startup strategy of E‐STATCOM for ITER pulsed power electrical network

AbstractDuring the operation of the ITER machine, hundreds of MW/Var of active and reactive power will be exchanged with the grid. The E‐STATCOM scheme composed of the Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) and split supercapacitor energy storage has been proposed to improve the power compensation performance of the existing reactive power compensation system in the previous study. However, one of the main technical challenges which is lack of research is to precharge all submodule capacitors and supercapacitors from zero to their nominal voltage values efficiently during a startup process. As the capacitance and operating voltage of supercapacitors are much different from capacitors in each submodule, the startup of E‐STATCOM is a more complicated process. To coordinate the energy exchange between submodule capacitors and supercapacitors, submodule capacitors and the grid, this paper presents an optimized four‐stage AC side startup strategy for the E‐STATCOM. The proposed method minimizes the use of current‐limiting resistors while suppressing the surge current in the zero‐voltage startup process of supercapacitors, in addition to optimizing the energy consumption. The pulse current charging, constant current charging and constant power charging strategies of supercapacitors are adopted in different charging stages, and the detailed coordinated control scheme between submodule capacitors and supercapacitors are described and analyzed. The effectiveness and performance of the proposed method are verified by simulation results and hardware‐in‐the‐loop (HIL) experiments.

Investigation of Cascaded Commutation Failures in Multiple LCC-HVdc Inverters Caused by Rectifier Side AC Grid Faults

Investigation of Cascaded Commutation Failures in Multiple LCC-HVdc Inverters Caused by Rectifier Side AC Grid Faults

Active power compensation circuit for resonance mitigation and harmonic reduction in microgrid system

The nature and behavior of capacitors, transformers, inductors, active compensators, and non-linear loads can produce power resonance. Unfortunately, the presence of a resonance phenomenon can have a negative impact on system stability and lead to catastrophic power system failures. Therefore, even when using modern or conventional techniques to enhance total harmonic distortion (THD) or improve input power factor (IPF), it is necessary to avoid resonance. An active power compensation circuit (APCC) is proposed and designed to function with two categories of linear/non-linear loads. The APCC has been implemented and regulated using an adjusted pulse width modulation technique. The aim of the suggested APCC is to minimize AC side distortions, improve the IPF, and mitigate harmonics resonance at the same time. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed APCC investigates the aim function of this study by absorbing harmonics, correcting IPF, and eliminating resonance problems under both transient and steady-state operating conditions. The supply voltage and current THD values for the first power circuit type are reduced by 96.7 % and 96.3 %, respectively, at α=30°. Meanwhile, for the second power circuit, the THD is reduced by 91.92 % and 90.4 %. Also, the IPF changed for the first and second power circuits from 0.72 and 0.86 to almost unity. These results demonstrated the effective performance of the APCC circuit and controller in reducing power harmonics, eliminating power resonance, and modifying power factors.

More variations on Nagel and Gergonne analogues of the Steiner-Lehmus theorem

The celebrated Steiner-Lehmus theorem states that if the internal bisectors of two angles of a triangle are equal then the corresponding sides have equal lengths. That is to say if P is the incentre of ΔABC and if BP and CP meet the sides AC and AB at B′ and C′, respectively, then An elegant proof of this theorem appeared in [1] and is reproduced in [2].

A novel strategy to enhance power management in AC/DC hybrid microgrid using virtual synchronous generator based interlinking converters integrated with energy storage system

