Control Of Voltage Source Converter Research Articles

Active decoupling control of the three-phase voltage source converter under nonlinear AC current

Active decoupling control of the three-phase voltage source converter under nonlinear AC current

A Robust Switching Control Strategy for Three-Phase Voltage Source Converters with Uncertain Circuit Parameters

This study proposes a novel double closed-loop robust control strategy based on a power switching affine model of three-phase voltage source converters (VSCs). The aim is to overcome the challenges posed by inaccurate mathematical models, complex controller configurations, indirect switching control, and performance degradation under circuit parameters uncertainty or load variation in conventional methods. These conventional methods rely on linearization models, duty ratio regulation, and pulse width modulation (PWM) technologies. The contributions of work are the following: (1) A two-dimensional (2D) power switching affine model is constructed without any approximation or averaging. (2) The proposed approach achieves direct switching control of three-phase VSCs, eliminating the need for complex rotation coordinate transformation, PWM, and phase locking loop (PLL), which are utilized in traditional control methods. (3) The rigor of the system stability analysis is enhanced based on the 2D power switching model compared to the existing three-dimensional (3D) current switching model. (4) A simple control structure with only two control parameters is employed to address circuit parameter uncertainties. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method is validated through simulation and experimental comparison results.

Adaptive Hierarchical Fractional-Order Sliding Mode Control Strategy for Multi-terminal VSC-HVDC System with Wind Farm

In this paper, an adaptive hierarchical fractional-order sliding mode controller (AHFSMC) for a multi-terminal Voltage Source Converter (VSC) based High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Integrated with a wind farm (WF) system is designed. Multi-terminal VSC-HVDC (MtVDC) connected to wind farms has received several attentions in the power sector because of its numerous benefits. The effectiveness of MtVDC, on the other hand, is dependent on the control scheme used. To achieve this goal, a hierarchical sliding mode control method by fractional-order calculus is used. The controller parameters are adjusted according to a suitable adaptation method to enhance the proposed controller's robustness compared to the system uncertainties coefficient. An appropriate Lyapunov-based approach is used to achieve the adaptation rule. This paper discusses a scheme to design additional controllers in MtVDC systems to damp electromechanical oscillations, one of several features of HVDC presently under active study. Numerical simulations validate the proposed control strategy's feasibility and efficiency. This novel approach is employed for the upgrading of system stability with the dynamic properties of the MtVDC in a variety of operative conditions.

Stability analysis and improved control of voltage source converters based on impedance models in weak grids

Stability analysis and improved control of voltage source converters based on impedance models in weak grids

EV Integration-Oriented DC Conversion of AC Low-Voltage Distribution Networks and the Associated Adaptive Control Strategy

Driven by carbon-neutral targets and transportation electrification, the widespread use of electric vehicles (EVs) has become an irreversible trend. However, low-voltage distribution networks (LVDNs) can face several challenges under the high-penetration EV integration, including overloads, voltage violations and unbalance issues. In this paper, an EV integration-oriented DC conversion scheme and the associated adaptive control method for LVDNs is proposed, aiming at releasing more capacity for EVs and collaborative improvement of the above issues caused by EV charging. Based on analyzing the influence of different charging piles connected to the AC and DC LVDNs, a DC conversion scheme for three-phase four-wire LVDNs under high-penetration EVs is proposed. The voltage source converter (VSC) control strategies aimed at alleviating the overload of the DTs, voltage violations, and three-phase unbalance are designed separately based on the modified three-phase four-wire voltage sensitivity. Then, a coordinated adaptive control strategy of on-load tap changer and VSCs is proposed considering the simultaneous occurrence of multiple power quality issues in hybrid AC/DC LVDNs. Case study verifies the effectiveness of the proposed DC conversion and adaptive control methods, by which the maximum EV penetration of the hybrid AC/DC LVDN is increased from 85% to 215% compared with the AC LVDN.

