Grid Side Converter Research Articles

A high robust control scheme of grid‐side converter for DFIG system

AbstractIn this study, a high robust control—second‐order sliding‐mode control (SOSMC) scheme is proposed to improve the DC‐link voltage dynamic performance of the grid‐side converter (GSC) for the doubly‐fed induction generator (DFIG) system under the wind turbine power disturbance and DC‐link capacitance parameter disturbance. In general, the wind speed is change with the environment and further has an effect on the power generation of the DFIG system. Besides, the capacitance of DC‐link capacitor may change with the working condition. To address this issue, a SOSMC scheme is proposed to replace the conventional proportional integral (PI) control for the DC‐link voltage controller of the GSC for the DFIG system in this study. By using the non‐linear SOSMC controller, the DFIG system is robust to the disturbance of the wind speed and the parameter of DC‐link capacitance. Compared with the conventional PI control scheme, the DFIG system with the proposed SOSMC scheme is much more robust, which has been verified in the MATLAB/Simulink platform.

Modeling of Liquefied Natural Gas Cold Power Generation for Access to the Distribution Grid

Cold energy generation is an important part of liquefied natural gas (LNG) cold energy cascade utilization, and existing studies lack a specific descriptive model for LNG cold energy transmission to the AC subgrid. Therefore, this paper proposes a descriptive model for the grid-connected process of cold energy generation at LNG stations. First, the expansion kinetic energy transfer of the intermediate work mass is derived and analyzed in the LNG unipolar Rankine cycle structure, the mathematical relationship between the turbine output mechanical power and the variation in the work mass flow rate and pressure is established, and the variations in the LNG heat exchanger temperature difference, seawater flow rate, and the turbine temperature difference in the cycle system are investigated. Secondly, based on the fifth-order equation of state of the synchronous generator, the expressions of its electromagnetic power, output AC frequency, and voltage were analyzed. Finally, the average equivalent models of the machine-side and grid-side converters are established using a direct-fed grid-connected structure, thus forming a descriptive model of the overall drive process. The ORC model is built in Aspen HYSIS to obtain the time series expression of the torque output of the turbine; based on the ORC output torque, the permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMGSG) as well as the direct-fed grid-connected structure are built in MATLAB/Simulink, and the active power and current outputs of the grid-following-type voltage vector control method and the grid-forming-type power-angle synchronous control method are also verified.

A Parameter-Adaptive Method for Primary Frequency Regulation of Grid-Forming Direct-Drive Wind Turbines

When wind turbines contribute to system frequency support using virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control, conventional VSG methods often fall short of meeting operational demands, particularly in terms of inertia and frequency support. In this study, considering both the frequency regulation and dynamic performance of VSG, a novel parameter design method that enhances frequency modulation capabilities is proposed in this paper. Initially, VSG control is integrated into the grid-side converter of a direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous generator (D-DPMSG) wind turbine. A small-signal model of the D-DPMSG-VSG active power is then formulated to analyze how the moment of inertia and damping coefficient impact system stability. Subsequently, ensuring that system parameter constraints are met, the key parameters of VSG are adaptively designed to dynamically adjust the system’s frequency and output power during transient responses. Finally, simulation results based on D-DPMSG-VSG in MATLAB/Simulink validated the feasibility, effectiveness, and advantages of the proposed parameter-adaptive VSG control strategy for enhancing the frequency modulation (FM) performance of wind turbines.

Tracking performance and power quality enhancement of DFIG based wind turbine using robust integral terminal sliding mode control

The aim of this work is to develop a robust Integral Terminal Sliding Mode Control (ITSMC) strategy for a Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) wind turbine (WT) operating in challenging conditions. This controller is designed to manage the system's rotor side converter (RSC) and grid side converter (GSC), ensuring maximum power production, improved power quality, and accurate tracking of system state variables, even in the face of fluctuating wind conditions, parameter uncertainties, and external disturbances. The stability of the proposed controller is assured using the Lyapunov theory. The performance of ITSMC is compared with that of the conventional sliding mode controller (SMC) and backstepping controller through simulation tests, using the integral absolute error (IAE) as a performance metric. The results highlight the superiority of ITSMC, demonstrating its ability to precisely track reference values, eliminate static errors, and minimize chattering. ITSMC consistently achieves the lowest IAE for all tracked state variables and across all test scenarios. A comparative study analyzing the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of the proposed controller versus SMC, the backstepping controller, and other similar works in the literature shows a marked improvement in the THD of stator and filter currents by at least 24.53 % and 7.96 %, respectively. These findings underscore the controller's capability to enhance the power quality delivered to the grid.