Hybrid microgrids (HMGs) have a flexible structure, higher reliability, and both AC and DC MG merits. However, in this type of MGs, there are challenges such as accurate power sharing, the voltage control of the DC link, the AC side voltage and frequency stability, the negative impact of telecommunication delay, and so on. Therefore, a power management scheme is presented here that can perform proper and precise power sharing in a hybrid AC/DC MG. This HMG consists of one energy storage system (ESS) along with two interlinking converters (ILC) based on a virtual synchronous generator (VSG). Besides, the physical inertia of a MG is less than that of a power grid, hence, changing the output power of wind turbines and photovoltaic (PV) arrays might make system unstable. To overcome this challenge, virtual inertia is used. As the virtual inertia can be embedded with the VSG method, in this scheme, the VSG strategy is implemented to enhance the system dynamic behavior by imitating the synchronous generator kinetic inertia. The VSG-based ILC1 converter is used to establish interlinking and energy exchange between AC and DC sub-grids and share power. Also, other interlink devices including a bidirectional half-wave DC/DC converter integrated with the ILC2 are considered, which aim to control the voltage of the DC link and exchange part of the power between the AC and DC sub-grids. An ESS is placed between the bidirectional DC/DC converters and the DC link of the ILC2. Such a structure is referred to as a two stage interlinking converter with an ESS (TSILC-ESS). The power management system employed in AC/DC HMG according to the ILC controller is utilized to form the DCMG along with controlling the TSILC-ESS, providing additional and auxiliary services to the power grid. To assess the introduced scheme of both AC and DCMG to investigate VSG-based ILC1 and ILC2 in grid-connected and islanded operational mods, various resource and load profiles are assumed. The simulation study is performed in MATLAB/ Simulink environment to confirm the proposed method.

Multi-DG qZSI based grid tied inverters

The increasing adoption of distributed generation (DG) systems, driven by their numerous advantages, has led to a growing utilization of hybrid systems. Multilevel converters have emerged as essential components in power electronics applications, offering benefits such as harmonic reduction. However, designing effective control strategies for multilevel inverters presents challenges. This paper proposes a multi-DG quasi-Z-Source Inverter (qZSI) designed with a cascaded H-bridge controller. The incorporation of qZSI in the system enhances reliability and component safety while enabling the implementation of additional shoot-through control. This feature facilitates the balancing of inequalities arising from the two DG sources, thereby improving disturbance rejection. Furthermore, a current control scheme is implemented on the AC side to seamlessly feed active power into the grid without introducing distortions in current injection. Overall, the proposed system addresses key challenges in multilevel inverter design and offers a promising solution for efficient and reliable grid integration of DG systems. This work is thus useful in variety of applications, including electric vehicles and environment sustainability.

Comparative study on power decoupling technology based on double frequency disturbance suppression of single-phase photovoltaic inverter

During the grid connection process, single-phase photovoltaic inverters frequently encounter the issue of instantaneous power imbalance between the AC and DC sides. This results in twice the line frequency disturbance power being transmitted to the DC side, severely affecting the system's stability and performance, especially maximum power point tracking efficiency. To address this problem, research in photovoltaic grid-connected technology is now focusing on power decoupling technology to suppress double-frequency disturbances, referred to as power decoupling. This article covers the three main approaches to power decoupling—passive, active, and composite—and focuses on analyzing the circuit topology of the latter two approaches applied to single-phase photovoltaic inverters. The advantages and disadvantages of different power decoupling circuit topologies are discussed in detail, and a comparison is made in this article. Detailed discussions on current power decoupling technology trends and potential future directions, as well as recommendations for further refining grid-connected PV technology, are provided.

A fault ride-through strategy for accurate energy optimization of offshore wind VSC[sbnd]HVDC system without improved fault ride-through strategy of wind turbines

The transmission of offshore wind power through High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems is an important way to utilization of offshore renewable energy. However, onshore AC grid faults can make it difficult to transmit the energy from offshore wind farms, resulting in HVDC system overvoltages. Existing solutions to this problem mainly include adding DC or AC energy-dissipation devices, adding communication systems, and improving the fault ride-through(FRT) strategy of wind turbines, which have issues with economics or reliability. Based on this, this paper proposes a device-free, communication-free FRT strategy, and the fault ride-through strategy of wind turbines does not need improvement. The exchange of active power between the AC side and DC side of the onshore MMC is calculated under grid-following and grid-forming control strategy. The reference value of DC voltage and offshore MMC capacitance energy are proposed at different control stages. Especially, the dynamically calculated offshore AC voltage reference values have been theoretically provided. This approach ensures that the HVDC system avoids over-voltage and effectively stores more energy. The effectiveness and correctness of the proposed scheme were verified through simulation on the RTDS platFform. This paper is of great significance to promote the development of offshore renewable energy and ensure the safe operation of offshore wind HVDC systems.

