Unbalanced Grid Conditions Research Articles

A Single-Stage Electrolytic Capacitor-Less EV Charger With Single- and Three-Phase Compatibility

This article proposes a modular single-stage electrolytic capacitor-less electric vehicles charger with single and three-phase grid compatibility. The proposed single-stage structure inherently maintains dc charging current for three-phase grid. For single-phase grid, a phase module is reconfigured to operate as a power decoupling circuit, making battery current to be dc. Furthermore, the proposed single-stage on-board charger is able to achieve zero voltage switching under wide grid and battery voltage ranges with only one control variable of phase shift angle. A balancing control method is proposed to ensure pure dc battery charging under unbalanced grid conditions. An optimized design of the planar core with Litz wire for achieving low profile is presented. Finally, a 11-kW prototype of the proposed charger achieved a power density of 5.25 kW/L and demonstrated 97.01% peak efficiency.

Power Ripple Control Method for Modular Multilevel Converter under Grid Imbalances

Modular multilevel converters (MMCs) are primarily adopted for high-voltage applications, and are highly desired to be operated even under fault conditions. Researchers focused on improving current controllers to reduce the adverse effects of faults. Vector control in the DQ reference domain is generally adopted to control the MMC applications. Under unstable grid conditions, it is challenging to control double-line frequency oscillations in the DQ reference frame. Therefore, active power fluctuations are observed in the active power due to the uncontrolled AC component’s double line frequency component. This paper proposes removing the active power’s double-line frequency under unbalanced grid conditions during DQ transformation. Feedforward and feedback control methods are proposed to eliminate ripple in active power under fault conditions. An extraction method for AC components is also proposed for the power ripple control to eliminate the phase error occurring with the conventional high-pass filters. The system’s stability with the proposed controller is tested and compared with a traditional MMC controller using the Nyquist stability criterion. A real-time digital simulator (RTDS) and Xilinx Virtex 7-based FPGA were used to verify the proposed control methods under single-line-to-ground (SLG) faults.

An Improved Low-Complexity Model Predictive Direct Power Control With Reduced Power Ripples Under Unbalanced Grid Conditions

This article proposes an improved low-complexity model predictive direct power control (LC-MPDPC) along with reduced power ripples. Different from those MPDPC methods under balanced grid voltage conditions, both the design and implication of MPDPC under unbalanced grid conditions are further studied. In the proposed MPDPC, to reduce the computational burden of the controller, an improved LC-MPDPC based on the extended reactive <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pq</i> theory is proposed. Only one prediction is needed to select the next voltage vector. Besides, the defined cost function under balanced grid conditions cannot obtain the minimized value if the unbalanced grid conditions occur. Accordingly, a new power error is defined, which is described analytically in the optimal model. With the proposed LC-MPDPC, a negative conjugate of the new defined complex power is selected as the control variable, and an improved modulation for the LC-MPDPC is presented to ensure the best voltage and calculate the optimal duration under unbalanced grid conditions. Compared with prior MPDPC, the proposed LC-MPDPC obtains much lower power ripples and grid current total harmonic distortion, and further, it offers a fast dynamic response and robustness. The effectiveness of the proposed LC-MPDPC is evaluated and validated by the experimental results.

Stabilization Design of Three-Phase LCL-Filtered Grid-Connected Inverter Using IDA-PBC Controller

With the aim of improving the stability of renewable energy system with high permeability in the weak grid, a modified passivity-based control based on interconnection and damping assignment (IDA) is presented for LCL-filtered grid-connected inverters to eliminate the interactive resonances. The object is modeled in the form of port-controller Hamiltonian, including the partial differential of stored energy function. On the premise of ensuring Lyapunov stability, a more flexible interconnection matrix design method is applied to simplify the design process. The closed-loop stability is ensured with the selected Hamiltonian energy function at the desired balanced point. Moreover, a step-by-step design process for damping gains is provided to guarantee stable operation and fast dynamic response under variation of complex grid impedance. With the designed injected damping parameters, considering the effect of delay, it is possible for the real part of the inverter output admittance to be positive within the switching frequency. The performance and robustness of the proposed method for LCL-filtered inverter system are validated via simulated and experimental results under both unbalanced and balanced grid conditions.

