DC Voltage Control Research Articles

Transient synchronization stability of photovoltaics integration by singular perturbation analysis

The integration of large-scale photovoltaics (PVs) into the power grid has significantly altered the transient synchronization dynamics of traditional power systems dominated by synchronous generators (SGs) and posed great challenges to modeling and analysis of PVs integration. In this paper, the transient synchronization stability of the PV-SG system is studied using the singular perturbation technique. Firstly, a nonlinear model of a PV-SG system is established to reveal the multiscale transient synchronization characteristics. Further, the full system is decomposed into a slow subsystem and a fast subsystem by the singular perturbation technique. The fast subsystem containing the dynamics of the DC voltage control, terminal voltage control, and phase-locked loop, and the slow subsystem containing the dynamics of rotor motion can perfectly reflect the dynamics of the full system within the electromagnetic and electromechanical timescales, respectively. The proposed model provides a clearer physical picture of dynamics in the PV-SG system within the electromagnetic and electromechanical timescales. Subsequently, the stability of the slow and fast subsystems is investigated using the energy function and eigenvalue analysis methods, respectively. Meanwhile, the impacts of various operating, control, and structural parameters on the transient synchronization stability are uncovered. Different from the most existing research endeavors on the wide simulations of the PVs integration, the impact of PVs on the synchronization dynamics of SGs without considering the dynamical characteristics of the PV system, and the transient synchronization stability analyses of the PLL-based voltage source converter systems, it is the key contribution to study the transient synchronization dynamical characteristics of the PV system and its interaction with the SG under different timescales. All these are helpful and easy to extend to more complicated PV-SG systems. Finally, the analysis results are validated by extensive simulations.

Self-Measurement of the Admittance Matrix of AC–DC Power Converter by Internal Harmonic Injection

Frequency-domain impedance or admittance model is widely applied to analyze harmonic stability of power electronic converters. Conventionally, the converter impedance is modeled holistically, without exhibiting the sole effect of different control and phase-locked loop (PLL). Besides, harmonic voltage or current injection external to the converter is usually adopted, which involves dedicated equipment and introduces unexpected inner impedance. In this paper, the response of voltage perturbation upon AC-DC power converter along various voltage signal flow paths is analyzed, based on superposition principle. Each part of admittance and its effect on stability can therefore be quantified explicitly. By injecting harmonic perturbation through the identified paths within the converter controller, each part of admittances, with and without the concerned control or PLL blocks, are measured and summed to be the total admittance. Harmonic voltage mitigation control implemented on a grid-forming converter creates an ideal grid with constant voltage and nearly zero inner impedance at the injected harmonic frequency. The proposed admittance analysis and measurement is successfully applied to power converter with different PLL, voltage feedforward, output power control, DC voltage control and grid-forming cascaded control. Effectiveness of the analysis and the proposed admittance measurement approach are validated by comprehensive simulation and hardware test.

Decentralized Control for Multi-Terminal Cascaded Medium-Voltage Converters Considering Multiple Crossovers

Decentralized control with multiple droop characteristics can significantly improve the accuracy of power flow in medium-voltage direct-current (MVdc) networks. However, multiple crossovers caused by different control characteristics can lead to the drifts of power and voltage and instability issues. When this type of control is implemented in the cascaded three-level neutral-point-clamped (C3L-NPC) converters, on one hand, the mechanism of such the power and voltage drifts was not investigated. On the other hand, power control accuracy, dc voltage balancing across submodules (SMs) and multiple crossovers should all be considered, which requires suitable control methods. To address the challenges, firstly, the mechanism behind the power and dc voltage drifts is analyzed. Secondly, a control scheme is presented to improve the power control accuracy and dc voltage balancing and concurrently, to avoid the multiple crossovers. This is achieved by suitable droop gain design and adding a secondary power compensator. The presented control scheme is verified in MATLAB/Simulink simulation and experimentally validated in a three-terminal MVdc testbed. Results show that the accuracy of steady-state power flow is improved by 15% due to the elimination of multiple crossovers, while the power accuracy at dynamics improved by 13% with the secondary power compensator.

