Operation Of Inverter Research Articles

Experimental Tests and Simulations About The Efficiency of Commercial Hybrid Inverters Operating at Variable Power Factor

The need to ‘rethink’ the concept of Distribution, both at the planning and operational levels, arises from the emergence of the Distributed Generation paradigm, mostly installed in LV networks. The existing arrangements for the management, protection and control of distribution networks are typically inadequate for this ever-increasing presence of Distributed Generation. Consequently, national and international grid codes have been updated requiring distributed generators to be involved in grid control by supplying ancillary services, such as the voltage and frequency regulation. In this context, the Italian Standards, and in particular the CEI 0–21, require hybrid inverters of residential systems, which are usually only setup to supply active power at unity power factor, to include also the possibility of being able to absorb or supply reactive energy. This allows to limit the over / under voltages problems. To this aim, the inverter manufacturers have introduced the possibility for residential inverters to set the power factor. These new capabilities have been exploited in this paper in order to study the inverter performance with the variation of the power factor, considering both the inductive and the capacitive behaviour. In particular, the presented paper focuses on experimental tests on a hybrid inverter-based system for residential use with the aim of evaluating the dependence of the inverter efficiency on the power factor. Based on measured values, a Matlab/Simulink simulator has been developed for modelling the system, using the found dependence. The main aim is to evaluate the inverter control systems in order to participate in regulation services and to evaluate the inverter efficiency in case of a power factor different from unity.

Evaluation of an Infinite-Level Inverter Operation Powered by a DC–DC Converter in Open and Closed Loop

This paper evaluates the open- and closed-loop DC–DC converter operation within a DC coupling multilevel inverter architecture to obtain an infinite-level stepped sinusoidal voltage. Adding a cascade controller to the DC–DC converter should reduce the settling time and increase the number of levels in the output voltage waveform; it could decrease the speed error and phase shift concerning the sinusoidal reference signal. The proposed methodology consists of implementing an experimental multilevel inverter with DC coupling through a single-phase bridge inverter energized from a BUCK converter. Trigger signals for the two converters are obtained from a control circuit based in an ATMEGA644P microcontroller to explore its capabilities in power electronics applications. A digital controller is also implemented to evaluate the operation of the BUCK converter in open and closed loop and observe its influence in the stepped sinusoidal output voltage. The evaluation is performed to energize a resistive load with common output voltage in multilevel inverters, i.e., 3, 5, 7, 11, and infinity levels. Results show that during the design stage, fast dynamic elements, like the storage capacitor, can be used to obtain a minimum THD because the settling time is sufficiently fast, the speed error remains small, and there is no need for a controller. A digital controller requires processing time, and although in theory it can reduce the settling time to a minimum, the processor introduces latency in the control signals generation, producing the opposite effect. Controller complexity of the digital controller must be considered because it increases processing time and influences the efficiency of the closed-loop operation.

A novel technique to detect and mitigate harmonic during islanding in grid connected PV system

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems into the power grid has become increasingly prevalent, providing sustainable and renewable energy solutions. However, the occurrence of islanding events, where a portion of the PV system operates independently from the main grid, presents challenges in maintaining power quality. This research paper investigates the harmonic distortions during islanding in grid-connected PV systems and proposes effective mitigation strategies. The study employs advanced simulation tools to analyse the dynamic behavior of the PV system during islanding scenarios, focusing on the occurrence and characteristics of harmonics. A detailed investigation into the root causes of harmonic distortions is conducted, considering factors such as grid fluctuations, inverter operation, and system impedance. Based on the findings, this paper introduces novel harmonic mitigation techniques tailored for islanding conditions. These techniques encompass advanced control algorithms, filter designs, and modulation strategies to suppress harmonics and enhance the overall system performance during islanded operation. Comparative assessments of different mitigation approaches are presented, evaluating their effectiveness in minimizing harmonic distortions and maintaining grid code compliance. The research contributes valuable insights to the field of grid-connected PV systems, offering a comprehensive understanding of harmonic issues during islanding events and proposing innovative solutions for their mitigation. The outcomes of this study are crucial for advancing the reliability, stability, and power quality of PV systems that are connected to the grid, which makes it possible for green energy sources to be added to the grid without any problems.