Improved Sliding-Mode Vector Control Strategy Combined With Extended Reactive Power for MMC Under Unbalanced Grid Condition

Proportional–integral vector control (PIVC) has been proposed as an effective control strategy for modular multi-level converter (MMC) under balanced grid conditions. However, the PIVC using traditional power theory has unsatisfactory performances under unbalanced grid conditions, which cannot maintain the AC current sinusoidal while eliminating the twice grid-frequency ripples in active and reactive power. Therefore, an improved sliding-mode vector control (ISMVC) strategy combined with the extended reactive power (ERP) for MMC-based DC power system is proposed in this paper, which can cope with the problems above and work effectively under both balanced and unbalanced grid conditions. Furthermore, the proposed ISMVC shows better dynamic response and robustness than PI and conventional sliding-mode control (SMC) due to the novel design of sliding surface and reaching law. Comparative simulation experiments of the ISMVC and PIVC using the traditional and extended reactive power for MMC are conducted to verify the validity and superiority of the proposed control strategy under different grid conditions.

The fundamental phase shift compensation scheme in a digital-controlled VIENNA rectifier with variable carrier-fundamental frequency ratio under unbalanced grid conditions

In the DC power distribution systems, One-cycle control (OCC) based three-phase VIENNA rectifiers achieves high power factor (PF) easily. However, under unbalanced grid conditions, the fundamental phase shift between the input current and corresponding phase voltage obviously deteriorates PF, especially when carrier-fundamental frequency ratio varies. In this paper, based on the mathematical model of the rectifier with OCC control under unbalanced grid conditions, the fundamental phase shift problem is analyzed in detail, including variable carrier-fundamental frequency ratio. Moreover, aiming at solving this problem, a fundamental phase shift compensation scheme is proposed. By introducing a second order generalized integrator (SOGI) to generate the complex vector grid currents feedback, which combines with unbalanced grid voltages, three-phase modulation signals are dynamically modified to eliminate the fundamental phase shift. To facilitate the digital control for the rectifier, the digital implementation of the proposed compensation scheme is described in this paper. At last, a digital-controlled VIENNA rectifier experimental test bench is built, and the effectiveness of the proposed scheme is verified by experimental results.

A modified power decoupling control strategy for a grid-connected inverter with a low switching frequency under unbalanced grid voltages

In the photovoltaic grid-connected power generation system, when proportional resonant (PR) control is adopted for the grid-side inverter in the two-phase stationary coordinate (αβ), there is a coupling problem between active power (P) and reactive power (Q). Under unbalanced grid conditions, especially in high-power applications where the switching frequency of the grid inverter needs to be reduced, the power coupling problem will be exacerbated. Based on the instantaneous power response characteristics of the grid inverter, expressions of the power coupling coefficient under unbalanced power grids are derived in this paper, and the influence of the unbalanced grid voltage on the power coupling is revealed. Moreover, a decoupled grid-side model of the grid inverter is established, and a modified controller based on positive and negative sequence (P–N sequence) decoupling is proposed to solve the power coupling problem. The closed-loop transfer function of the system with the modified current controller is studied, and the stability of the modified controller is analyzed according to the bilateral frequency response diagram. Based on analysis of the coupling coefficient, the degree of coupling between P and Q can be reduced significantly by applying the proposed control method. Furthermore, in order to solve the influence of the delay on the power coupling caused by the low switching frequency, the decoupling compensation link for the delay is introduced, which can eliminate the influence of delay on power coupling. Finally, experiments are performed on a grid-connected inverter prototype. The experimental results show that when the grid voltage is unbalanced, the proposed control method can reduce the coupling degree of the P and Q, which also improves the dynamic performance of the grid-connected inverter with a low switching frequency.