Three-phase four wire shunt active power filter based on Simplified Backstepping technique for DC voltage control

This work presents a simulation of Three-Phase Four-Wire Shunt Active Power Filter (SAPF) destined to suppress harmonic currents generated by nonlinear loads. The SAPF guarantee also the compensation for unbalanced nonlinear load currents, reactive power and harmonic neutral current. The identification method is based on the synchronous reference frame. In order to have good performances of DC voltage control, simplified Backstepping control for three-Phase four-Wire (SAPF) system is proposed. Complete simulation of the resultant active filtering system validates the efficiency of the proposed simplified Backstepping control law over to the traditional control with PI controller.

Output DC Voltage Control Strategy for Switched Reluctance Generator

This paper presents a proposed generated voltage control for a Switched Reluctance Generator (SRG). The strategy developed uses a PI controller to vary the magnetization angle of the machine phases, acting in the top switches opening angle (θoff) of the converter. The strategy is used together with the freewheel intermediate step, between the steps of magnetization and demagnetization of the phases. The main vantage is decrease the input power of the excitation source and to get the better use of mecanic energy to increase the phase current of the generator, maximizing the electric energy production. Is used the classic half-bridge converter without the need to alteration in your project, changing only the switching strategy. A nonlinear model of the SRG and the control strategy were implemented in MatLab/Simulink. The experimental platform was developed to validate the proposal presented.

Distributed collaborative optimization DC voltage control strategy for VSC–MTDC system with renewable energy integration

Distributed collaborative optimization DC voltage control strategy for VSC–MTDC system with renewable energy integration

Improving Wave-to-Wire Efficiency of Direct-Drive Wave Energy Converters With Loss-Aware Model Predictive Control and Variable DC Voltage Control

Improving Wave-to-Wire Efficiency of Direct-Drive Wave Energy Converters With Loss-Aware Model Predictive Control and Variable DC Voltage Control

Headroom-based Frequency and DC Voltage Control for Large Disturbances in Multi-Terminal HVDC (MTDC) Grids

Headroom-based Frequency and DC Voltage Control for Large Disturbances in Multi-Terminal HVDC (MTDC) Grids

A portable microfluidic device for thermally controlled granular sample manipulation.

Effective granular sample manipulation with a portable and visualizable microfluidic device is significant for lots of applications, such as point-of-care testing and cargo delivery. Herein, we report a portable microfluidic device for controlled particle focusing, migration and double-emulsion droplet release via thermal fields. The device mainly contains a microfluidic chip, a microcontroller with a DC voltage control unit, a built-in microscope with a video transmission unit and a smartphone. Five microheaters located at the bottom of the microfluidic chip are used to unevenly heat fluids and then induce thermal buoyancy flow and a thermocapillary effect, and the experiments can be conveniently visualized through a smartphone, which provides convenient sample detection in outdoor environments. To demonstrate the feasibility and multifunctionality of this device, the focusing manipulation of multiple particles is first analyzed by using silica particles and yeast cells as experimental samples. We can directly observe the particle focusing states on the screen of a smartphone, and the particle focusing efficiency can be flexibly tuned by changing the control voltage of the microheater. Then the study focus is transferred to single-particle migration. By changing the voltage combinations applied on four strip microheaters, the single particle can migrate at predetermined trajectory and speed, showing attractiveness for those applications needing sample transportation. Finally, we manipulate the special three-phase flow system of double-emulsion drops in thermal fields. Under the combined effect of the thermocapillary effect and increased instability, the shell of double-emulsion droplets gradually thins and finally breaks, resulting in the release of samples in inner cores. The core release speed can also be flexibly adjusted by changing the control voltage of the microheater. These three experiments successfully demonstrate the effectiveness and multifunctionality of this thermally actuated microfluidic device on granular manipulation. Therefore, this portable microfluidic device will be promising for lots of applications, such as analytical detection, microrobot actuation and cargo release.