Full Range Operation of Simplified Flying-Capacitor Three-Cell Inverters With Five to Eight Output Voltage Levels

Full Range Operation of Simplified Flying-Capacitor Three-Cell Inverters With Five to Eight Output Voltage Levels

Modeling of Grid Tied PV Inverter to Improve its Performance During Unbalanced Load and Unbalance Fault

Integrating solar through inverter brings about various challenges in the microgrids and the inverter itself. This paper aims to the study of problems in the operation of inverter during unbalance load and unbalance fault condition along with the possible control measures to mitigate those problems to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the inverter. A grid connected PV inverter is modeled using hysteresis band controller and implementing the MPPT of the PV system with the buck boost converter. During unbalance load and unbalance fault condition, the negative and zero sequence components of current exists. All the zero-sequence component of current is delivered by the grid. The negative sequence component of current also flows through the inverter resulting in high value of current and loss of stability. Also, the voltage across the dc link capacitor increases during fault. The high value of current flowing through the inverter and high voltage across dc link capacitor may damages the inverter and capacitor respectively. An inverter dual current controller is introduced replacing the hysteresis band control such that the negative sequence component of current flowing through the inverter is almost mitigated from 600A to 10A and positive sequence current is also reduced relatively to a tolerable value 150A from 550A. The total current flowing through the inverter is limited to 200A from 950A and voltage across dc link capacitor is limited to 700V from 1050V during LG fault at the inverter side thus ensuring safe operation of the inverter during voltage dip condition. A further study can be done on limiting the positive sequence component of current to a rated value and improving the performance while operating in islanded mode.

Control of Grid-Tied Inverter During Unbalanced Transient Fault

With increasing use of renewable and clean form of energy, PV systems have become popular due to its versatility and easy implementation. The overall performance of grid-connected PV systems is directly influenced by the performance of grid-tied inverter. Hence, control of grid-tied PV inverter has become a temptation. This project explores the development of grid-connected PV system and optimization of control strategies for grid-tied inverter to ensure its seamless operation and grid stability during transient faults. The transient faults occurring at the inverter side disrupts the normal operation of inverter and even lead to shut down of inverter during faults.Therefore, a control strategy is suggested and developed to control the overvoltage of DC-link capacitor and deliberately functioning and output of grid-tied inverter is improved. This is simply possible by introducing ELC so that the inverter needs not be shut down.

A Power Circulating Suppression Method for Parallel Transient Inverters with Instantaneous Phase Angle Compensation

A unidirectional link is typically incorporated into the DC input side of an inverter to ensure the reliability and stability of the microgrid power supply. Due to impedance and control variations among inverters, circulating currents may rapidly arise during the operation of parallel transient inverters. Nonetheless, the unidirectional power circulating in a DC unidirectional link results in energy accumulation on the DC side, causing DC bus voltage pumping and affecting MGs’ operation safety and stability. This paper proposes a non-communication-based circulation suppression strategy to suppress power circulation in parallel transients based on the local information of inverters. First, a parallel transient is modeled, and the power circulation phenomenon and its influencing factors are analyzed. Then, the instantaneous power and absorbed active energy are calculated to adjust the phase of the inverter output voltage and suppress power circulation. Moreover, the output frequency is adjusted to balance the DC-side voltage of each inverter. Then, the stability of the parallel system after adding the circulation suppression control strategy is verified using the Lyapunov function method. Finally, simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed power circulation suppression strategy.

Investigation into PV Inverter Topologies from the Standards Compliance Viewpoint

Numerous reviews are available in the literature on PV inverter topologies. These reviews have intensively investigated the available PV inverter topologies from their modulation techniques, control strategies, cost, and performance aspects. However, their compliance with industrial standards has not been investigated in detail so far in the literature. There are various standards such as North American standards (UL1741, IEEE1547, and CSA 22.2) and Australian and European safety standards and grid codes, which include IEC 62109 and VDE. These standards provide detailed guidelines and expectations to be fulfilled by a PV inverter topology. Adherence to these standards is essential and crucial for the successful operation of PV inverters, be it a standalone or grid-tied mode of operation. This paper investigates different PV inverter topologies from the aspect of their adherence to different standards. Both standalone and grid-tied mode of operation-linked conditions have been checked for different topologies. This investigation will help power engineers in selecting suitable PV inverter topology for their specific applications.