Combined voltage oriented control and direct power control based on backstepping control for four-leg PWM rectifier under unbalanced conditions

The present paper proposes a combined voltage-oriented control and direct power control (VOC-DPC) method associated with the backstepping control technique for a three-phase four-wire grid-connected four-leg rectifier in the synchronous rotating frame without using phase locked loop (PLL) and Parks transformation under balanced and unbalanced load and grid conditions. This control method is proposed in order to remove the drawbacks of the conventional VOC based on the PLL technique .The proposed control method is able to enhance the control performance and dynamic responses of the system when considering slow dynamics and instability issues of the PLL in several cases and can decrease the computational burden due to the absence of PLL and Park transformation. In addition, the performance of the proposed VOC-DPC method is enhanced by using backstepping control (BSC) based on Lyabonov theory for both the input currents and DC-bus voltage loops. As a consequence, constant DC-bus voltage, unit power factor, sinusoidal input currents, and neutral current minimization can be accurately carried out under both DC-bus voltage and load variations. Furthermore, robustness against filter inductance variations can also be achieved. The effectiveness, superiority, and performance of the proposed control method for a four-leg rectifier based on BSC in the dq0-frame are validated by several processor-in-the-loop (PIL) co-simulation tests sing the STM32F407 discovery development board.

LMI-Based State Feedback Control Structure for Resolving Grid Connectivity Issues in DFIG-Based WT Systems

Pertaining to the connectivity issues in wind power plants with grids, this study introduces an efficient mechanism based on a state feedback control structure to establish a fast and stable grid connection for a wind-driven doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG). Owing to a direct link through stator windings, a DFIG is significantly vulnerable to grid disturbances and experiences sizable inrush currents when connected to the power grid. The proposed control structure is designed based on a linear matrix inequality stabilization criterion, which is framed using a suitable Lyapunov candidate function. The control objective is to ensure that the stator voltage can exponentially converge to the grid voltage, accounting for balanced and unbalanced grid conditions. This is achieved by generating appropriate rotor voltage references for rotor-side converter control. This study also explores the capability of the proposed control structure to enhance the system’s robustness to external disturbances and uncertain parametric variations. Simulations confirmed the effectiveness and suitability of the developed structure in mitigating the adverse effects of the rapid onset of the grid voltage at the stator terminals of the DFIG under various grid conditions; the proposed structure could thus establish a reliable connection with negligible effects on the DFIG and the grid.

Deadbeat predictive power control for Vienna rectifier under unbalanced power grid condition

Due to the low output distortion and switch voltage stress, Vienna rectifiers have been widely utilized in high-power applications such as communication power supplies, wind power systems and electric vehicle charging piles. However, Vienna rectifiers still have to face tough challenges under unbalanced grid considering the inherit operating range limitation caused by its structure. Consequently, a deadbeat predictive power control (DBP-PC) for the Vienna rectifier under unbalanced grid is proposed. Using the positive and negative sequence double dq decoupling current control strategy, the operating range of the Vienna rectifier under unbalanced grid is analyzed. Furthermore, an improved DBP-PC for Vienna rectifiers under unbalanced grid is proposed. By the improved DBP-PC, the stable operating range can be effectively extended. Finally, the corresponding simulations and experiments are executed to demonstrate the performance of the proposed control strategy.

A Novel Three-Vector-Based Model Predictive Direct Power Control for Three-Phase PWM Rectifier

A novel strategy of three-vector-based model predictive direct power control (MPDPC) is proposed for three-phase Pulse-width Modulation (PWM) rectifier. Under ideal grid conditions, three-vector MPDPC is studied, and a good control effect has been achieved. However, under the unbalanced power grid condition, the traditional control strategy has some problems, such as a high harmonic content of current and large instantaneous power pulsation. A new three-vector model predictive control is proposed based on the new instantaneous power theory, and the objective function is established by instantaneous power error. The duty cycle of the selected vector is calculated by solving the optimal objective function. Under an unbalanced power grid, this paper takes a three-phase PWM rectifier as a research object, and carries out simulation and experimental tests on the traditional and new control strategies. The experimental results show that the new control strategy has lower current harmonics, and eliminates the twice grid-frequency oscillation of the grid in instantaneous power.

Modular Multilevel Converters for Large-Scale Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems: A Review

The use of photovoltaic (PV) systems as the energy source of electrical distributed generators (DG) is gaining popularity, due to the progress of power electronics devices and technologies. Large-scale solar PV power plants are becoming the preferable solution to meet the fast growth of electrical energy demand, as they can be installed in less than one year, as compared to around four years in the case of conventional power plants. Modular multilevel inverters (MMIs) are the best solution to connect these large-scale PV plants to the medium-voltage (MV) grid, due to their numerous merits, such as providing better power quality, having higher efficiency, providing better reliability, and their scalability. However, MMIs are still progressing and need some improvement before they can be implemented safely in the industrial, medium, and high voltage networks. The main purpose of this paper is to review the present MMIs topologies when used in PV applications. The review aims to present a comprehensive study of the various recent submodule circuits associated with MMI topologies. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control schemes for PV inverters will be explored extensively. Then, the different control strategies of PV MMIs will be presented and compared to give a holistic overview of the submodules balancing techniques, ranges, and capabilities under balanced and unbalanced grid conditions. In addition, the paper will discuss the future of PV MMIs systems in electricity networks.