Design and preparation of an electromechanical implant prototype for an on-demand drug delivery

IntroductionA bio-implant is a drug-delivery system that is implanted in the human body for a period of more than 30 days. Electromechanical systems are one type of bio-implant that has recently been introduced as a new generation of targeted drug delivery methods. The overarching goal of utilizing these systems is to integrate electrical and mechanical features in order to benefit from the numerous applications of these two systems when used together.The current study aimed to design a prototype of an electromechanical system using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and MultiJet Fusion (MJF) techniques for drug delivery that can release a specific drug dosage in the patient's body by connecting to a sensor or under the control of a signal sent by the physician. MethodsInitially, the implant chambers were created in the form of a hollow cylinder, closed at one end, using three different types of 3D printers: FDM, SLS, and MJF. Each implant was then filled with a model drug (pentoxifylline) and sealed with a thin gold membrane. To achieve the lowest voltage required to melt the gold membrane, an electric circuit with controllable DC voltage generator was designed.Finally, the mechanical resistance, drug release rate, and surface morphology of the designed implants were evaluated. ResultsThe MJF 3D printer, overally, had higher printing precision and repeatability than other printers; however, the implants printed by the FDM 3D printer were more accurate than other techniques (P value < 0.001), similar to the dimensions of the designed file. The mechanical resistance of the implants was also evaluated, and the polylactic acid implants printed by FDM had the highest value of Young's modulus in both the standard samples and the designed implants. During the 3-month drug leakage study, FDM 3D printed implant had a greater ability to store the desired drug load (P value < 0.001), Furthermore, the SEM micrographs revealed that the polylactic acid implants printed by FDM had minimal porosity in their structure and the layers were well adhered together. The gold membrane with a middle diameter of 2 mm required the lowest voltage of 6 V. As a result, the final electrical circuit was designed with smaller dimensions in order to achieve the voltage required to melt the gold membrane. ConclusionDue to the lack of drug leakage and other mechanical studies, the electromechanical implant produced by the FDM 3D printer was chosen as the optimal electromechanical implant in this study. Along with the designed small circuit, this implant can release a drug dosage in the patient's body at the physician's demand.

Analysis of Small-Disturbance Stability of Onshore Wind Power All-DC Power Generation System and Identification of Leading Factors

The application of conventional AC collection for the integration of large-scale renewable energy sources may lead to issues concerning harmonic resonance and reactive power transmission. Conversely, the utilization of an all-DC power generation system for wind power (WDCG) can effectively circumvent such issues. In contrast to the conventional power system, the interdependence among subsystems in the WDCG renders it susceptible to oscillation instability in the presence of minor disturbances. To address this concern, this paper first establishes a small-signal model for the WDCG, and validates the accuracy of this model by comparing it with an electromagnetic transient model based on PSCAD/EMTDC. Secondly, employing the eigenvalue analysis method, the principal oscillation modes of the WDCG are identified, and the state variables strongly correlated with these modes are analyzed using the participation factor method. Moreover, a quantitative assessment of the impact of operational and control parameters closely associated with the strongly correlated state variables on the negative damper oscillation model is conducted. The findings of the analysis reveal that the small-disturbance stability of the WDCG is significantly influenced by the operational parameters of the outlet capacitance of the ma-chine-side converter (MSC), the outlet capacitance of the direct current wind turbine (DCWT), the sub-module capacitance of the modular multilevel converter (MMC), and the inductance of the bridge arm. Additionally, the stability is al-so affected by the control parameters of the constant DC voltage control on the DCWT side, the voltage outer-loop–current inner-loop control, and the circulation suppression on the MMC side. The simulation results based on PSCAD validate the efficacy of the proposed method in identifying the dominant factors.

A Multi-Terminal Control Method for AC Grids Based on a Hybrid High-Voltage Direct Current with Cascaded MMC Converters

The hybrid high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system with cascaded MMC converters has become a promising alternative for possessing the technical merits of both line-commuted converter (LCC) and voltage source converter (VSC), resulting in favorable characteristics and potential control of good prospect. This paper pays heightened attention to the feasible power and DC voltage control modes of a hybrid HVDC system; characteristics of master–slave control show higher flexibility than the LCC-VSC HVDC system, which demonstrates that the exceptional potential can serve to stability support the AC power grids. To optimize the control effect, besides damping level to attenuate power oscillations, the robustness suitable for various faults is also considered to obtain a multi-objective control problem. A detailed solution is proceeding using the TLS-ESPRIT identification algorithm and H2/H∞ hybrid robust control theory. This motivates multi-terminal controllers in the LCC rectifier and MMC inverters, which immensely improve the stability of both sending and receiving girds at the same time. According to the parameters of the actual hybrid HVDC project, the simulation model is established in PSCAD v4.6.2 software, and proposed control methods have been verified to satisfy damping objectives and perform well in multiple operating scenarios.

