Small-signal Model Research Articles

Comparative Analysis and Improvement of Generalized Droop Control and Virtual Synchronous Generator for Rate of Change of Frequency Constraint and Transient Power Suppression

ABSTRACTSince the microgrid lacks inertia compared to the conventional grid with synchronous generators, the microgrid is unable to address the frequency change issues resulting from the integration of large‐scale distributed generation. Due to the ability to provide virtual inertia, generalized droop control (GDC) and virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control are considered effective solutions for improving frequency regulation. However, in response to external frequency disturbances, the grid‐connected inverters may experience a significant transient active power overshoot caused by GDC and VSG. In this paper, the GDC is used as the fundamental control architecture, and then the small signal models of the GDC and VSG are compared and analyzed under various disturbances. A reduced‐order method for the GDC model is proposed to simplify the analysis of GDC. Additionally, GDC adaptive inertia (GDCAI) and adaptive inertia for operation mode switching (AIOMS) are proposed to mitigate frequency fluctuations and improve active power response. The effectiveness of the two control strategies is verified by MATLAB/Simulink simulation and StarSim hardware‐in‐the‐loop (HIL) experiment.

Unified linear response theory of quantum electronic circuits

Modeling the electrical response of multi-level quantum systems at finite frequency has been typically performed in the context of two incomplete paradigms: (i) input-output theory, which is valid at any frequency but neglects dynamic losses, and (ii) semiclassical theory, which captures dynamic dissipation effects well but is only accurate at low frequencies. Here, we develop a unifying theory, valid for arbitrary frequencies, that captures both the small-signal quantum behavior and the non-unitary effects introduced by relaxation and dephasing. The theory allows a multi-level system to be described by a universal small-signal equivalent-circuit model, a resonant RLC circuit, whose topology only depends on the number of energy levels. We apply our model to a double-quantum-dot charge qubit and a Majorana qubit, showing the capability to continuously describe the systems from adiabatic to resonant and from coherent to incoherent, suggesting new and realistic experiments for improved quantum state readout. Our model will facilitate the design of hybrid quantum–classical circuits and the simulation of qubit control and quantum state readout.

Efficient Power Conditioning: Enhancing Electric Supply for Small Satellite Missions

Electric power supply (EPS) is the heart of any aerospace mission and plays an important role in improving the performance and service lifetime of spacecraft. It generates, converts, stores, and distributes power to different voltage levels. The EPS is composed of solar panels, a power conditioning unit (PCU), batteries, and a power distribution unit (PDU). This paper describes the design and analysis of an efficient power conditioning system for a CubeSat standard small satellite. For this purpose, the aim of this paper is to propose a two-input maximum power point tracker (MPPT)-based interleaved boost converter. The design copes with the fact that when a satellite revolves around the Earth, a single panel or at most two panels face solar radiation at different angles. In order to extract maximum power from the panels, the designed converter drives the solar panels at the maximum power point (MPP). A small signal model is drawn for the converter, and the closed-loop gain of the converter is analyzed using a Bode diagram. To improve the phase margin and gain, a PID compensator is designed and added to the closed loop of the converter. Finally, the performance of the proposed converter is validated by the simulation results.

Effect of Coupling Impedance on Stability Assessment of Grid-Forming Converters Under Various Grid Conditions

The phenomenon of frequency coupling is widely observed in grid-forming (GFM) converters due to the presence of asymmetrical controls and nonlinear blocks. However, the factors influencing frequency coupling have not been thoroughly explored. This paper introduces a systematic small-signal impedance model of GFM converters that intuitively reflects the factors affecting frequency coupling and provides a detailed analysis of how coupling impedance affects stability. It is demonstrated that the influencing factors of coupling impedance are an active power loop and reactive power loop. Specifically, the active power loop influences coupling impedance characteristics near the fundamental frequency, while the reactive power loop impacts the entire frequency range. This paper first reveals that the reactive power loop has a more pronounced effect on frequency coupling than the active power loop. Additionally, the variation in the steady-state operating points also affects the degree of frequency coupling of the GFM converters, primarily affecting the coupling impedance characteristics beyond the fundamental frequency, and the low operating points tend to affect system stability adversely. Finally, simulation results validate the accuracy of the mathematical model and theoretical analysis.

