Floating Capacitor Voltage Research Articles

Long-Horizon Sequential FCS-MPC Approaches for Modular Multilevel Matrix Converters

The Modular multilevel matrix converter (M3C) is a direct ac-ac power converter that presents several features such as scalable and flexible structure, high efficiency, fault-tolerant capability, and high power quality. However, this converter requires a complex control strategy to govern the cluster currents and balance the internal floating capacitor voltages among clusters and cells. To fulfill these requirements, this work proposes a long-horizon sequential finite-control-set model predictive control (sFCS-MPC). The resulting predictive strategy is formulated to perform both the local cell balancing control and to regulate cluster currents of the M3C in a unified control algorithm, considering the nonlinear and coupled dynamic model of each cluster. Additionally, the total available combinations and the average cell switching frequency are reduced. The proposed sFCS-MPC is implanted for a prediction horizon from one to four, and compared with some previous FCS-MPC approaches. Experimental results on a 3 kW prototype are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and high-quality performance of the proposed strategy.

A Variable Speed Induction Motor Drive With 24-Stepped Voltage Waveform Throughout Modulation Range

Multi-level inverters produce low order harmonics in over-modulation region, which can be eliminated by generating polygonal space vector structure. A variable speed induction motor drive to generate 24-stepped voltage waveform throughout modulation range is proposed in this article. An open-end winding configuration induction motor (OEIM) is fed with primary and secondary inverter from both the ends of OEIM and generates a 24-stepped phase voltage. The proposed scheme also produces 96-stepped phase voltage waveform at extreme modulation index with highly suppressed higher order harmonics and excellent quality phase voltage. The motor terminal sees a 24-stepped waveform at all speeds, devoid of low order harmonics up to <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$19^{th}$</tex-math></inline-formula> order. The scheme does not require vector timing calculation due to availability of highly dense 24-sided polygonal structure. Primary and secondary inverters are derived by cascading flying capacitor and CHB cells. Experimental verifications are performed on in-house developed laboratory prototype. Motor phase voltage and phase current waveforms during steady state and transient conditions justifies performance of the proposed scheme. Dynamic performance and floating capacitors voltage balancing method are verified by experimental results.

Experimental Assessment of a Decentralized Control Strategy for a Back-to-Back Modular Multilevel Converter Operating in Low-Frequency AC Transmission

The Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) has been widely used in high-power applications owing to its inherent advantages, including scalability, modularity, high-power density, and fault tolerance. MMCs have recently been used in Low-Frequency Alternating Current (LFAC) transmission, particularly in the integration of offshore wind power with onshore grids. However, LFAC applications produce significant voltage oscillations in floating capacitor voltages within the MMC. Early research efforts have successfully established and validated decoupled control strategies for LFAC-based MMC systems. However, validations are usually based on simulations or small-scale prototypes equipped with limited power cells. Consequently, this paper presents a decentralized voltage control strategy based on Nearest Level Control for an MMC-based LFAC system. Experimental results obtained with a 120-cell MMC prototype are presented to validate the effectiveness and operation of the MMC in LFAC applications.

Switch Short-Circuit Fault-Tolerant Control of Five-Phase Open-Winding Motor Drive With a Floating Capacitor

This paper proposes a switch short-circuit (SC) fault-tolerant control (FTC) method for the open-winding topology with a floating capacitor, where the main inverter is supplied by a DC source, and the floating inverter is merely supplied by a capacitor. The SC faults are divided into two types and analyzed in detail. For the fault of Type I, the proposed reconfiguration strategy can isolate the faulty device to ensure stable operation. For the fault of Type II, the control of zero-axis voltage in the topology is introduced to replace the control of the faulty bridge. Besides, the fault-tolerant power smoothing strategy is applied to suppress the low-frequency ripples of the floating capacitor voltage and input current from the DC source, which further improves the torque quality. Compared with the previous method, the proposed FTC method does not require additional hardware costs to convert the short-circuit to an open-circuit. Meanwhile, the motor can still give out rated torque even after the fault. The performance of the proposed FTC method is verified experimentally in an open-winding five-phase induction machine system.

A Novel Two-Mode Inverter-Based Open-Winding PMSM Drive and Its Modulation Strategies

A novel two-mode inverter based open-winding permanent magnet synchronous motor (OW-PMSM) drive is proposed in this article. The proposed drive operates in hybrid-inverter mode at low and medium speed to achieve high power quality. The common-DC-bus mode is adopted at high speed to fulfill a wider speed range than hybrid-inverter mode. Based on the proposed drive, a modulation strategy for any voltage ratio is proposed, which integrates the instantaneous floating capacitor (FC) voltage into modulation to synthesize the reference voltage vector. The proposed modulation strategy can not only guarantee the FC voltage regulation but also start the drive when the FC voltage is zero and switch the mode of the drive smoothly. Besides, the excellent fault-tolerant capability of the proposed drive is studied under open-phase and switch faults. In the proposed fault-tolerant control, a sinusoidal zero-sequence current is injected to tolerate the open-phase fault in the common-DC-bus mode and redundant switching combinations are used to tolerate switch faults in the hybrid-inverter mode. All the claimed advantages have been validated by experimental results.