Sequence Impedance Modeling and Analysis of Modular Multilevel Converter Considering DC Port Characteristics

The extensive deployment of Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) in AC/DC systems can lead to complex resonance issues. Impedance modeling forms the foundation for analyzing the stability of interconnected system. Existing investigations primarily address resonance concerns on the AC side of MMC. In the process of impedance modeling, the DC system is generally approximated as an ideal voltage source, thereby neglecting its dynamic impact on the impedance characteristic of MMC. Such simplification may result in inaccuracies within stability analysis findings. Based on the multi-harmonic linearization method, this paper introduces an impedance modeling approach that takes into account the characteristics of the DC port. Taking DC voltage control as a case study, the impedance model for the AC side of the MMC is established. The results of programming calculation and simulation measurement of sequence impedance are mutually verified. Finally, the MMC impedance responses determined by different DC port characteristics are analyzed. Significant alterations in MMC impedance characteristics are introduced by DC side resistance and capacitance, which may result in negative damping effects and a decrease in system stability margins. The DC side inductance has a relatively minor impact on MMC impedance responses. The analysis results show that the sequence impedance model of MMC considering DC port characteristics can improve the accuracy of stability analysis results.

A novel ANFIS-controlled customized UPQC device for power quality enhancement

Power quality is crucial for the reliable and efficient operation of domestic and industrial loads. Nonlinear power electronic converter loads have increased in usage, which has led to a decline in both voltage and current quality. To overcome these power quality issues, a universal power quality compensator (UPQC) has been developed and integrated into the power distribution network. The UPQC comprises dual active power filters which are equipped with a DC-link capacitor. The voltage of the DC-link capacitor is controlled by a DC-link voltage controller. However, the conventional PI controller is not suitable for regulating voltage at a defined level due to inappropriate gain values. In this work, we propose an intelligent adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system-based DC voltage controller for customized UPQC devices. The proposed control scheme aims to mitigate the existing power quality challenges by reducing the issues in classical controllers and incorporating intelligence knowledge with subjective decisions. Using the MATLAB/Simulink software tool, we have tested a customized UPQC device controlled by ANFIS for critical operation and performance. The simulation results are presented along with valid comparisons.

Frequency regulation method for two-stage PV system based on DC voltage coordination

The current frequency regulation methods for a photovoltaic (PV) system cannot balance frequency support and primary control performances. This paper proposes a frequency regulation method for a two-stage PV system by controlling DC voltage, which is coordinated with the enhanced virtual inertia control (VIC) of the DC capacitor. The power reserve control of the PV arrays is improved considering the characteristics of the VIC, thereby strengthening the frequency regulation ability of the PV system. An active DC voltage recovery control is designed at the inverter to restore the frequency support ability after primary frequency control. With MATLAB/Simulink software, the performance of the proposed method in dealing with different load sizes, load change trends, and DC voltage recovery coefficient is verified by comparing it with other traditional methods in different scenarios. The proposed method can fully use the available power to improve the frequency nadir, rate of change of frequency, and voltage recovery ability.

Direct current power system stabilizers for HVDC grids: Current status

AbstractA power system stabilizer (PSS) is a control system integrated into the control structure of specific generation units within AC grids. It monitors current, voltage, and machine shaft speed. Analysing these variables, the PSS generates appropriate control signals to the voltage regulator unit, aiming to damp system oscillations. With the advancement of high‐voltage direct current (HVDC) overlaid high‐voltage alternative current (HVAC) grids, it is anticipated that direct current power system stabilizers (DC‐PSS) will be developed to perform a similar role as their AC counterparts. DC‐PSS will be responsible for monitoring and controlling DC voltage levels, ensuring stable operations. This paper focuses on DC‐PSS in HVDC grids, designed to ensure stable operation and mitigate voltage fluctuations. Unlike conventional AC power systems, HVDC includes only DC voltage and power. The input signal for DC‐PSS is the variations in DC voltage, and the output signal is proportional to the power changes at the specific bus where the DC‐PSS is installed, aiming to minimize DC voltage oscillations. These characteristics pose significant challenges in DC‐PSS. The paper addresses the challenges and highlights issues such as inertia and low‐frequency oscillations associated with DC‐PSS. Various control methods are presented and a comparison is made among these methods.