Improved Control Strategy for Dual-PWM Converter Based on Equivalent Input Disturbance

Aiming at the problems of jittering waveforms and poor power quality caused by external disturbances during the operation of a dual-pulse-width-modulation (PWM) converter, an improved terminal sliding mode control and an improved active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) are investigated. The method is based on mathematical models of grid-side and machine-side converters to design the controllers separately, and the balance between the two sides is maintained by the capacitor voltage. An improved terminal fuzzy sliding mode control and equivalent input disturbance (EID)-error-estimation-based active disturbance rejection control are presented on the grid side to improve the voltage response rate, and an improved support vector modulation (SVM)–direct torque control (DTC)–ADRC method is developed on the motor side to improve the robustness against disturbances. Finally, theoretical simulation experiments are built in MATLAB R2023a/Simulink to verify the effectiveness and superiority of this method.

Non‐linear coordinated control of LPMG‐based direct drive wave energy conversion system with supplementary energy storage system based on feedback linearization

AbstractThe linear permanent magnet generator (LPMG)‐based direct drive wave energy conversion system (DDWECS) works under perpetual fluctuations of ocean waves. Short‐term energy storage, such as electrochemical energy storage, is usually adopted in a supplementary energy storage system (SESS) to buffer power fluctuations. Since the investigated DDWECS consists of various non‐linear components such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs)‐based power electronic converters, the unremitting changes of system working conditions caused by ocean wave effects will degrade the dynamic performance with conventional linear controllers which are implemented via local linearization around a single working condition. This paper proposes the multiple feedback linearization based non‐linear coordinated control (MFLNCC) scheme for coordinating non‐linear plants in DDWECS with SESS such as the machine‐side converter (MSC), the grid‐side converter (GSC) and DC/DC converter in SESS. The enhanced dynamic performance of the proposed MFLNCC in DDWECS with SESS is validated under different scenarios.

An Improved Collaborative Control Scheme to Resist Grid Voltage Unbalance for BDFG-Based Wind Turbine

This article presents an improved collaborative control to resist grid voltage unbalance for brushless doubly fed generator (BDFG)-based wind turbine (BDFGWT). The mathematical model of grid-connected BDFG including machine side converter (MSC) and grid side converter (GSC) in the αβ reference frame during unbalanced grid voltage condition is established. On this base, the improved collaborative control between MSC and GSC is presented. Under the control, the control objective of the whole BDFGWT system, including canceling the pulsations of electromagnetic torque and the unbalance of BDFGWT’s total currents, pulsations of BDFGWT’s total powers are capable of being realized; therefore, the control capability of BDFGWT to resist unbalanced grid voltage is greatly improved. Moreover, improved single-loop current controllers adopting PR regulators are proposed for both MSC and GSC where the sequence extractions for both MSC and GSC currents are not needed any more, and hence the proposed control is much simpler. In addition, the transient characteristics are also improved. Moreover, in order to achieve the decoupling control of current and average power, current controller also adopts the feedforward control approach. Case studies for a two MW BDFGWT system are implemented, and the results verify that the presented control is capable of effectively improving the control capability for BDFGWT to resist grid voltage unbalance and exhibit good stable and dynamic control performances.

Synergistic frameworks for sensor fault isolation and accommodation in grid-side converters

The stable and reliable operation of grid-integrated renewable energy systems requires advanced control and coordination of grid-side converters (GSCs), utilizing the feedback measurements of voltage and current sensors from both the direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) sides of the converter. However, the effective operation of the converter is susceptible to sensor failures or divergence from their proper operation. Although sensor fault detection algorithms are usually effective under abrupt faults, the fault propagation effect caused by the physical interconnection between the DC and AC sides of the converter may limit the performance of the sensor fault isolation process in revealing the exact location of a potential faulty sensor. Therefore, this work proposes a robust, model-based fault isolation and accommodation scheme. Specifically, a synergistic sensor fault isolation framework based on adaptive estimation schemes is proposed for both single and multiple faults in the DC voltage and AC current sensors, considering modeling uncertainty and measurement noise. The performance analysis in terms of stability, learning capability, and fault isolability is rigorously examined. An accommodation scheme based on a virtual sensor utilizing dynamic sensor fault estimation with real-time learning capabilities is applied to a GSC. Finally, the performance of the proposed fault isolation and accommodation scheme is evaluated through simulation analysis under several scenarios involving single and multiple sensor faults.