Design of Cascode Current Mirror Using CMOS Technology for Low Power Application

Background: Many applications, including biological applications, require a very high output impedance current mirror because they run at very low voltages. The circuit known as the current mirror applies the idea that two identical MOS transistors with the same gate-source voltage will have equal channel currents flowing through them. Objective: The objective of this study is to optimize the design to minimize power consumption while maintaining accurate current mirroring, which is crucial for low-power and energy-efficient electronic systems. Methods: This study is performed in Cadence Virtuoso using the gdpk45 technology node to construct a cascode current mirror, comparing simulation findings to other contemporary mirrors. Results: A significant improvement in power usage is shown compared to other current mirrors, and a small signal model analysis of the circuit, the design, and its mathematical model is investigated. Conclusion: Compared to the circuits that were previously designed, the output resistance values are substantially greater. The cascode current mirror that is suggested in this paper uses 48 μW of electricity, while the other cascode current mirror uses 74.186 μW.

Investigation of Device- and Circuit-Level Reliability of Inverse-Mode Silicon-Germanium Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors

The reliability of inverse-mode silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) under dc stress and its potential impact on the performance of basic analog amplifiers are investigated. In order to properly reflect the stress effects in various circuit applications, the degradations under three different configurations (active bias, diode connection, and off state) were experimentally characterized with the stress voltages applied up to 3000 s for each case. Based on the changes in the Gummel response, the degradations in device parameters such as current gain (β), transconductance (gm), and base-to-emitter resistance (rπ) were extracted and compared with the forward-mode counterpart. In addition, with the use of a small-signal equivalent model of a SiGe HBT, simple single-stage analog amplifiers were simulated as representative examples and their circuit-level performance metrics including gain and bandwidth were studied to estimate degradation characteristics with accumulated stress. It was found that transimpedance gain decreases and operation bandwidth increases to different levels due to device degradation, whereas a voltage amplifier exhibited much less changes.

Small-signal modeling and characteristic comparative analysis for a single grid-connected grid-forming VSG with full-order and second-order

Small-signal modeling and characteristic comparative analysis for a single grid-connected grid-forming VSG with full-order and second-order

Small-Signal Electrical Model of PEM Fuel Cell

Small-Signal Electrical Model of PEM Fuel Cell

Modelling and DPWM control of continuous switched boost inverter

ABSTRACT In this paper, a new type of three-phase continuous switched boost inverter (CSBI) is proposed. The proposed inverter has a new impedance network that can obtain a high voltage boost ratio. It also can make the system work in continuous conduction mode (CCM). The shoot-through is allowed in the operating mode of the CSBI, which eliminates the dead time and leads to better EMI immunity. The modified discontinuous pulse-width modulation (DPWM) strategy is proposed to operate the CSBI. Compared with the space vector pulse-width modulation (SVPWM) method, the new modulation strategy can reduce the switching loss effectively. Meanwhile, the state space averaging method is used to design the inverter structure and calculate the impedance parameters. To investigate the dynamic performance of the CSBI impedance parameters, the small signal model analysis is used. A test bench of CSBI is built in laboratory. The operating strategy and the theoretical analysis of the proposed inverter are validated by the results of simulation and experiment.

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.

Design and analysis of a high-efficiency bi-directional DAB converter for EV charging

The escalating demand for electric vehicles (EVs) arises from apprehensions regarding fossil fuel depletion and the ecological repercussions of conventional combustion engines, propelling the transition towards environmentally sustainable alternatives. EVs are conventionally comprised of a powertrain, battery management system, and communication infrastructure, with the battery playing a pivotal role. Achieving an efficient EV battery charger necessitates the implementation of a proficient charging algorithm and a high-power converter capable of adeptly regulating battery parameters. Among the array of available options, a bi-directional DC/DC converter is often employed for this purpose. This study predominantly focuses on the Bi-Directional Dual Active Bridge Converter with Single-Phase Shift Control. It is renowned for attaining a broad voltage range through transformer turn ratio adjustments. Its controllable parameters, such as phase shift ratio and duty cycle, bolster its versatility. Moreover, due to its input–output isolation and minimal passive elements, this converter exhibits superior efficiency due to its soft-switching capabilities. The analytical framework encompasses steady-state and dynamic assessments, small-signal modeling, and system transfer function analysis, all of which contribute to formulating an optimized controller design. Additionally, the study conducts simulations of various battery charging techniques, including constant current (CC), constant voltage (CV), and CCCV mode, employing a 1.5 kW Dual Active Bridge DAB-based charger through MATLAB/SIMULINK. Furthermore, voltage mode control simulations for a 5 kW DAB converter augment the study's insights into effective EV charging strategies.