A new distributed voltage control method for MVDC electric railway systems with renewable energy sources

The medium voltage DC (MVDC) electric railway system is one of the most interesting options for future high-speed rail (HSR) lines. The dc voltage control is one of the most critical challenges of MVDC electric railway systems due to various reasons such as simultaneous, continuous and considerable changes in the power and location of trains, regenerative brake energy of trains, long power lines, the application of ESS’s and RES’s. In this paper, a voltage control, i.e., the optimal-voltage voltage-power (OVVP) control method, is presented for MVDC electric railway systems. OVVP control method is a practical, reliable, automatic, and modular distributed voltage control method. The proposed voltage control method satisfies the nearest voltage to the nominal value in each node and the smoothest voltage profile in different MVDC electric railway systems. Although the analyses carried out in this paper analytically prove the significant performance of the presented voltage control method, different challenging scenarios are considered to verify OVVP control method more. In addition, the results of the proposed voltage control method are successfully validated by GAMS software.

Adaptive neural network control of DC–DC power converter

This article proposes a novel Zernike radial neural network based adaptive control architecture for the closed-loop control of output DC voltage in DC-DC buck power converter. The proposed combination of novel Zernike radial neural network estimator and the adaptive backstepping controller effectively compensates for wide range of perturbations affecting the converter system, in an online manner. The closed loop stability of the DC-DC buck power converter with the proposed neuro-adaptive backstepping controller is proven by Lyapunov stability criterion. Numerical simulations are conducted to examine the effectiveness of the proposed controller under start-up response and step changes in the load, source voltage and reference output voltage. Furthermore, the simulation findings are validated by conducting extensive real-time investigation on a laboratory prototype, under a wide range of operating points. The results obtained shows a significant improvement in the transient response of both output voltage and inductor current of the converter, relative to the relevant control methods proposed in the recent past.

Analysis of Subsynchronous Oscillation Caused by Multiple VSCs With Different Dynamics Under Strong Grid Connections

It is known that multiple voltage source converters (VSCs) with similar dynamics may induce subsynchronous oscillations (SSOs), particularly under weak grid connections. This study investigated the small-signal stability of multiple VSCs with different dynamics, utilizing both the model with default parameters and the model that accounts for deviations in VSC dynamics. The results indicates that the DC voltage control loops of the VSCs may cause growing SSOs even under strong grid connections. The direction and amplitude of the deviations are affected by the differences between the actual and default parameters. The impact of deviations is the largest when all the parameters are larger or smaller than the default parameters. However, the impact is reduced when some of the parameters are larger and others are smaller than the default parameters. On this basis, two reduced-order stability analysis methods were proposed to quickly and accurately assess the SSO risk in the power system. A sample power system with multiple VSCs is used to demonstrate and evaluate the conclusions and proposed methods.

A Novel Grid-Forming Strategy for Self-Synchronous PMSG under Nearly 100% Renewable Electricity

The demand for decarbonization calls for building up a nearly 100% renewable electricity resulting in Grid-forming (GFM) capability requirements. The foregoing paradigm shifts from synchronous AC systems to converter-based systems that need to remain stable and self-synchronous while providing GFM services. However, as this article’s analysis in the introduction, achieving such goals inevitably necessitates the implementation of a PLL controller and energy storage in a wind turbine, whereas it is not suitable to operate in a weak energy system. To tackle this issue, a novel grid-forming method is proposed. The suggested idea calls for creating a DC voltage controller in a grid-side converter that mimics inertia response and applying a Rotor kinetic energy storage (RKES) controller in a Generator-side converter. Moreover, a coordinated controller of RKES controllers and conventional low voltage ride-through (LVRT) is proposed to gain increases in dynamic performance and maintain grid-forming capabilities in the transient process. Extensive modeling, experimental results based on a semi-physical platform, and an actual wind farm demonstration project are provided to validate the proposed controls. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented method when applied to the future 100% renewable electricity.