Pseudo-dc Link Research Articles

A Low Distortion Collaborative Modulation for Zero-Crossing Distortion Pseudo DC Link Single-Stage Isolated Inverter

A Low Distortion Collaborative Modulation for Zero-Crossing Distortion Pseudo DC Link Single-Stage Isolated Inverter

The LLCLC resonant converter based pseudo DC link inverter

Technological advancements in solar power systems necessitate highly reliable power inverters with high efficiency and small size. An LLC resonant converter-based pseudo-Direct Current (DC) link inverters offer these qualities to some extent. The resonant circuits of conventional pseudo-DC link inverters cannot attain a zero gain and cannot handle variable frequency control which in turn requires very large filters to produce pure sinusoidal output voltages for the grid. The usage of these filters consequences in the enhanced price and size of inverters; moreover, the reliability of inverters is also reduced. We propose a novel topology for a pseudo-DC link inverter based on an LLCLC resonant converter. The proposed inverter does not require large filters, because it generates rectified sinusoidal output voltages. An additional parallel LC component is added in series to the resonant circuit, which makes it able to attain a zero gain through an infinite circuit impedance. The 400 W pseudo-DC link inverter with a 40 V input and a 400 V output is designed and simulated on OrCAD PSpice software. The results showed that there is a significant improvement in achieving a zero gain. The possible lowest gain achieved is approximately 0.125. The proposed technique claimed to be more efficient than those formerly used, subsequently contributing to satisfying outcomes.

A High-Gain and High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Grid-Connected Inverter with Magnetic Coupling.

Conventional photovoltaic (PV) grid-connected systems consist of a boost converter cascaded with an inverter, resulting in poor efficiency due to performing energy processing twice. Many pseudo DC-link inverters with single energy processing have been proposed to improve system efficiency and simplify circuits. However, their output voltage gain is limited by the non-ideal characteristics of the power diode, making them difficult to apply in high-output voltage applications. This paper proposes combining a boost converter with magnetic coupling and a full-bridge unfolding circuit to develop an inverter featuring high voltage-gain and high efficiency. According to the desired instantaneous output voltage, the high-gain boost converter and the full-bridge unfolding circuit are sequentially and respectively controlled by SPWM. A sinusoidal output voltage can be generated by performing energy processing only once, effectively improving the conversion efficiency. Magnetic coupling is adopted to increase the voltage gain of step-up, and the step-down function is realized by the full-bridge unfolding circuit to reduce conduction loss. Finally, a 500 W prototype was fabricated for the proposed high-gain inverter. The experimental results were used to verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the feasibility of the circuit structure.

Development of a New Pseudo-DC Link Type DC-Decoupled Transformerless Inverter

Development of a New Pseudo-DC Link Type DC-Decoupled Transformerless Inverter

A Transformer-Less Buck-Boost Grid-Tied Inverter with Low Leakage-Current and High Voltage-Gain

To improve the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) grid-tied systems and simplify the circuit structure, many pseudo DC-link inverters have been proposed by combining a sinusoidal pulse-width modulation (SPWM) controlled buck-boost converter and a low-frequency polarity unfolder. However, due to the non-ideal characteristics of power diodes, the voltage-gain of a buck-boost converter is limited. To meet the needs of grid-connected systems with low input voltage and 220 Vrms utility, this paper uses two two-switch buck-boost converters with coupled inductors to develop a transformer-less buck-boost grid-tied inverter with low leakage-current and high voltage-gain. The proposed inverter is charging on the primary side of the coupled inductor and discharging in series on the primary side and the secondary side so that the voltage-gain can be greatly increased. Furthermore, the utility line can be connected to the negative end of the PV array to suppress leakage current, and the unfolding circuit can be simplified to reduce the conduction losses. High-frequency switching is only performed in one metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) in each mode, which can effectively improve conversion efficiency. A prototype was implemented to obtain experimental results and to prove the validity of the proposed circuit structure.

Active Cross-Correlation Anti-Islanding Scheme for PV Module-Integrated Converters in the Prospect of High Penetration Levels and Weak Grid Conditions

This paper introduces a new cross-correlation anti-islanding detection scheme for module-integrated converters (MICs) with pseudo dc-link. The proposed scheme periodically injects a second-order harmonic current component of low magnitude (in open-loop mode) and evaluates grid response by means of correlation. The proposed scheme is highly reliable, providing nondetection-zone free operation, fast detection, and compliance with the relevant power quality and anti-islanding standards. Additionally, it excels in lower computational cost, reduced fault detection zone, and higher output power quality, compared to the referenced anti-islanding schemes that are compatible with MICs. Last but not least, it can be implemented in MIC platforms without requiring an output current sensor, being an easily upgradable solution in software level. A firm theoretical framework that considers both high penetration levels of PV systems and weak grid conditions is also included in this paper. The theoretical framework, as well as the effectiveness of the proposed scheme, is verified through extensive experimental results for various electrical-network parameters and nonlinear loading conditions. Finally, a comprehensive comparison between the proposed method and the most common anti-islanding techniques (compatible with MICs) is performed, leading to some valuable conclusions from MICs perspective.