Analysis and Suppression of Oscillations in Doubly Fed Variable Speed Pumped Storage Hydropower Plants Considering the Water Conveyance System

The doubly fed variable speed pumped storage (DFVSPS) system is a hydraulically, mechanically, and electrically coupled system, and the characteristics of the components from the water conveyance system to the transmission line need to be fully considered in the oscillation analysis. Hence, the model of the water conveyance system is included to investigate the oscillation characteristics of the DFVSPS connecting to the grid via a series-compensated line. A small-signal state-space model of the DFVSPS system in the generation mode is first established. The oscillation characteristics of the DFVSPS are studied, and the dominant state variables for each oscillation mode are identified. The impact of system parameters on oscillations is further studied, and simulations are carried out to validate the accuracy of the model. The results indicate the oscillation mode of the DFVSPS comprises the electrical sub-synchronous oscillation (SSO) mode and the hydraulically, mechanically coupled low-frequency mechanical oscillation modes. When the series compensation level is high, the SSO becomes divergent, and the system is more likely to be unstable. Optimizing the rotor-side control parameters and the governor control parameters, sub-synchronous and low-frequency oscillations could be effectively suppressed, respectively. This study provides reference suggestions for the development and use of the future DFVSPS system.

A cooperative distributed droop gains adjustment in DC microgrids

Direct Current (DC) microgrids are a very promising solution to integrate renewable energy sources, energy storage systems and loads. The main goals of a microgrid controller are to achieve voltage regulation and load sharing among multiple distributed generators (DGs). Distributed control techniques are widely adopted to address these two objectives. Most of the existing distributed methods in the literature adjust the deviation caused by the conventional droop control by adding two additional terms. In this work, a new cooperative distributed controller to adjust the droop gains of DGs is proposed. The proposed method achieves average voltage regulation and proportional current sharing in a unified manner. It does not require additional corrective terms, resulting then in a simple control structure. Moreover, it relies only on exchanging one communication variable among neighboring DGs, which reduces the communication overhead. The stability of the proposed controller is analyzed using a small signal model of the system. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is evaluated under common load changes, local load variations, communication link failures and communication delays. The designed control scheme is verified through Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) tests using NI PXIe real-time simulator.

Voltage stability control strategy for DC microgrid based on adaptive virtual DC motor

The large-scale integration of distributed energy sources and power electronic devices results in the DC microgrid exhibiting significant low inertia and weak damping characteristics. This, in turn, leads to inevitable fluctuations in the DC bus voltage, which endanger the stable operation of the DC system. Energy storage devices can provide equivalent inertia. To enhance the inertia and response speed of the DC bus interface converter, this paper proposes a power allocation parameter adaptive virtual DC motor control strategy based on a hybrid energy storage unit. The strategy introduces power allocation control to regulate the energy storage converter on the basis of virtual inertia parameter adaptive control, thereby enabling the energy storage converter to simulate the inertia and damping characteristics of a DC generator. The small-signal stability of the system is analyzed by establishing a small-signal model of the photovoltaic energy storage system and utilizing the impedance ratio criterion. Finally, the proposed control strategy is validated through simulation. The results demonstrate that the strategy effectively mitigates the fluctuations in bus voltage under varying photovoltaic power and sudden load changes, ensures the power distribution in the hybrid energy storage system, and enhances the dynamic response of the system.

A Transient Damping Improvement Strategy for Enhancing Grid-Connected Active Power Response Performance of VSG

The given power and grid frequency disturbances can cause transient oscillations and steady-state deviations in the output power of a virtual synchronous generator (VSG), which can be effectively addressed by adding transient damping. However, this approach may result in significant power overshoot. This article proposes an improved VSG control strategy based on transient electromagnetic power feedback compensation and a small-signal model reduction scheme. Firstly, the grid-connected active closed-loop small-signal models of typical VSG control and transient damping VSG control are established, respectively. The transient oscillation suppression mechanism of active power is revealed through root locus and frequency response analyses, and the power overshoot characteristics of the two control strategies are analysed by combining them with the system of zero points. Secondly, the active transient feedback compensation method and the small-signal model reduction design method are introduced in detail. Finally, comparative analysis experiments are conducted using the Matlab/Simulink and hardware-in-the-loop experimental platform. It is verified that the proposed control strategy can suppress transient oscillations in active power, prevent steady-state deviations, and effectively mitigate the power overshoot problem of the system.