Experimental investigation of predictive control for PMSM-based wind turbine generation system

The theoretical analysis of permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM)-based wind turbine generation system was presented by many researchers; nevertheless, although the practical setup is still quite difficult, it is more valid. Moreover, the main challenge facing wind power systems is figuring out how to extract the most energy from varying wind speeds. Since wind turbine maintenance is hard and expensive, using wind speed sensors is a challenging operation. Therefore, this research suggests an effective and practical control system based on the Model Predictive Control Scheme (MPCS) for both the grid-side converter (GSC) and the machine-side converter (MSC) to optimize power extraction from wind energy. Detailed exploration of the MPCS for the PMSM and predictive power control (PPC) for the GSC involves stages such as flux estimation, torque prediction, and cost function minimization. The results obtained validate the higher performance of MPCS in comparison to the direct torque control (DTC) method. Furthermore, excellent tracking with high accuracy is achieved in relation to simulation and experimental data. Additionally, an evaluation indices based on root mean square error (RMSE) and gross system efficiency are used for wind turbine performance. These indices are used to show that, the feasibility of the MPCS approach compared with DTC under the same WT conditions. This approach offers a promising avenue for cost-effective wind energy conversion. The control systems were designed and implemented utilizing a DSPACE 1104 card. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed mechanism in achieving maximum power point tracking (MPPT).

A review of single stage and multistage power converters for doubly fed induction generator integrated with power grid

The doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) is the most popular induction generator for onshore wind energy conversion system (WECS). Therefore, the purpose of research is to optimize power transfer from DFIG to power grid which requires frequency and voltage stability in power converters. Hence, the single-stage and multistage power converter topologies associated with grid-integrated DFIG are thoroughly examined in this work. In the single stage, a matrix converter and cycloconverter are used. Whereas, the multistage topologies include two-level back-to-back (2L-B2B) converter, Z-source converter, and multilevel converters. Furthermore, three-level neutral point clamped (3L-NPC) voltage source converters with battery energy storage systems (BESS) and modified superconducting fractional order terminal sliding mode controllers (MSTFOTSMC) have been used with multilevel converter both at rotor side converter (RSC) and grid side converter (GSC) for stabilized generated voltage and higher power output. The MATLAB simulation results demonstrate that the system effectively controls fluctuations in voltage and current thereby improving the power quality in unbalanced situations.

Design and Implementation of Crowbar and STATCOM for Enhanced Stability of Grid-Tied Doubly Fed Induction Wind Generators

These days, one of the most used layouts in the wind power industry is a variable-speed doubly-fed induction wind generator (DFIWG). For providing active power (P) and reactive power (Q) control during grid failures, this research examines the DFIWG. The system's transient behavior is examined under normal and abnormal circumstances. Through control of rotor side (RSC) and grid side (GSC) converters, Q assistance for the grid, and power converter stress reduction, the suggested control approach achieves system stability while enabling DFIWG to operate smoothly during grid failures. The DFIWG is exposed to three- and two-phase faults to analyze the machine's performance. The crowbar and STATCOM tools are implemented to enhance the system performance under faults and compared with the base case. The implemented tools successfully suppress rotor and stator overcurrent, over voltage at the DC link (DCL), and power oscillations, as well as supporting the grid voltage understudied cases. The obtained results prove that both STATCOM and crowbar not only enhance the system's effectiveness and performance but also enable the system to achieve the fault ride-through capacity (FRTC). MATLAB/SIMULINK 2017b is used for time-domain computer simulations.

IoT based monitoring system for DFIG based wind turbines under voltage dips

Due to their partial-rating power converters and dynamic performance, doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) are commonly used in wind turbines (WT). However, grid-connected DFIGs are vulnerable to voltage dips, which can cause power quality concerns and possible turbine damage. An Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring technique for field-oriented control (FOC)-based DFIG with grid-side converter (GSC) control is proposed in this paper. The proposed approach uses real-time WT voltage and current data to dynamically alter the GSC control settings, allowing for steady operation and minimizing power quality problems during voltage dips. A 2 MW variable-speed pitch-controlled DFIG with a speed limit of 900–2000 rpm is used for performance investigation under voltage dips with crowbar protection. An IoT based monitoring system sends real-time information to a cloud server for additional analysis after detecting anomalies. The ThingSpeak cloud platform sends email notifications of defects, and an MIT App Inventor application is constructed for data visualization. The proposed strategy's effectiveness is confirmed through the simulation results.