Soft-switching dual active bridge converter-based bidirectional on-board charger for electric vehicles under vehicle-to-grid and grid-to-vehicle control optimization

Electric vehicles (EVs) are rapidly replacing conventional fuel vehicles, offering powerful, emission-free performance. This paper introduces an innovative three-phase bidirectional charger for grid-to-vehicle (G2V) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications, strengthening the connection between EVs and the power grid. The charger employs a two-stage power conversion approach with advanced converters and a simplified dq-based charging control strategy. An efficient AC-DC converter facilitates smooth transitions between modes, responding to grid directives for active and reactive power. A soft-switching dual active bridge (SS-DAB) DC-DC converter optimally interfaces with the EV battery pack, while dual active LCL filters suppress harmonics, enhancing system performance. Simulated results confirm the charger’s effectiveness in a 3.5-kW prototype using MATLAB/Simulink. The proposed SS-DAB converter-based bidirectional on-board charger introduces a groundbreaking unified Voltage Source Converter (VSC) control approach, enabling efficient power transfer in both vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and grid-to-vehicle (G2V) modes. This innovation ensures rapid dynamic response, exceptional steady-state performance, and robustness against grid demand changes, optimizing EV integration.

Optimal control of microgrid using ALO optimization MPPT with power quality enhancement

AbstractThe paper presents a normalized, varying step size-based least mean square-based control for a standalone microgrid and Ant Lion optimization-based maximum power point tracking. This modified version of the incremental conductance algorithm addresses issues like slow dynamic response, fixed step size issues, and steady state oscillations. Comparative analysis with well-known techniques shows that Ant Lion optimizes the tracking of maximum power points more accurately, with fewer oscillations and increased efficiency. Power management and power quality are maintained through proposed adaptive voltage source converter control. The proposed voltage control shows better performance under various dynamic and steady conditions.

Multiple Grid-Connected Microgrids with Distributed Generators Energy Sources Voltage Control in Radial Distribution Network Using ANFIS to Enhance Energy Management

Voltage conditions and power quality for customers and utility equipment are significantly impacted by the addition of microgrid-generating sources within distribution networks. Designing the right control for distributed generators for the various generating units of a Microgrid is important in enabling the synchronization of renewable energy generation sources, energy storage unity, and integration of Microgrids into a radial distribution network. This research provides control mechanisms based on an adaptive technique employing ANFIS, to reduce fluctuation of voltage and current difficulties faced when multiple renewable energy sources and storage systems are incorporated into a distribution network. A step-by-step Voltage Source Converter (VSC) Controller was designed for controlling the DC voltage power sources used. The ANFIS training, test system modeling, and the distributed energy source were modeled in MATLAB/SIMULINK 2021a Software. Four microgrids were developed each consisting of a Photovoltaic plant, Wind Turbine, and Battery Storage System. Non-critical and critical loads were considered during the system testing. The simulated result reveals that the proposed control system works effectively in maintaining a constant system voltage of 340VAC which significantly mitigates system voltage and current fluctuation without using any static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) and power system stabilizers.

Piecewise Linear Power Flow Algorithm of DC Distribution Networks Considering Automatic Adjustment of VSC Control Strategy

Voltage source converter (VSC)-based DC distribution networks (DCDNs) can automatically adjust the control strategy of overloaded VSCs to adapt to the variation in renewable energy power, but it brings difficulties to the steady-state performance analysis of DCDNs. This paper presents a piecewise linear power flow (PLPF) algorithm to estimate the joint effect of power disturbance and VSC control strategy adjustment on steady-state performance. Firstly, according to the VSC power balance, the critical point of the VSC hitting the capacity limit is directly determined, and the power variations in each node before VSC control strategy adjustment are obtained. Then, the linear power flow is revised considering the VSC control strategy adjustment. Inversion of the block Jacobian matrix is used to improve the calculation speed of linear power flow revision. Finally, linear power flow calculation is performed in each stage, and the steady-state performance is obtained by using the superposition method. Simulation results show that the proposed PLPF model can estimate the steady-state performance faster and more simply.