An Optimized Circulating Current Control Method Based on PR and PI Controller for MMC Applications

Modular multilevel converter (MMC) is an excellent topology for medium- and high-voltage applications due to its advantages over other multilevel converters. However, the control algorithm design needs meticulous attention as each submodule (SM) capacitor voltage is balanced around their reference. Any voltage inequality between the SM voltage causes the second harmonic-dominated circulating current inside the MMC. The circulating current increases the rms value of the arm currents, component ratings, and the ripple in the capacitor voltages unless it is appropriately controlled. This article proposes an optimized closed-loop circulating current control method based on PR and PI controllers in abc reference frame to prevent high circulating current inside an MMC. The proposed method suppresses the magnitude of circulating current while reducing the ripple in capacitor voltages. The ripple in the dc link voltage is also reduced without any supplementary controller under balanced and unbalanced ac grid conditions. Thus, the proposed circulating current control method reduces the conduction losses and component ratings, while the converter's efficiency and reliability increase. The method's verification is tested on a point-to-point connected MMC-based high voltage direct current system in a real-time simulator with Xilinx FPGA-based MMC emulator and arm controller.

Nonlinear MPC for DFIG-based wind power generation under unbalanced grid conditions

In a modern power system with a high wind power penetrating rate, the control of the doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) is quite important to ensure high load-following capability. It can be quite challenging when grid voltage unbalance conditions happened. Model predictive control (MPC) is an advanced control strategy that can optimize the DFIG operation, particularly under unbalanced grid voltage conditions. The detailed modeling in the positive and negative synchronous reference frames resulting from the grid unbalance is presented in nonlinear state-space form. An effective linearized technique, i.e., the input-output feedback linearization method, is adopted in the MPC design. The control law is derived by the optimization of two targets that aim to eliminate the pulsations in the active or reactive power. The simulation results prove that power pulsations are effectively suppressed under unbalanced grid voltage conditions while ensuring good track performance.

Passive Sliding Mode Controlled UPFC and its Treatment Strategy of Unbalanced Grid Conditions

Modular multilevel converter based unified power flow controller (MMC-UPFC) can provide flexible power regulation and plays an important role in the smart grid and future distribution networks. PI controller is widely adopted in the Unified power flow controller (UPFC) control. However, it is often difficult to figure out a pair of stable control parameters with good dynamic performance. A passive sliding mode control strategy of MMC-UPFC is proposed in this paper to achieve the advantages of both the passive controller and sliding mode controller. The proposed passive sliding mode control strategy has a fast response speed and is not sensitive to system parameter variation. Since unbalance grid voltage conditions are common in the modern distribution networks, an unbalanced grid treatment strategy is also presented with the series side of MMC-UPFC. Negative sequence components of the grid voltages are detected by the cross-decoupling method with second order generalized integrator and then compensated by the series side of MMC-UPFC. The series side converter controls the power flow and treats unbalanced grid conditions simultaneously. The efficiency of the general device is increased thus. A 27-level MMC-UPFC simulation system is built based on the Shanghai UPFC Project and validate the proposed approach.

Dynamic Modeling and Control of BDFRG under Unbalanced Grid Conditions

The Brushless Doubly-Fed Reluctance Generator (BDFRG) is a potential alternative to the Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) in wind power applications owing to its reasonable cost, competitive performance, and high reliability. In comparison with the Brushless Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (BDFIG), the BDFRG is more efficient and easier to control owing to the cage-less rotor. One of the most preferable advantages of BDFRG over DFIG is the inherently better performance under unbalanced grid conditions. The study conducted in this paper showed that conventional vector control of the BDFRG results in excessive oscillations of the primary active/reactive power, electromagnetic torque, and primary/secondary currents in this case. In order to address such limitations, this paper presented a new control strategy for the unbalanced operation of BDFRG-based wind generation systems. A modified vector control scheme was proposed with the capability to control the positive and the negative sequences of the secondary currents independently, thus greatly reducing the adverse implications of the unbalanced supply. The controller performance has been validated by simulations using a 1.5 MW BDFRG dynamical model built upon the positive and negative sequence equations. The main benefits of the new control strategy are quantified in comparison with conventional PI current control design.