Model predictive control of 3L‐NPC inverter to enhance fault ride through capability under unbalanced grid conditions

AbstractUnbalanced voltages are becoming increasingly common in distribution networks due to the growing integrations of distributed renewable energy resources as well as large loads such as electric vehicle chargers. Such unbalanced voltages introduce significant control challenges as they produce ripples in the controlling signals, impacting the operation of inverters during the unbalanced conditions. Therefore, this paper proposes a controlling algorithm for three‐level inverters aimed at suppressing these ripples on controlling signals; improving the overall performance of inverters, and consequently enhancing the fault ride‐through capability under unbalanced conditions and faults. The proposed controlling algorithm enables inverters to operate in either a balanced current output mode or a suppressed‐ripple active power output mode, depending on the specific event scenario and demands from the grid operators. Current harmonics are suppressed even under severe faults. For improving the voltage balance on the DC capacitors in three‐level inverters, an enhanced method of neutral point current prediction is presented. The proposed method ensures higher balancing accuracy through the use of weighted switching costs, avoiding the requirement of a balancing controller or current extrapolation. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller for reliable grid operation.

Harmonic Self-Compensation Control for Bidirectional Grid Tied Inverter Based on Crown Porcupine Optimization Algorithm

A self-compensating control strategy for harmonic parameters based on the crown porcupine optimization algorithm is proposed for the single-phase rectifier and two-phase inverter operation mode of the bidirectional converter. In order to improve the response speed of the inverter voltage, the instantaneous expressions of the phase angle coefficient and amplitude coefficient of the dc-side voltage doubling fluctuation are derived, and the third harmonic is calculated based on the crown porcupine optimization algorithm according to the Proportional Integral (PI) + Quasi-Proportional Resonance (QPR) double closed-loop control method and injected into the input voltage of the inverter side to offset the influence of the bus-doubling fluctuation on the output voltage of the two-phase inverters of B and C so that the total harmonic content of the two-phase output voltages of the two-phase inverters of B and C can be reduced. The total harmonic content of the B and C inverter output voltages is reduced. The effective control of the control method for single-phase rectifier two-phase inverter mode is verified through simulation. Finally, the effectiveness of the control strategy is verified by experimenting with a 15 kW LCL-type bi-directional converter prototype.

Parameter identification of PLL for grid‐connected inverter based on parameter sensitivity analysis

AbstractUnder the condition of weak grid, the phase‐locked loop (PLL) is one of the main reasons for the sub‐synchronous oscillation of the grid‐connected inverter. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the PLL parameters of the grid‐connected inverter for the analysis of the inverter operating performance. This paper uses the sequence impedance model and measured impedance data of grid‐connected inverter to construct the identification function for parameter identification of PLL, and the function is calculated by particle swarm optimization algorithm to overcome the nonlinear problem of sequence impedance model. In addition, the identification frequency band is selected based on PLL parameter sensitivity to improve the parameter identification accuracy under the same impedance measurement error. At different frequencies, the positive correlation between the sensitivity of the PLL parameters and the identification accuracy is proven to determine the definite frequency band for PLL parameter identification of grid‐connected inverter. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the above research are verified by simulation and semi‐physical experiments.

A novel RMPC strategy for three-phase inverters operating in grid-connected and standalone modes

One of the main features of microgrids is the capability of operating in both grid-connected (GC) and standalone (SA) modes. This paper presents a novel dual mode robust model predictive control (RMPC) strategy for a three-phase inverter with an LCL filter in both GC and SA operating modes under the filter’s parameter uncertainty. At first, a disturbance observer gain is obtained by solving a linear matrix inequality (LMI), which is determined to preserve the stability of the algorithm. The designed disturbance observer takes into account the polytopic uncertainty of system parameters. A performance index with two weighting matrices is then defined and solved in an infinite horizon by turning it into an optimization problem under LMI constraints. The performance of the control strategy highly depends on the weighting matrices. Hence, an optimization algorithm is formulated to ascertain the best matrices values for both GC and SA operation modes. Given the nonlinearity issue, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is employed to derive the optimal weighting matrices offline. To evaluate the proposed control strategy’s effectiveness, simulations and experiments are performed under several scenarios in both GC and SA operating modes. The results reveal the proposed control strategy’s powerfulness compared to other techniques in the presence of grid voltage and load current disturbances for both inverter operating modes.

