Development of a multilevel converter topology for transformer-less connection of renewable energy systems

The global need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels for electricity production has become an ongoing research theme in the last decade. Clean energy sources (such as wind energy and solar energy) have considerable potential to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate climate change. However, wind energy is going to become more mainstream due to technological advancement and geographical availability. Therefore, various technologies exist to maximize the inherent advantages of using wind energy conversion systems (WECSs) to generate electrical power. One important technology is the power electronics interface that enables the transfer and effective control of electrical power from the renewable energy source to the grid through the filter and isolation transformer. However, the transformer is bulky, generates losses, and is also very costly. Therefore, the term "transformer-less connection" refers to eliminating a step-up transformer from the WECS, while the power conversion stage performs the conventional functions of a transformer. Existing power converter configurations for transformer-less connection of a WECS are either based on the generator-converter configuration or three-stage power converter configuration. These configurations consist of conventional multilevel converter topologies and two-stage power conversion between the generator-side converter topology and the high-order filter connected to the collection point of the wind power plant (WPP). Thus, the complexity and cost of these existing configurations are significant at higher voltage and power ratings. Therefore, a single-stage multilevel converter topology is proposed to simplify the power conversion stage of a transformer-less WECS. Furthermore, the primary design challenges – such as multiple clamping devices, multiple dc-link capacitors, and series-connected power semiconductor devices – have been mitigated by the proposed converter topology. The proposed converter topology, known as the "tapped inductor quasi-Z-source nested neutral-point-clamped (NNPC) converter," has been analyzed, and designed, and a prototype of the topology developed for experimental verification. A field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based modulation technique and voltage balancing control technique for maintaining the clamping capacitor voltages was developed. Hence, the proposed converter topology presents a single-stage power conversion configuration. Efficiency analysis of the proposed converter topology has been studied and compared to the intermediate and grid-side converter topology of a three-stage power converter configuration. A direct current (DC) component minimization technique to minimize the dc component generated by the proposed converter topology was investigated, developed, and verified experimentally. The proposed dc component minimization technique consists of a sensing and measurement circuitry with a digital notch filter. This thesis presents a detailed and comprehensive overview of the existing power converter configurations developed for transformer-less WECS applications. Based on the developed 2 comparative benchmark factor (CBF), the merits and demerits of each power converter configuration in terms of the component counts and grid compliance have been presented. In terms of cost comparison, the three-stage power converter configuration is more cost-effective than the generatorconverter configuration. Furthermore, the cost-benefit analysis of deploying a transformer-less WECSs in a WPP is evaluated and compared with conventional WECS in a WPP based on power converter configurations and collection system. Overall, the total cost of the collection system of WPP with transformer-less WECSs is about 23% less than the total cost of WPP with conventional WECs. The derivation and theoretical analysis of the proposed five-level tapped inductor quasi-Z-source NNPC converter topology have been presented, emphasizing its operating principles, steady-state analysis, and deriving equations to calculate its inductance and capacitance values. Furthermore, the FPGA implementation of the proposed converter topology was verified experimentally with a developed prototype of the topology. The efficiency of the proposed converter topology has been evaluated by varying the switching frequency and loads. Furthermore, the proposed converter topology is more efficient than the five-level DC-DC converter with a five-level diode-clamped converter (DCC) topology under the three-stage power converter configuration. Also, the cost analysis of the proposed converter topology and the conventional converter topology shows that it is more economical to deploy the proposed converter topology at the grid side of a transformer-less WECS

Discrete time current regulation of grid connected converters with LCL filters

Two important components of a grid connected power electronic converter are the line filter and the closed loop current regulator. Together they are largely responsible for system stability, power flow and power quality into the grid. The LCL filter is a smaller and cheaper line filter alternative because of its third order filtering capability. However the LCL filter has a resonance that must be appropriately damped using either passive or active techniques, generating more losses or adding complexity to the controller respectively. It is now generally accepted that the PWM transport delay due to discrete/digital implementations is the main limiting factor for controller bandwidth in L filtered systems. However, despite the large body of literature for the LCL filter, there is still only limited consensus regarding the implications of PWM transport delay on the current regulator and active damping controller for this type of filter. This thesis applies discrete time models to these systems to overcome these perceived limitations and hence develop the optimal controllers. This knowledge is then used to enhance the current regulator to overcome further practical problems. The first part of this thesis focuses on the development of discrete time current regulation for a grid connected inverter. The benefits of discrete time modelling and control for current regulation are demonstrated by using a discrete state feedback controller for an L filter system. A precise discrete time model of the LCL filter system is then developed to exactly identify the frequency region where active damping is mandatory, and the high frequency region where active damping is not required. The critical frequency, which separates these two regions, is identified as a fraction of the sampling frequency, demonstrating the controller's dependence on PWM transport delay. Controllers and gain selection methods are developed and verified for each region. A generalised approach for analysis of the LCL filtered system is then developed so that all forms can be evaluated on a precisely comparable basis. Using this generalised approach the particular advantages and disadvantages of each control method are readily identified. The second part of this thesis looks at the impact of two practical issues for current regulation of LCL filtered grid connected converters. It firstly identifies that practical converters generally do not match their ideal output current quality expectations. The reasons for this distortion are explained and harmonic compensators are then proposed as an effective solution to overcome it. Secondly the implications of a virtual neutral common mode EMI filter on the current regulator are investigated. A virtual neutral filter design is proposed that utilises the primary LCL filter components. The active damping current regulator is then enhanced to avoid interference from the additional current path and to actively damp the common mode resonance. All theoretical work is validated by extensive simulation and experimental results

Wind Power

This book is the result of inspirations and contributions from many researchers of different fields. A wide verity of research results are merged together to make this book useful for students and researchers who will take contribution for further development of the existing technology. I hope you will enjoy the book, so that my effort to bringing it together for you will be successful. In my capacity, as the Editor of this book, I would like to thanks and appreciate the chapter authors, who ensured the quality of the material as well as submitting their best works. Most of the results presented in to the book have already been published on international journals and appreciated in many international conferences