Pairing grid-forming VSC filter topologies with voltage control structures

This paper focuses on the voltage control of grid-forming Voltage Source Converters (VSCs) connected to AC networks. The work aims to identify the best pairing between voltage control structures and usual ac filter topologies. The two filter topologies considered are the inductive (L) and the inductive–capacitive (LC) filter. The control structures studied are the Cascaded Control (CC, cascaded voltage and current loop) and the direct Voltage Control (VC, without current loop). To select the best control-filter pair, the following methodology is suggested. First, for each pair, a voltage control parameter sweeping methodology is developed to find suitable designs considering the following limits: minimum bandwidth, maximum converter voltage, point of connection voltage deviation and maximum current. Second, this action is repeated for different filter parameters and network Short-Circuit Ratios (SCRs). Finally, based of the obtained results, the most relevant control-filter pairs can be selected, prioritizing them according to the fulfilment of the defined limits. To conclude, time-domain simulations are carried out to validate pairing selection.

Evaluation of a Passive-Based Controller for Power Monitoring in Networks of High Voltage Transmission Lines in Direct Current with Voltage Source Converters (VSC–HVDC)

In this paper a tracking Passivity--based Control (PBC) for a multiterminal Voltage Source Converter based High Voltage Direct Current Network (VSC--HVDC) is evaluated. First, the system (an actual multiterminal HVDC) described as a Port Hamiltonian (PH) System and the controller are presented and subsequently three scenarios are proposed to evaluate the closed--loop behavior, namely: (i) load changes; (ii) generation changes and, (iii) DC--bus changes. Numerical simulations are carried out and results shown the robustness of the closed--loop to cope with these common disturbances.

Improved vµ-LMS-Controlled Single-Phase Grid Tied PV Powered Electric Vehicle Battery System with High Gain DC-DC Converter and Power Management

The increasing solar photovoltaic (PV) and EV charging applications create power quality issues at utility grid. It requires efficient control thus, in this paper, single-phase grid-tied PV powered electric vehicle battery (EVB) system is proposed with reliable control and power management. The presented work offers efficient EVB charging either from PV power or utility to handle PV impacts on the utility. During peak power demand, the proposed power management offers less burden on utility and allows EVB to feed increased load along with changing PV power. In work, a recent high-gain DC-DC boost converter topology is utilized thereby making smaller household PV arrays in grid-tied mode with DC-AC voltage source converter (VSC). Moreover, a new improved variable step-parameter ‘µ’ least mean square (IvµLMS) adaptive control is proposed and compared for efficient control of VSC with various nonlinear load and PV irradiance variations. The IvµLMS offers good convergence, less burden on controller and improved dynamic responses under various conditions. As per IEEE-519 standard, the PV power is fetched to grid at unity power factor (UPF) with low total harmonic distortion (THD). The proposed grid tied EVB system, and its controls are modelled in MATLAB/Simulink environment and test results are analyzed and validated on a laboratory prototype.

Robust Adaptive Active Islanding Detection With $\alpha$-Axis Disturbance Injection Under High Impedance Fault, Unbalanced Loading, and Phase Failure in Grid Tied PV System