DFIG-based Wind Energy Conversion System Using Matrix Converter Under Unbalanced and Harmonic Grid Conditions with Band Pass-FIR Filters

This paper presents a modest control strategy of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind electric conversion system (WECS) with matrix converter, under unbalanced and harmonic grid conditions. Tedious sequence decomposition process and complex control reference calculations are avoided in the proposed control methodology. To obtain power grid-friendly operation, Band Pass-finite impulse response (BP-FIR) filters are designed to achieve four different control targets: sinusoidal stator current, sinusoidal rotor current, smooth stator real and reactive power and constant electromagnetic torque. In addition to active power reference from Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller and desired reactive power reference, BP-FIR filters are used to synthesize space vectors of direct matrix converter. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is tested for a wide range of wind speeds.

고조파 및 불평형 성분을 가지는 계통 환경에 따른 3상 펄스폭변조정류기 성능 비교 연구

In this paper, the input and output performance of a three-phase pulse width modulation (PWM) rectifier operated by each of three different control techniques based on current control and power control in the grid with harmonics and unbalanced components are compared and analyzed. Regardless of the basic and high-efficiency types, the same current-controlled and power-controlled techniques showed similar performance in the harmonics and unbalanced grid conditions. In all grid conditions with harmonics and unbalanced components, the output voltage by the power-controlled rectifier has a lower ripple value than the output voltage by the current-controlled rectifier. Therefore, in terms of output voltage ripple, it is confirmed that the power-controlled rectifier shows more robust characteristics in harmonics and unbalanced grid condition.

Analysis and experimental verification of improved two-level converter behaviors under unbalanced AC conditions

An improved two-level converter (I2LC) represents a practical design trade-off between the conventional two-level converter (C2LC) and modular multilevel converter (MMC), in which the MMC like AC and DC fault responses and relative simplicity of C2LC power circuit and control are prioritized. Therefore, this paper presents theoretical analysis, which helps to develop broader understandings of the I2LC, and identification of the needed countermeasures to ensure correct operation during balanced and unbalanced grid conditions. The correctness of the findings and observations drawn from the presented analysis has been validated with the aid of scaled-down simulations and experimentations of the I2LC. Unlike the C2LC, it has been revealed that the I2LC can offer two concurrent operational objectives at system level during unbalanced AC grid conditions, such as balanced output currents and ripple-free DC link current. Further investigation conducted on the performance of the I2LC based two-terminal DC link during asymmetrical AC faults corroborates the theoretical analysis and scaled-down simulation and experimental studies.

Improved Low Voltage Ride-Through Capability of DFIG with ESO Controller under Unbalanced Network Conditions

Under unbalanced grid condition, in a Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG), voltage, current, and flux of the stator become asymmetric. Therefore, active-reactive power and torque will be oscillating. In DFIG controlling Rotor Side Converter (RSC) aims to eliminate power and torque oscillations. However, simultaneous elimination of the power and torque oscillations is not possible. Also, Grid Side Converter (GSC) aims to regulate DC-Link voltage. In this paper, in order to regulate DC-Link voltage, an Extended State Observer (ESO) based on a Generalized Proportional-Integral (GPI) controller, is employed. In this controlling method, DC-Link voltage is controlled without measuring the GSC current, and due to using the GPI controller, the improved dynamic response is resistant against voltage changes, and the settling time is reduced. To improve the transient stability and Low Voltage Fault Ride Through (LVRT) capability of DFIG, Statistic Fault Current Limiter (S-FCL) and Magnetic Energy Storage Fault Current Limiter (MES-FCL) are proposed in this paper. The proposed FCL does not only limit the fault current but also fasten voltage recovery. The simulations are implemented by MATLAB software in the synchronous positive and negative sequence reference (d-q).