Five-Level Switched-Capacitor ANPC Inverter With Output Voltage Boosting Capability

This article proposes a three-phase five-level switched-capacitor active neutral point clamped converter, which can be characterized by voltage boost ability, low-voltage stress across semiconductor devices, and balance of floating capacitor voltage without any auxiliary circuits and/or sensors. Operating principles and modulation scheme of the proposed converter, as well as a comparative analysis with similar topologies are included. Simulation and experimental results for a three-phase prototype are given to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed five-level converter.

A Phase-Disposition PWM-Enabled Model Predictive Control for a Nine-Level Inner-Interleaved Hybrid Multilevel Converter

This article brings forward a phase-disposition pulsewidth modulation-enabled model predictive control (PDPWM-MPC) for a nine-level inner-interleaved hybrid multilevel converter (9L-IHMC). First, three layers of virtual space vector diagrams (VSVDs) are established based on the sign patterns of the original and virtual reference vectors in the abc-frame to achieve the phase-disposition pulsewidth modulation (PD-PWM) in a nonindependent three-phase way. Then, three adjacent virtual vectors in the third-layer VSVD, together with their optimized duty cycles, are applied to guarantee the optimal current tracking. Finally, through the use of the duty-cycle alternation approach, dc-link and floating capacitors voltages are balanced and circulating currents are mitigated as well. The proposed PDPWM-MPC can not only enable the decoupling of the low- and high-frequency stages in the 9L-IHMC but also reduce both output current ripples and computational burden. In addition, it can achieve a constant equivalent switching frequency and address the disproportion of power losses associated with the PD-PWM. Both simulations and experiments on a silicon carbide device-based prototype substantiate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.

SVPWM for Five-Level Active Neutral-Point-Clamped Converter Based on Multispace Voltage Vector Mapping and Midpoint-Voltage Self-Balancing Strategy

This article proposes a space vector pulsewidth modulation using space voltage vector mapping and the midpoint-voltage self-balancing strategy to overcome the shortcomings of the existing active neutral-point-clamped five-level inverter modulation. Through multispace mapping, the five-level topology is converted into multiple two-level topologies for calculation. It greatly simplifies the computational burden. By adopting the midpoint-voltage self-balancing strategy, the midpoint-voltage self-balance is achieved, since the switching sequence of different sectors compensates each other for balancing the midpoint voltage. Therefore, this algorithm realizes that there is no or only a minimum number of switch tube actions when the reference voltage vector swaps different sectors. It reduces the switching loss and effectively avoids equipment damage caused by the simultaneous switching of multiphase switches. In addition, it also realizes the floating-capacitor voltage control by reasonably distributing the redundant switch states. Simulations and experiments verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

A Fast Model Predictive Control Method for a Single DC Source Driven Dual Inverter Fed Open-end Winding Induction Motor Drive

Multi-level inversion can be obtained from a dual two-level inverter fed open-end winding induction motor (OEWIM) powered from a single dc power supply and a floating capacitor. In this paper, two new model predictive control (MPC) variants are proposed for this drive by simple use of a voltage-based control approach in place of current-based control to reduce the number of computations in the digital controller. With both the proposed MPC variants, the floating capacitor voltage is initialized and is tightly regulated. Improved computational efficiencies are accomplished with both the proposed MPC variants, and superior performance of the drive is obtained with reduced sampling time achievable by exploiting the reduced computational burden. Performance of the entire drive system is demonstrated over a wide motor speed range by extending into field weakening operation also. Besides tight capacitor voltage regulation, the rugged performance of the proposed MPC variants under speed and load changes is demonstrated through simulations and are experimentally validated. Faster execution times owing to a dramatic reduction in computations, compared to some of the existing control methods, superior current and motor torque characteristics of OEWIM are also showcased in support of the proposed MPC variants.