Power generation with photovoltaic technology is growing expeditiously. With the high penetration of solar-based generation, a concern of islanding detection is always by the distributors due to grid side faults and abnormality. It is the demand of the situation to equip the PV-connected inverter with an islanding detection mechanism to avoid any catastrophe. In the present work, an active islanding detection technique utilizing a smaller magnitude current injection through <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha$</tex-math></inline-formula> -axis current controller of grid side voltage source converter (VSC) is proposed. Due to injection of current through VSC, point of common coupling (PCC) voltage is having different harmonic component in the grid connected and islanded mode. In the proposed detection method, the sensed PCC voltage is used to derive the three signals i.e. AVVM(absolute <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$v_{mag}$</tex-math></inline-formula> variation mean), AMSVV(absolute mean of square variation of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$v_{mag}$</tex-math></inline-formula> ), & FAVVM(Frequency of absolute <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$v_{mag}$</tex-math></inline-formula> variation mean). These three derived signals is used to take the decision for islanding detection. Further, Complex Co-efficient Filter-Second Order Frequency Locked Loop (CCF-SOFLL) is proposed for three phase grid synchronization and frequency estimation. The proposed Strategy is tested under high impedance fault, phase failure and unbalanced loading conditions. It is found that the proposed work clearly differentiates the islanding and faults condition. The Non- detection zone (NDZ) of the proposed strategy is verified under different quality factors ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Q_{f}$</tex-math></inline-formula> ) of the load. To evaluate the effectiveness of the suggested strategy, MATLAB Simulation and experimental validation is performed. The obtained islanding detection time is within the IEEE-1547 standard.

An Improved FCS-MPC Strategy for Low-Frequency Oscillation Stabilization of PV-Based Microgrids

With the rapid promotion of photovoltaic (PV) power generation, the local consumption of distributed PV power generation at medium and low voltage levels widely forms PV-based microgrids. The continuous increase in the penetration rate of uncertain PV power generation requires it to actively participate in the frequency and voltage regulation of weak microgrid systems. Finite control set-model predictive control (FCS-MPC) for voltage source converter (VSC) shows remarkable advantages in fast dynamic response and robustness compared with traditional cascaded linear control methods. However, the traditional FCS-MPC method for VSC without considering the DC-link voltage dynamic of the PV generator will face oscillations of power and frequency in PV-based microgrids. In this paper, to suppress the low-frequency oscillation issue caused by PV generations, an improved FCS-MPC (I-FCS-MPC) strategy considering the DC-link dynamics of PV generation is proposed, in which the AC side and DC side of the VSC are comprehensively considered to enhance the dynamic performance of the PV-based microgrids. Moreover, a DC-link voltage regulation mechanism is introduced, enabling the PV generators to operate in the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) mode. Finally, experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy comprehensively.

Design of auto‐tuning‐based adaptive controllers for voltage source converters with inductive loads

AbstractThis paper presents an auto‐tuning method for dc‐ac voltage source converters (VSCs) with an inductive load that is based on the modified relay feedback test (MRFT). Controllers tuned by the proposed method can produce near‐optimal dynamic performance for dc–ac VSCs without requiring knowledge of the plant's parameters. The controller consists of a PID cascaded with a digital notch filter. The tuning involves two steps. In the first step, the MRFT is used to tune the digital notch filter to compensate for the LCL resonance resulting from the LC filter's interaction with the inductive load. In the second step, one more MRFT is used to tune the PID controller using optimal tuning rules that are derived in advance (offline). The proposed optimal for the class of the dc–ac VSCs tuning rules can guarantee a specified phase margin and near optimal transient performance for any randomly picked VSC. The performance of the proposed tuning of the PID + notch filter is verified by simulations and experiments. The dynamic response of the auto‐tuned controller compares well to the response of a theoretically optimal but non‐auto‐tuned PID + notch filter designed using the full knowledge of the LC filter and the load.

Control of Grid-Forming VSCs: A Perspective of Adaptive Fast/Slow Internal Voltage Source

Grid-forming (GFM) capability requirements are increasingly imposed on grid-connected voltage-source converters (VSCs). Under large grid disturbances, GFM-VSCs need to remain stable while providing GFM services. Yet, such objectives, as pointed out in this paper, inherently lead to conflicting requirements on the dynamics of internal voltage source (IVS) of GFM-VSCs, i.e., the fast IVS dynamics is needed to avoid the loss of synchronism with the grid, whereas the slow IVS dynamics is preferred for maintaining GFM capability. To tackle this challenge, an adaptive fast/slow IVS control is proposed, which switches GFM-VSC between fast and slow IVS dynamics based on system needs. The proposed method enhances the transient stability of GFM-VSC, whilst maximizing its capability of providing GFM service. Further, the approach is robust to different grid strengths and different types of grid disturbances. The experimental results verify the theoretical findings and the effectiveness of the proposed control method.