Model-Based Thermal Stress and Lifetime Estimation of DFIG Wind Power Converter

Turbine systems equipped with doubly fed induction generation (DFIG) are becoming increasingly vital in wind power generation, with the reliability of the devices serving as a pillar in the industrial sector. Thermal stress and lifetime assessment are fundamental indicators in this regard. This paper primarily addresses the thermal stress and lifespan of power semiconductor devices utilized in a DFIG grid-side converter (GSC) and rotor-side converter (RSC). PLECS (Piecewise Linear Electrical Circuit Simulation) is employed to validate the electrical and thermal stress of the power devices. Additionally, Ansys Icepak, a finite element analysis (FEA) software, is utilized to confirm temperature fluctuations under various operations. The power consumption and junction temperature of the power devices in the GSC and RSC of a 2 MW DFIG are compared. It is evident that the most stressed power semiconductor is the IGBT for the GSC with a temperature swing of 3.4 °C, while the diode in the RSC is the most stressed with a temperature swing of 10.1 °C. This paper also presents a lifetime model to estimate the lifespan of the power device based on the annual wind profile. By considering the annual mission profile, we observe that the lifetime of the back-to-back power converter is limited by the diode of the RSC, whose B10 lifetime is calculated at 15 years.

An optimal regulation of grid-connected doubly-fed induction generator angular speed and the DC-link voltage

In this work, a linear quadratic regulator controller is utilized to optimize the gains of the machine-side converter and grid-side converter controllers. The DC-link voltage and the rotational speed of the doubly-fed induction generator are optimally regulated by these controls. Additionally, the small-signal stability of the proposed system has been evaluated using the linearized model of the system. The small-signal stability analysis of the designed system has been accomplished through the application of the eigenvalues and participation factors technique. The suggested controller has been tested in a variety of operating conditions under small disturbances. MATLAB/SIMULINK simulation simulations have been used to evaluate the efficacy of the suggested optimal control system. Additionally, the generator-angular speed and DC-link voltage dynamic performances demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed controller. Finally, the robustness of the proposed controller has also been tested and validated using OPAL-RT technology under large perturbations at stator terminal voltage.

A fuzzy integrated non-linear backstepping control of a grid connected PMSG wind farm

In this paper a grid connected PMSG wind farm is controlled by non-linear backstepping control. The PMSG power is delivered to grid through two back-to-back connected IGBT based VSCs. The VSCs are controlled by individual Sin PWM techniques for which the reference signals are generated non-linear backstepping controller. A capacitor is connected at the common DC link of the back-to-back VSCs for voltage stability. The backstepping controller designed for the control of PMSG has the capability to extract maximum power from the wind farm. The machine side connected VSC operates in synchronization to the rotor angle and the grid side connected VSC operates in synchronization with the grid voltages. The DC voltage regulator of the grid side converter control should be optimum for better stability of the system. Therefore, the conventional PI controller of the voltage regulator is replaced by a 49-rule base FLC which reduces the ripple and settling time of the DC link voltage. A 2MG PMSG wind farm is considered for performance analysis with PI and FLC in the non-linear backstepping control structure. The comparative analysis is carried out in MATLAB software with Simulink block sets utilized to design the wind farm connected to grid. The graphs are compared to determine the performance of the controller with different operating conditions.

Green energy solution for grid integrated solar PV system for water storage towers

In India, water storage towers are present almost everywhere, especially across small towns to rural areas. The storage tanks either utilize diesel powered or utility grid fed induction motor (IM) water pumps. The large spaces available with water storage towers can be utilized to plant solar PV panel for large storage towers water pumping operation, hence, making a switch from diesel or grid run storage towers to solar operated storage towers. This paper presents a robust control of grid integrated solar PV-based water pump system with efficient and smooth transition between standalone and grid interfaced modes. A smart DC link voltage control is presented for distributed generation system (DGS), which provides full control on DC link voltage for both modes of operation at all dynamic load conditions. An enhanced phase-locked loop (EPLL) control is utilized for grid source converter (GSC) in grid control operation, making it flexible to different grid scenarios and power quality. It works for harmonics suppression, load balancing and grid side converter control. An enhanced phase-locked loop (EPLL) is implemented for synchronization control algorithm, which provides an accurate estimation of voltage angle even during frequency ramps and exhibiting superior performance particularly in terms of robustness against DC offsets. The primary requirement for smooth operation of grid-tied solar PV system is effective power management between different sources. The issues of power management and power quality, are discussed in this work, and solutions are presented. The implemented control algorithms are tested successfully for dynamic solar insolation, varying load conditions, unbalance in load, sudden grid outage condition. The system appropriateness is validated by experimental results.