Solar-Hydrogen system of additional power supply and digital control system for on-board power supply system

Even for short space flights, such as manned flights to the Moon back in the 60s, it became extremely obvious that electric batteries are completely unsuitable because of their huge mass needed to store the required supply of onboard energy. Therefore, already in the 60s of the last century, the USA and the USSR took the path of using a hydrogen storage system using hydrogen fuel cells.Solar-hydrogen energy systems for spacecraft reliably provide energy for carrying out various kinds of unscheduled work on board and for eliminating emergency situations. Surplus energy is constantly accumulated on board in the form of the chemical energy of cryogenic hydrogen. The article presents too the result of the development of a solar-hydrogen power supply system for spacecraft, the onboard network of which provides slow and fast processes. This paper delves into designing digital control systems for power conditioning devices on the example of charging-discharging device based on a boost DC-DC converter. The device was implemented to condition a storage battery by properly charging and discharging it. A technique for constructing a small signal model of the converter has been developed. This involves constructing a block diagram using the discontinuous switching functions and analog models of electrical circuit components. The transfer functions of the analog controllers for the two-loop subordinate control system were derived. Then the procedure of a bilinear z-transform to the given transfer functions was applied. As a result, the discrete transfer functions of the digital controllers were obtained. Realization both analog and digital controllers in Matlab Simulink confirmed their identical behavior and stability within the power converter. Experimental studies of the static and dynamic waveforms of the digital control system showed controllability and stability of the charging-discharging device for the storage battery in typical operating modes. Thus, the method of synthesizing digital control systems for energy converters is proved valid and applicable for designing new power conditioning devices within modern power supplies.

Implementation of fuzzy logic controller for positive output LUO converter

This paper describes the fuzzy logic controller (FLC) for a positive output LUO converter (POLC), which uses a voltage controller to achieve the output voltage regulation. The fourth-order POLC DC–DC converter produces positive output voltage utilizing the voltage lift technique. Due to the converter’s switching functions and its inherently time-varying nature, it exhibits a highly nonlinear dynamic response. To enhance the dynamic performance of the converter, controllers are designed using small signal model and frequency response analysis. The closed loop is used to evaluate converter performance in the presence of variations in reference voltage, source voltage and load disturbances. The power loss analysis of the converter is performed. The comparative results show that FLC gives good dynamic response for wide range of variations than the proportional–integral (PI) controller. The prototype model is built using dsPIC (30F4011) microcontroller, and the experimental results are presented to validate the simulation results.

A new extraction method of GaN switch-HEMT small-signal model with capacitance scanning algorithm

A new extraction method of GaN switch-HEMT small-signal model with capacitance scanning algorithm

A new positive output DC–DC buck–boost converter based on modified boost and ZETA converters

A new DC–DC buck–boost converter with a wide conversion ratio is presented in this paper. The proposed buck–boost converter consists of a combination of modified boost converter and ZETA converter, which has the advantages of both converters such as continuous input/output current and positive polarity of the output voltage. The combination of these two converters achieves semi-quadratic voltage gain and makes the proposed converter suitable for industrial and renewable energy applications. With a voltage gain higher than that of the ZETA converter and modified boost converter, the proposed converter also reduces input current stress due to its continuity. Two operating states are available for this converter in continuous conduction mode. This converter has two switches that operate simultaneously and can be easily controlled. The converter's output voltage ripple and output capacitor current stress are reduced as a result of continuous output current. Computational analysis and the introduced structure efficiency considering the influence of parasitic elements are presented in this paper. The small signal modelling and closed-loop control, as well as simulation and experimental results are also presented. This converter has also been compared with other similar and recently presented topologies. Finally, a 40–60 W, 20–76 V for boost mode and 10 V for buck mode prototype was implemented to verify the accuracy of the computational analysis.

Small-Signal Equivalent Circuit Model as a Tool for Optimizing Millimeter-Wave Detection With FETs

Small-Signal Equivalent Circuit Model as a Tool for Optimizing Millimeter-Wave Detection With FETs