Large-signal Stability Analysis of Grid-connected DC Microgrid with VSC

The grid-connected DC microgrid under the background of high penetrations of renewable energy sources and high penetrations of inverter-interfaced devices has the characteristics of strong nonlinearity and poor immunity, which leads to the problems of large-scale voltage fluctuation and instability when the grid-connected DC microgrid suffers large disturbances, and it seriously influences the security and stable operation of the system. Therefore, a large disturbance stability criterion which is based on the mixed potential theory (MPT) for the DC microgrid model with a grid-connected voltage-source converter (VSC) is proposed. This paper also analyzes the mechanism of the conservatism of the stability criterion, verifies the accuracy of the large disturbance stability standard, and analyses the influencing elements and basic mechanism of the large-signal stability (LSS) of the nonlinear systems, which provides a benchmark to design the parameters of the control of VSC and main circuit. Finally, the effectiveness and accuracy of the analysis are verified by electromagnetic transient simulation.

VSC control strategy for HVDC compensating harmonic components

This paper proposes a voltage source converter (VSC) control strategy for the high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems compensating the harmonic components. For VSC-HVDC AC system accounted for a relatively large share of the 5th, 7th, 11th, 13th and other low harmonics. A selective harmonic current control strategy based on vector proportional integral (VPI) regulator in dq coordinate system is proposed on the basis of PI control. In which, PI is used to control the DC component of the current error, while VPI is used to suppress the multiplicative fluctuations of the current error. Unlike the proportional-integral resonant (PIR) regulator, the VPI contains a second-order numerator that achieves the ideal 0° phase delay of the closed-loop transfer function of the control system at the set resonant frequency point, so its control accuracy for harmonic currents is better than that of the PIR. A two-terminal VSC-HVDC system is built using Simulink software, and current compensation simulations are performed for three control methods: conventional PI, PIR and PI parallel VPI schemes. The superior harmonic suppression performance of VPI is verified by comparing the harmonic content.

Adaptive fault ride through control of VSM Grid-forming converters

Recently, many high voltage direct current (HVdc) transmission lines are being constructed with the intention of becoming “backbones” of future power grids. Grid-forming (GFM) controlled Voltage Source Converters (VSCs) are anticipated to provide significant stability advantages compared with Grid-following (GFL) VSCs in HVdc converters connected to weak ac grids or to grids with high penetration of renewable inverter-based resources (IBRs). This paper proposes an adaptive fault ride through controller for Virtual Synchronous Machine (VSM) GFM control, which has significantly improved fault ride through capability over the more conventional GFM control with cascaded or switchable current limiting. The performance of the proposed adaptive control is investigated using Electromagnetic Transient (EMT) simulation. The results show that the proposed adaptive control has superior post disturbance recovery from ac faults as well as phase angle shifts, and overcomes the instability reported in GFM converters connected to strong ac networks.

Control for Grid-Connected VSC With Improved Damping Based on Physics-Informed Neural Network

The rapid penetration of renewable energy sources into the power system makes the grid-connected voltage source converter (VSC) highly dynamic and uncertain. This necessitates designing new adaptive control for VSCs to ensure satisfactory system performance, reliability, and stability. This paper introduces a physics-informed artificial neural network (ANN) controller for the grid-connected VSC to improve the system performance and dampen the voltage oscillation due to the sudden change in power demand. The employed ANN structure is a feed-forward multilayer Neural Network trained offline by the Levenberg-Marquardt-based backpropagation algorithm. Results are presented for different dynamic scenarios to show the satisfactory operation of the proposed controller. The small-signal stability analysis is presented to validate the system's stability. Further, the performance of the proposed ANN controller is compared with the widely-used PI-controller and model predictive controller. The results prove that the proposed controller has a better dynamic performance in damping the voltage oscillation.