On the Injection of Sub/Inter-Harmonic Current Components for Active Anti-Islanding Purposes

Active anti-islanding schemes that are based on the injection of harmonic currents, such as the measurement of the impedance at a specific frequency or similar techniques, have been proposed for anti-islanding protection in photovoltaic (PV) systems due to their low impact on inverter active power, their fast detection response in island, and reduced non-detection zone (NDZ). Integer multiples of the fundamental frequency as well as sub/inter-harmonics have both been used for the implementation of those schemes. Although utilization of sub/inter-harmonics present significant advantages, they also present significant limitations. This work investigates those limitations, particularly the ones that are caused by the parallel operation of multiple inverters. In addition, the distortion effect that is caused in the output current of the widely used PV microinverters with pseudo dc-link (PV Pdc-MICs) is discussed and thoroughly analyzed. It is concluded that when the injection is performed asynchronously (without communication among the inverters) sub/inter-harmonics are unsuitable for utilization under the parallel operation of multiple inverters. It is worth noting that a strategy is proposed in the current work that retains the effectiveness of the harmonic injection scheme under the injection of integer multiples of fundamental frequency. On the other hand, the distortion effect that is caused by the sub/inter-harmonics on PV Pdc-MICs output current, has been evaluated as insignificant when harmonics are used for anti-islanding purposes. Finally, the theoretical/mathematical outcomes of this work are supported by simulation and experimental results.

An isolated AC module for photovoltaic energy conversion

ABSTRACTIn this paper, an isolated ac module with pseudo dc-link and galvanic isolation is proposed for photovoltaic energy conversion. The studied grid-tie ac module can individually extract the maximum solar power from each photovoltaic panel and transfer to ac utility system. It consists of an interleaved active-clamping single-ended primary-inductive circuit (SEPIC) with a secondary voltage doubler, a full-bridge polarity selector operating under line frequency to achieve high efficiency. For the studied topology, key features such as reduced input current ripple, zero-voltage switching (ZVS) of primary switches, low reverse-recovery current of the output diodes, and lower switch voltage stress are obtained. Also, to reduce input current ripple, an interleaved control strategy is adopted. A simple control strategy is proposed to generate a rectified sinusoidal waveform voltage at the pseudo dc-link capacitors and achieve the high maximum power point tracking (MPPT) accuracy. The operation principles and design considerations of the studied ac module are analyzed and discussed. A prototype with 25–60 V dc input, 110 V/60 Hz ac output and 150 W power rating has been constructed for verifying the feasibility of the proposed ac module.

Design of a PV Module-Integrated Ćuk Converter Based Isolated Dual Boost Microinverter

Abstract This paper presents a photovoltaic (PV) module-integrated isolated Ćuk converter based solar microinverter with a pseudo-DC link. The Ćuk converters offer more advantages over the buck and boost converters used in PV integrated applications. The proposed grid-tied solar microinverter based on the isolated Ćuk converter individually extracts the maximum power from the photovoltaic panel and it transfers the extracted maximum power to the AC utility system through solar microinverter. High maximum power point tracking accuracy and high conversion efficiency can be achieved with the proposed topology. The principle of operation and the design considerations of the proposed isolated Ćuk converter-based solar inverter are analyzed and discussed. The results of a laboratory prototype model and the MATLAB/Simulink simulation results of the proposed system have been presented to validate its feasibility.

Analysis and Design of Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems With Multiple-Integrated Converters and a Pseudo-DC-Link Inverter

An architecture of multiple-integrated converter modules sharing an unfolding full-bridge inverter with a pseudo dc link (MIPs) is proposed for grid-connected photovoltaic systems in this paper. The proposed configuration can improve the power conversion, the control circuit complexity, and the cost competitiveness. The proposed MIP is composed of distributed flyback dc-dc converters (DFCs) and an unfolding full-bridge inverter with an ac filter. The DFCs can eliminate the shading effect by using the individual maximum power point tracking. In conventional flyback-type single-phase utility-interactive inverters, discontinuous conduction mode and boundary conduction mode are popular because of the inherent constant current-source characteristics more desirable for grid connection and of the simple procedures for the controller design. However, the operating mode suffers from a large current stress of the circuit components, which leads to the low power efficiency. To avoid this, the DFCs operate under continuous conduction mode that allows reduced current stresses and increased power efficiency, as well as low material cost. The current control loop of the converters employs primary-side regulation contributing to improvement of dynamics as well as the cost reduction significantly due to the elimination of the high-linearity photocoupler device. Development of a new dc-current loop that maintains the level of dc-current injection into the grid within the levels stipulated by IEEE 1547 will be dealt as well. The performance validation of the proposed design is confirmed by experimental results of a 200-W hardware prototype.

A module-integrated isolated solar microinverter

This paper presents a module-integrated isolated solar microinverter with pseudo-dc link. The studied grid-tied microinverters can individually extract the maximum solar power from each photovoltaic panel and transfer to the ac utility system. High conversion efficiency and high maximum power point tracking accuracy can be achieved with the studied pseudo-dc link topology. The operation principles and design considerations of the studied solar inverter are analyzed and discussed. A laboratory prototype is implemented and tested to verify its feasibility.