Characteristic analysis and mitigation strategy for SSCI in series-compensated DFIG-based wind farm controlled by a virtual synchronous generator

The proliferation of virtual synchronous generator (VSG) technology within series-compensated double-fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind farms is substantially hampered by the attendant risk of subsynchronous control interaction (SSCI), resulting in a significant research deficiency on systematic control interaction analysis and the development of mitigation strategies. The paper proposes an advanced active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) framework, incorporating real-time compensation mechanisms to mitigate the inadequate suppression efficacy attributable to the VSG's diminished output impedance. Initially, the mathematical expression for the VSG output impedance is rigorously deduced, and the positive damping attributes of the VSG in relation to SSCI are elucidated from the perspective of underlying mechanistic principles. Subsequently, the suppressive mechanism of SSCI by the ADRC is revealed in the context of VSG involvement, and the consequent augmentation of SSCI attributed to PI control is systematically derived. In immediate succession, the quanta of oscillation and inductive cross-coupling are encapsulated as the system's aggregate disturbance, thereby streamlining the ADRC to its primary order configuration, permitting the utilization of an extended state observer (ESO) for the dynamic estimation of said disturbance. Furthermore, a fractional-order filter function is instituted to engineer an augmented ESO, which refines the output voltage of the grid-side converter. Concurrently, a meticulous discourse on the rectification strategy for the proposed ESO parameters and its stability ensues. Ultimately, the efficacy of the mechanism analysis, alongside the robustness of the proffered control strategy for SSCI mitigation under diverse perturbation conditions, is corroborated via impedance evaluation and time-domain simulation.

Enhancing FRT capability of DFIG based on RC-crowbar considering the resonance and matching control strategies for different fault degrees

This paper compares the problems existing in the current fault ride-through (FRT) schemes of the doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG), and deeply analyzes the transient characteristics of DFIG during FRT. A comprehensive FRT scheme is proposed to improve the FRT capability by using an RC-crowbar and matching control strategy switching. The main innovation of this scheme lies in the consideration of resonance and other factors in the capacitance design of the RC-crowbar. To ensure that the DFIG still has good FRT capability after the RC-crowbar is cut off in advance in the later stage of FRT, an improved rotor side converter (RSC) control strategy is proposed for this situation. At the same time, to balance the reactive power on the stator side and accelerate the recovery of stator voltage throughout the entire FRT period, the control strategy of the grid side converter (GSC) is also improved. The comprehensive FRT scheme proposed in this paper can dynamically switch based on the degree of fault so that it still has good FRT ability when applied to different degrees of faults. Finally, the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed comprehensive FRT scheme were verified through simulation experiments.

Combined Control Strategy of Wind Storage Based on Power Electronic Transformer

Because of the inherent randomness and instability of the wind power generation system, the energy storage device and power electronic transformer are introduced into the wind power generation system to restrain the fluctuation of DC bus voltage and power junction, and improve the stability of the wind power generation system. This paper first introduces the basic characteristics of wind turbines and the basic idea of maximum wind energy capture and puts forward the control strategy of wind turbine side converter and grid side converter. Then the topological structure, mathematical model, and working principle of the power electronic transformer are described, and the control strategy of the power electronic transformer is proposed. Finally, the power electronic transformer is applied to the grid-connected wind storage system, and the grid-connected wind storage system model is built in MATLAB/Simulink platform, and the grid-connected control strategy under wind power fluctuation is simulated and verified. The simulation results show that the topology structure of the grid-connected wind storage system and the effectiveness of the grid-connected control strategy are proposed.

Grid-Impedance-Based Transient Current Control for Offshore Wind Turbines under Low-Voltage Fault

In order to enhance the transient stability of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) in marine energy systems, the grid codes stipulate that OWTs should possess the low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) ability of being grid-tied and injecting reactive current during grid fault. However, the grid-side converter (GSC) of OWTs may lose stability under weak grid or severe fault conditions due to inaccurate current references. To address this issue, a novel transient current control method is proposed to improve the transient stability of permanent-magnet-synchronous-generator (PMSG)-based OWTs. The feature of DC-link overvoltage is investigated and is alleviated by utilizing the GSC’s overcurrent capacity and chopper. Additionally, the equivalent circuit of the PMSG-based OWT connected to the onshore grid is derived based on Thevenin’s theorem. The feasible current region (FCR) is then determined, taking into account the GSC capacity, pre-fault power ability, LVRT requirement, and synchronization stability. Furthermore, a grid-impedance-based transient current control method is designed to enhance the fault ride-through performance and mitigate power oscillation of the OWT under various transient grid impedance and fault conditions. Finally, a simulation model is conducted using PSCAD v4.6.3 software to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.