Standalone and grid-connected operation of single-source multilevel inverter with boosted output voltage

Multilevel inverters produce waveforms that lead to better power quality. Switched-capacitor inverters are one kind that is capable of generating boosted voltage and encourages a single-stage grid-tied inverter solution. In this paper, a four-times boost nine-level inverter with fewer switches is presented in standalone and grid-connected mode. Two switched capacitors, along with eleven switches and one diode, are employed to generate the required boosted nine-level output. The circuit modulation allows self-charging of the capacitors, with the first capacitor charging to the DC source and the second charges to twice of it by shunting it with the combination of the first capacitor voltage and the DC source. This inverter’s application can be as a solar PV microinverter due to its fewer components and small filter requirement. The topology is compared with the single-source nine-level inverters and exhibits the lowest cost of all quadruple boost inverters. The presented inverter operation is verified in Simulink and validated on the laboratory prototype. Further, to minimize the leakage current, the circuit is modified accordingly and tested in a hardware-in-the-loop environment.

Research on current harmonic suppression of permanent magnet synchronous motor using smith predictive controller

Abstract Due to the dead time added to the operation of the motor inverter, the generated current harmonics are introduced into the synchronous motor, increasing the harmonic content of the motor. The higher harmonic content is the 5th, 7th, 11th, and 13th current harmonics, which can cause motor torque ripple [1]. To suppress the current harmonics that cause torque ripple, a control method of using a PI controller and a quasi-proportional resonant controller in parallel is considered to suppress current harmonics. However, the introduction of a proportional resonant controller can cause greater overshoots in the current response, and external environmental influences can also generate current disturbances. Therefore, a method based on Smith prediction-PID and quasi-proportional resonance controller cascade control structure is proposed to suppress current harmonics and current overshoot in response to this problem. Finally, the effectiveness of this method was verified through simulation experiments, thereby improving the stability of synchronous motor operation.

Impact of Multiple Grid-Connected Solar PV Inverters on Harmonics in the High-Frequency Range

In recent years, integration of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems into distribution networks has been increasing rapidly, as it has become the most promising renewable energy source (RES) in the transition of power generation from centralised to decentralised systems. With the power electronic (PE) interfaces that use high-frequency internal switching, all renewable energy sources are considered to be harmonic emitters, especially near switching frequencies, i.e., above 2 kHz. This paper evaluates the behaviour of high-frequency harmonics in the 2–20 kHz range due to the parallel operation of multiple solar PV inverters connected to a low-voltage (LV) network. The circulation current component that flows within the installation due to the low impedance paths at higher frequencies is analysed. Summation of high-frequency harmonic currents is observed with phase diversity analysis. The circulating current component can become 14 times higher than the grid current component at higher frequencies.

Switch fault identification scheme based on machine learning algorithms for PV-Fed three-phase neutral point clamped inverter

Any faults in power electronic switches must be detected and located promptly to certify the unchanging operation and reliability of multilevel inverter (MLI) systems. Machine learning (ML) techniques are increasingly being utilized to diagnose faults in MLIs due to their advantages, such as high precision, less calculation time, and reduced complexity. A faulty switch identification and phase identification method based on different ML classifiers is presented in this paper, explicitly targeting open-circuit faults in switches in a PV-fed 3-phase three-level Neutral Point Clamped (NPC) inverter. The NPC MLI output voltage and current signals are input signals to classify faults. The information or essential feature from the raw voltage and current data is extracted using a recursive discrete Fourier (RDF) followed by a discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Finally, the standard deviations of the approximate and detailed coefficients are used as input for ML algorithms. To do the comparative analysis, a variety of ML techniques are then applied to these features, including logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), quadratic discriminate analysis (QDA), K-nearest neighbour (K-NN), and support vector machines (SVM). The experiment results indicate that the RF algorithms achieve the highest classification accuracy of 99.59 % for various switch fault conditions.