A Hybrid Model Predictive Control With Integrated Phase-Disposition and Phase-Shifted PWM for an Inner-Interleaved Hybrid Multilevel Converter

This article puts forward a hybrid model predictive control (H-MPC) for an inner-interleaved hybrid multilevel converter (IHMC). The sign patterns of the original and shifted reference vectors in the original and virtual space vector diagrams (VSVDs) are used, respectively, to realize the phase-disposition pulsewidth modulation (PWM) and determine the low-frequency switching states. Then, the three adjacent vectors are selected in the second-layer VSVD and the optimal current tracking is safeguarded by the duty cycle optimization of the three adjacent vectors. Finally, through applying the phase-shifted PWM to the two interleaved legs, a constant and doubled equivalent switching frequency can be achieved, which further paves the way for dc-link and floating capacitor voltages balancing and circulating current mitigation with the use of the straightforward duty cycle adjustments. The proposed H-MPC enables the decoupling of the low- and high-frequency stages in the IHMC and also reduces both output current ripples and computational burden while achieving a constant switching frequency simultaneously. Comprehensive simulation and experimental studies on an all silicon carbide prototype verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.

Single-Phase Boost Switched-Capacitor-Based Multilevel Inverter Topology With Reduced Switching Devices

A multilevel inverter (MLI) with a step-up feature has become significant for connecting a low-voltage PV system with a utility grid. An MLI has been presented in this article with a lower component count. The described structure has achieved nine distinguish voltage levels using 12 switches and a switched capacitor unit having twice voltage boost. A self-balancing of the floating capacitor voltage without any auxiliary circuits and precharging has been obtained. The new topology includes fewer switches, reduced voltage stress, and an inherent reversing polarity without the back-end H-bridge, which has been the additional feature of the proposed circuitry. The topology proposed has been controlled with the nearest level control pulsewidth control technique (NLC-PWM). A comprehensive comparative analysis with several similar topologies has been presented in this article to show the merits of the recommended topology. A number of simulation results using PLECS software have been discussed along with experimental results that have been obtained from a laboratory prototype. The validation of the proposed topology has been carried out using different steady-steady and transient operating conditions.

A Single-Phase Transformerless Nine-Level Inverter and Its Control Strategy

To reduce the device number per unit level of the existing nine-level inverters, a topology of single-phase transformerless nine-level inverter was proposed. The proposed topology consists of only 10 switching devices and 4 capacitors. Firstly, the working principle of the proposed topology was analyzed in detail, and the comparison with conventional nine-level topologies in terms of device switching loss and conduction loss was presented. Then, combined with one-dimensional space vector modulation, a floating capacitor voltage estimation method was presented by the analysis of the operation mode before the arrival of redundant switching state. On this basis, a floating capacitor voltage sensorless control scheme was proposed, to achieve the balance of the floating capacitor voltages. Finally, simulations and experiments verified the effectiveness and correctness of the proposed topology and floating capacitor voltage sensorless control method.

Voltage-Balancing Control in Stacked Multicell Converter Based on Single Space-Vector Modulation

This article introduces voltage-balancing control methods in stacked multicell converters based on single space-vector modulation. Two different control strategies for capacitors voltage are presented. The basic vectors with the smallest common-mode voltage are chosen to accomplish the voltage-balancing control. The nearest vector is selected for the first proposed method, and the appropriate switch combinations of each phase are determined by the cost function of floating-capacitor voltages and neutral point (NP) voltage. For the second proposed method, we consider sacrificing a little current performance to provide more possibility of switching state selection. The switching state of each phase is determined according to the voltage-balancing control of floating capacitors, and the optimal switching state with the smallest NP voltage is selected from the two nearest adjacent basic vectors. Experimental results compared with the existing space vector pulsewidth modulation method are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

A new seven level boost-type ANPC inverter topology for photovoltaic applications

Developing of new photovoltaic inverter topologies is received more attention in the last few years. In particular, designing an active neutral-point-clamping inverter type structure is quite popular for PV applications. The output voltage is always half of the input voltage (vin), which further increases the voltage rating of dc-link capacitors in the conventional three-level ANPC. To rectify the above problem and increase the output voltage by reducing dc-link capacitors voltage rating, a new boost type seven-level ANPC inverter topology is proposed. The proposed topology consists of seven switches and one floating capacitor. The floating capacitor voltage is self-balanced, and the output voltage is 1.5 times higher than the input voltage. A detailed comparison for some power components, power loss and cost with other existing topologies are presented. Further, the proposed topology is validated in a prototype hardware setup for different load values.

Vector decomposition and model predictive control based hybrid PWM algorithm for 5L-ANPC inverter

ABSTRACT This paper proposes a novel modulation algorithm based on vector decomposition and model predictive control for 5-level active neutral-point-clamped (5 L-ANPC) inverter. Firstly, the control of 5-level inverter is transformed into that of 3-level inverter by vector decomposition, which reduces the control complexity. Secondly, based on the framework of 3-level inverter, the optimal zero sequence voltage and switch state sequence are selected by multi-objective optimisation of model predictive control to balance the neutral point voltage and floating capacitors voltages simultaneously. Finally, according to the optimal choice, single-carrier comparison is used to generate the drive signal, which does not require traditional dual-carrier or vector synthesis, and is relatively easy to implement. Experimental results verify the validity of the method.