Innovative model predictive control for HVDC: circulating current mitigation and fault resilience in Modular Multilevel converters

This study presents an advanced Model Predictive Control (MPC) technique designed to mitigate Circulating Current (CC) in HVDC systems equipped with Modular Multilevel Converters (MMC). This MPC strategy eliminates the need for traditional PI regulators and pulse width modulation, improving system dynamics and control accuracy. It excels in managing output currents and mitigating voltage fluctuations in sub-module capacitors. Moreover, the paper introduces a novel communication-free Fault Ride-Through (FRT) method that makes a DC chopper redundant, enabling rapid recovery from disturbances. To reduce the computational burden of standard MPC algorithms, an aggregated MMC model is proposed, significantly decreasing the computational complexity. Simulation studies validate the new MPC algorithm’s capability in regulating AC side current, reducing CC, and ensuring capacitor voltage stability under varying conditions. The findings indicate that the proposed MPC controller outperforms traditional PI and PR-based methods, offering enhanced dynamic response, decreased steady-state error, and lowered converter losses, which contribute to smoother DC link voltages. Future research will focus on system scalability, renewable energy integration, and empirical validation through hardware-in-the-loop testing.

Solar Photo Voltaic Connected Quasi Z Source Inverter for Grid and utility Application

This paper discusses the use of quasi-Z-source inverters, in utility grid systems. These inverters enhanced dependability and one-stage buck and boost abilities make them appropriate for photovoltaic power conditioning applications. The small signal sate space method utilized for the proposed system using Quasi ZSI for utility and grid integration application. Shoot through state also implemented on dc side to enhanced the voltage gain. The Controlling of dc side and ac side also implemented in MATLAB using state space transfer function. A two-stage controlling technique implemented on two level 6 switch inverters with SPWM with P & O MPPT and PI controller. The proposed system has solar PV array rating of 5.5kW and utilized in distribution purpose. A simple boost controlling technique has been implemented to obtained the desired gain and less ripples are present in the current due to the presence of inductor in the QZSI impedance network. During light loading the surplus power injected to the grid with the help of PLL system and when load demand increases the power take from the grid smoothly without loss of synchronism. The system has better stability and fast dynamic response during transient. The THD has been observed at the inverter and load side with LC filter, THD within the permissible limit as per IEEE std 1547.

Harmonic State-Space Modeling and Closed-Loop Control of Single-Stage High-Frequency Isolated DC–AC Converter

The port harmonic features of the single-phase single-stage high-frequency isolated dc-ac converter is not analyzed so far and the corresponding theoretical basis for improving the current quality is still a research gap. In this paper, a linear model in frequency domain of the single-stage high-frequency isolated dc-ac converter is originally derived based on the combined harmonic state space and extended description function modeling technique. The systematic modeling process is analyzed and the accuracy of the modeling is verified by the simulation results. Combined with the model analysis, the harmonic coupling characteristics between the ac side and the dc side are clearly presented. On this basis, this paper proposes a closed-loop control strategy to reduce the decrease of the dc-side and ac-side current quality caused by the harmonic coupling at the control level. Furthermore, this paper constructs the compound controllers based on the P-type iterative learning to suppress the harmonic currents of the dc side and the ac side, respectively. The composite controller does not distinguish the harmonic frequency. Hence, the proposed controller achieves the effective suppression of the harmonic currents in real time. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed control strategy are verified by the experiments.