A Switched Z-Source and Switched Capacitor Multi-Level Inverter Integrated Low Voltage Renewable Source for Grid Connected Application

Most of the renewable sources generate power at lower voltage levels in the range of 20-50V which cannot be utilized by the loads. Therefore, stacking multiple modules in series increases the voltage level or using conventional boost converter or QZSis helpful. However, due to series stacking and boost converter or QZS there is a great power loss and also have reliability issues.The QZS inverter has very less boosting gain in the range of 2times. Theconventional boost converter or QZSis replaced with SZSC for voltage boosting and inverter operation. The SZSC boosts the voltage 4-5 times to the input voltage level. For further mitigation of harmonics, the conventional 6-switch inverter is replaced with switched capacitor MLI. Multiple renewable sources are at the input which include PV array, battery unit and PMSG wind module. The battery unit is a support to the renewable sources PV array and wind module. The DC link voltage stability is achieved by the battery unit placed in parallel to the renewable sources. The renewable sources share power to the grid through the SZSC and switched capacitor MLI. For DC voltage stability a CV control is integrated to SZSC. And for synchronized power sharing to the grid, a grid voltage feedback synchronization control is included for the control of MLI. A low rating renewable system is modelled and integrated to grid using Simulink MATLAB software. A comparative analysis is carried out operating the system with QZS and SZSC. The performances of the SZSC and MLI are evaluated by the graphs generated by the simulation of the modelled system.

Control strategy for current limitation and maximum capacity utilization of grid connected PV inverter under unbalanced grid conditions

Under grid voltage sags, over current protection and exploiting the maximum capacity of the inverter are the two main goals of grid-connected PV inverters. To facilitate low-voltage ride-through (LVRT), it is imperative to ensure that inverter currents are sinusoidal and remain within permissible limits throughout the inverter operation. An improved LVRT control strategy for a two-stage three-phase grid-connected PV system is presented here to address these challenges. To provide over current limitation as well as to ensure maximum exploitation of the inverter capacity, a control strategy is proposed, and performance the strategy is evaluated based on the three generation scenarios on a 2-kW grid connected PV system. An active power curtailment (APC) loop is activated only in high power generation scenario to limit the current’s amplitude below the inverter’s rated current. The superior performance of the proposed strategy is established by comparison with two recent LVRT control strategies. The proposed method not only injects necessary active and reactive power but also minimizes overcurrent with increased exploitation of the inverter’s capacity under unbalanced grid voltage sag.

Comparative analysis and validation of advanced control modules for standalone renewable micro grid with droop controller

A micro grid system with renewable source operation control is a complex part as each source operates at different parameters. This renewable micro grid with multiple sources like solar plants, wind farm, fuel cell, battery backup has to be operated in both grid connected and standalone condition. During grid connection the micro grid, inverter has to inject power to the grid and compensate load in synchronization to the grid voltages. And during standalone condition the inverter is controlled with droop control module which stabilizes the voltage and frequency of the system even during grid disconnection. The droop control module is further updated with new advanced controllers like fuzzy inference system (FIS) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) replacing the traditional proportional integral derivative (PID) and proportional integral (PI) controllers improving the response rate and for achieving better stabilization. This paper has comparative analysis of the micro grid system with different droop controllers under various operating conditions. Parameters like voltage magnitude (Vmag), frequency (F), load and inverter powers (Pload and Pinv) of the test system are compared with different controllers. A numeric comparison table is given to determine the optimal controller for the inverter operation. The analysis is carried out in MATLAB/Simulink software with graphical and parametric validations.

ANALYSIS OF CIRCUITS WITH UNIFORM PHASE SHIFT OF INVERTER CELLS

ANALYSIS OF CIRCUITS WITH UNIFORM PHASE SHIFT OF INVERTER CELLS