A Practical Model and an Optimal Controller for Variable Speed Wind Turbine Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator

The aim of this paper is the complete modeling and simulation of an optimal control system using practical setup parameters for a wind energy conversion system (WECS) through a direct driven permanent magnet synchronous generator (D-PMSG) feeding ac power to the utility grid. The generator is connected to the grid through a back-to-back PWM converter with a switching frequency of 10 KHz. A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control is proposed to ensure the maximum power capture from wind turbine, and a PI controller designed for the wind turbine to generate optimum speed for the generator via an aerodynamic model. MATLAB/Simulink results demonstrate the accuracy of the developed control scheme

Neural-Network Vector Controller for Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motor Drives: Simulated and Hardware-Validated Results

This paper focuses on current control in a permanentmagnet synchronous motor (PMSM). The paper has two main objectives: The first objective is to develop a neural-network (NN) vector controller to overcome the decoupling inaccuracy problem associated with conventional PI-based vector-control methods. The NN is developed using the full dynamic equation of a PMSM, and trained to implement optimal control based on approximate dynamic programming. The second objective is to evaluate the robust and adaptive performance of the NN controller against that of the conventional standard vector controller under motor parameter variation and dynamic control conditions by (a) simulating the behavior of a PMSM typically used in realistic electric vehicle applications and (b) building an experimental system for hardware validation as well as combined hardware and simulation evaluation. The results demonstrate that the NN controller outperforms conventional vector controllers in both simulation and hardware implementation

Passivity-based harmonic control through series/parallel damping of an H-bridge rectifier

Nowadays the H-bridge is one of the preferred solutions to connect DC loads or distributed sources to the single-phase grid. The control aims are: sinusoidal grid current with unity power factor and optimal DC voltage regulation capability. These objectives should be satisfied, regardless the conditions of the grid, the DC load/source and the converter nonlinearities. In this paper a passivity-based approach is thoroughly investigated proposing a damping-based solution for the error dynamics. Practical experiments with a real converter validate the analysis.

Integration of an Active Filter and a Single-Phase AC/DC Converter with Reduced Capacitance Requirement and Component Count

Existing methods of incorporating an active filter into an AC/DC converter for eliminating electrolytic capacitors usually require extra power switches. This inevitably leads to an increased system cost and degraded energy efficiency. In this paper, a concept of active-filter integration for single-phase AC/DC converters is reported. The resultant converters can provide simultaneous functions of power factor correction, DC voltage regulation, and active power decoupling for mitigating the low-frequency DC voltage ripple, without an electrolytic capacitor and extra power switch. To complement the operation, two closed-loop voltage-ripple-based reference generation methods are developed for controlling the energy storage components to achieve active power decoupling. Both simulation and experiment have confirmed the eligibility of the proposed concept and control methods in a 210-W rectification system comprising an H-bridge converter with a half-bridge active filter. Interestingly, the end converters (Type I and Type II) can be readily available using a conventional H-bridge converter with minor hardware modification. A stable DC output with merely 1.1% ripple is realized with two 50-μF film capacitors. For the same ripple performance, a 900-μF capacitor is required in conventional converters without an active filter. Moreover, it is found out that the active-filter integration concept might even improve the efficiency performance of the end converters as compared with the original AC/DC converter without integration

Study of switching transients in high frequency converters

As the semiconductor technologies progress rapidly, the power densities and switching frequencies of many power devices are improved. With the existing technology, high frequency power systems become possible. Use of such a system is advantageous in many aspects. A high frequency ac source is used as the direct input to an ac/ac pulse-density-modulation (PDM) converter. This converter is a new concept which employs zero voltage switching techniques. However, the development of this converter is still in its infancy stage. There are problems associated with this converter such as a high on-voltage drop, switching transients, and zero-crossing detecting. Considering these problems, the switching speed and power handling capabilities of the MOS-Controlled Thyristor (MCT) makes the device the most promising candidate for this application. A complete insight of component considerations for building an ac/ac PDM converter for a high frequency power system is addressed. A power device review is first presented. The ac/ac PDM converter requires switches that can conduct bi-directional current and block bi-directional voltage. These bi-directional switches can be constructed using existing power devices. Different bi-directional switches for the converter are investigated. Detailed experimental studies of the characteristics of the MCT under hard switching and zero-voltage switching are also presented. One disadvantage of an ac/ac converter is that turn-on and turn-off of the switches has to be completed instantaneously when the ac source is at zero voltage. Otherwise shoot-through current or voltage spikes can occur which can be hazardous to the devices. In order for the devices to switch softly in the safe operating area even under non-ideal cases, a unique snubber circuit is used in each bi-directional switch. Detailed theory and experimental results for circuits using these snubbers are presented. A current regulated ac/ac PDM converter built using MCT's and IGBT's is evaluated

Measurements, Models, Systems and Design

531 s.

Efficient simulation of DC-DC switch-mode power converters by multirate partial differential equations

In this paper, Multirate Partial Differential Equations (MPDEs) are used for the efficient simulation of problems with 2-level pulsed excitations as they often occur in power electronics, e.g., DC-DC switch-mode converters. The differential equations describing the problem are reformulated as MPDEs which are solved by a Galerkin approach and time discretization. For the solution expansion two types of basis functions are proposed, namely classical Finite Element (FE) nodal functions and the recently introduced excitation-specific pulse width modulation (PWM) basis functions. The new method is applied to the example of a buck converter. Convergence, accuracy of the solution and computational efficiency of the method are numerically analyzed

Active DC-link capacitor harmonic current reduction in two-level back-to-back converter

The paper proposes a method of active switching harmonics current reduction in the DC-link capacitor of a two-level, three-phase, back-to-back converter. Based on the derived analytical solution for switching harmonic currents in the DC-link, it is shown that by specific control over the PWM carriers’ phase angles, the targeted harmonics of the rectifier and the inverter can be synchronized in phase such that their cancellation occurs in the DC-link capacitor. This synchronization is provided by harmonic phase feedback control. The three step procedure to implement the method is detailed in the paper. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified experimentally

Five-Level Flying Capacitor Converter used as a Static Compensator for Current Unbalances in Three-Phase Distribution Systems

This thesis presents and evaluates a solution for unbalanced current loading in three-phase distribution systems. The proposed solution uses the flying capacitor multilevel converter as its main topology for an application known as Unbalanced Current Static Compensator. The fundamental theory, controller design and prototype construction will be presented along with the experimental results. The Unbalanced Current Static Compensator main objective is the balancing of the up-stream currents from the installation point to eliminate the negative- and zero-sequence currents originated by unbalanced single-phase loads. Three separate single-phase flying capacitor converters are controlled independently using a d-q rotating reference frame algorithm to allow easier compensation of reactive power. Simulations of the system were developed in MATLAB/SIMULINK™ in order to validate the design parameters; then, testing of the UCSC prototype was performed to confirm the control algorithm functionality. Finally, experimental result are presented and analyzed