Modular Multilevel Converters: Recent Achievements and Challenges

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) is currently one of the power converter topologies which has attracted more research and development worldwide. Its features, such as high quality of voltages and currents, high modularity and high voltage rating, have made the MMC a very good option for several applications including high-voltage dc (HVdc) transmission, static compensators (STATCOMs), and motor drives. However, its unique features such as the large number of submodules, floating capacitor voltages, and circulating currents require a dedicated control system able to manage the terminal variables, as well as the internal variables with high dynamical performance. In this paper, a review of the research and development achieved during the last years on MMCs is shown, focusing on the challenges and proposed solutions for this power converter still faces in terms of modeling, control, reliability, power topologies, and new applications.

Seven Level T-Type Switched Capacitor Inverter Topology for PV Applications

The conventional neutral point clamped (NPC) multilevel inverter topology needs voltage balancing circuits to balance the dc-link capacitor, the number of component count is high and output voltage is half of the input voltage which increase the size of the source side dc/dc converter in PV applications. In this paper, a new topology of seven level neutral point clamped inverter is developed. The proposed inverter has a self-voltage boosting capability using a floating capacitor to boost the output voltage one and half of the input voltage. In this proposed topology, no additional sensors are required for the floating capacitor voltage stability, which results in minimizing the complexity of designing the inverter. The direct link between the neutral point and the mid-point of the dc-link capacitors significantly reduces the leakage current and common mode voltage in this inverter. A thorough comparison between the developed topology and recent suggested topologies is carried out which set the benchmark for the proposed one due to its lower switch count and higher voltage gain. The proposed topology is verified in simulation and prototype hardware model and results are discussed with dynamic load variations. The efficiency of the inverter is 97.1% @200W and low as 88.1 % @ inductive load. The voltage THD is 17.01% for simulation and 19.3% I for experimental is results.

Unidirectional Asymmetric Hybrid Nine-Leg Rectifier With Floating H-Bridge Capacitors

This article proposes a unidirectional cascaded topology of a power rectifier. It is composed of a three-leg cell with half-controlled legs series connected with one H-bridge cell per phase. The dc links of the H-bridge cells operate with floating capacitors. The floating capacitor voltages regulation is solved by means of the common-mode voltage manipulation. Control and pulsewidth modulation strategies are presented to regulate the capacitor voltages and grid currents. The design of passive elements is also shown. The topology has its harmonic distortion content, semiconductor losses, and average switching frequency values compared to those of conventional solutions. Experimental results validate the proposed topology and strategy.

A Hybrid Binary-Cascaded Multilevel Inverter With Simple Floating-Capacitor-Voltage Control

This article presents a single-sourced hybrid binary-cascaded multilevel inverter (BCMLI) with front-end high-frequency-link (HFL) converters. The purpose of HFL converters is to boost a dc-source voltage to three bus voltages in a binary ratio. In this article, one of the HFL converters is removed from the system and the voltage of the floating capacitor caused by the removal is controlled by a newly proposed floating-capacitor-voltage (FCV) control. Compared with the conventional BCMLI, the system size and cost can be significantly reduced while maintaining promising features, including 15-level output, high voltage gain, galvanic isolation, and reactive-power capability remain unchanged. The proposed FCV control utilizes one of the switching angles at the voltage-level transitions as the control variable in a single-loop design, which facilitates control simplicity in the proposed system. The hybrid BCMLI with the proposed FCV control shows relative advantages of voltage gain, isolation capability, reactive supply, and simple control system over the state-of-the-art hybrid inverter topologies with FCV control methods. The details of the hybrid BCMLI, modulation schemes, proposed FCV control design, and comparative assessment are included in this article. In order to validate the proposed system and FCV control, a set of experiments with a 1-kW BCMLI prototype has been conducted for wide-range load levels and power factors.

Capacitor Voltage Balancing for Single-Phase Asymmetric Cascaded H-Bridge Inverters

This article presents an analysis of conventional single-phase cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverters composed of two and three cells. The dc-link can be a dc source or a floating capacitor. Two methods are given to regulate the floating capacitor voltage. In this way, according to the capacitor voltage balancing method used, operating regions and power distribution on the floating capacitor are presented for different dc-link voltage ratios and several ranges of modulation index and load power factor. A mathematical analysis is done in order to demonstrate the influence of the modulation index and load power factor over the power distribution. Finally, simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the theoretical considerations.