An Overview of Applications of the Modular Multilevel Matrix Converter

The modular multilevel matrix converter is a relatively new power converter topology suitable for high-power alternating current (AC)-to-AC applications. Several publications in the literature have highlighted the converter capabilities, such as full modularity, fault-redundancy, control flexibility and input/output power quality. However, the topology and control of this converter are relatively complex to realise, considering that the converter has a large number of power-cells and floating capacitors. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there are no review papers where the applications of the modular multilevel matrix converter are discussed. Hence, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art of the modular multilevel matrix converter, focusing on implementation issues and applications. Guidelines to dimensioning the key components of this converter are described and compared to other modular multilevel topologies, highlighting the versatility and controllability of the converter in high-power applications. Additionally, the most popular applications for the modular multilevel matrix converter, such as wind turbines, grid connection and motor drives, are discussed based on analyses of simulation and experimental results. Finally, future trends and new opportunities for the use of the modular multilevel matrix converter in high-power AC-to-AC applications are identified.Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo/[Fondecyt 11191163]/ANID/ChileAgencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo/[Fondecyt 1180879]/ANID/ChileAgencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo/[Fondecyt 11190852]/ANID/ChileAgencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo/[ANID Basal FB0008]/ANID/ChileAgencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo/[Fondef ID19I10370]/ANID/ChileUniversidad de Santiago/[Dicyt 091813DD]//ChileUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ingeniería::Facultad de Ingeniería::Escuela de Ingeniería Eléctric

Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation

Power converters and electric machines represent essential components in all fields of electrical engineering. In fact, we are heading towards a future where energy will be more and more electrical: electrical vehicles, electrical motors, renewables, storage systems are now widespread. The ongoing energy transition poses new challenges for interfacing and integrating different power systems. The constraints of space, weight, reliability, performance, and autonomy for the electric system have increased the attention of scientific research in order to find more and more appropriate technological solutions. In this context, power converters and electric machines assume a key role in enabling higher performance of electrical power conversion. Consequently, the design and control of power converters and electric machines shall be developed accordingly to the requirements of the specific application, thus leading to more specialized solutions, with the aim of enhancing the reliability, fault tolerance, and flexibility of the next generation power systems

Power-electronic systems for the grid integration of renewable energy sources: a survey

The use of distributed energy resources is increasingly being pursued as a supplement and an alternative to large conventional central power stations. The specification of a powerelectronic interface is subject to requirements related not only to the renewable energy source itself but also to its effects on the power-system operation, especially where the intermittent energy source constitutes a significant part of the total system capacity. In this paper, new trends in power electronics for the integration of wind and photovoltaic (PV) power generators are presented. A review of the appropriate storage-system technology used for the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources is also introduced. Discussions about common and future trends in renewable energy systems based on reliability and maturity of each technology are presented

Rapid Control Prototyping of Five-Level MMC based Induction Motor Drive with different Switching Frequencies

In this paper, Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP) of five-level Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) based Induction Motor (IM) drive performance is observed with different switching frequencies. The Semikron based MMC Stacks with two half-bridge each are tested with the switching logic generated by phase and level shifted based Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation (SPWM) technique. The switching logic is generated by the Typhoon Hardware in Loop (HIL) 402. The disadvantages of Multilevel Converter like not so good output quality, less modularity, not scalable and high voltage and current rating demand for the power semiconductor switches can be overcome by using MMC. In this work, the IM drive is fed by MMC and the experimentally the performance is observed. The performance of the Induction Motor in terms of speed is observed with different switching frequencies of 2.5kHz, 5kHz, 7.5kHz, 10kHz, 12.5kHz and the results are tabulated in terms of Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of input voltage and current to the Induction Motor Drive. The complete model is developed using Typhoon HIL 2021.2 Version Real-Time Simulation Software

Solid state transformer technologies and applications: a bibliographical survey

This paper presents a bibliographical survey of the work carried out to date on the solid state transformer (SST). The paper provides a list of references that cover most work related to this device and a short discussion about several aspects. The sections of the paper are respectively dedicated to summarize configurations and control strategies for each SST stage, the work carried out for optimizing the design of high-frequency transformers that could adequately work in the isolation stage of a SST, the efficiency of this device, the various modelling approaches and simulation tools used to analyze the performance of a SST (working a component of a microgrid, a distribution system or just in a standalone scenario), and the potential applications that this device is offering as a component of a power grid, a smart house, or a traction system.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Power quality improvement utilizing photovoltaic generation connected to a weak grid

Microgrid research and development in the past decades have been one of the most popular topics. Similarly, the photovoltaic generation has been surging among renewable generation in the past few years, thanks to the availability, affordability, technology maturity of the PV panels and the PV inverter in the general market. Unfortunately, quite often, the PV installations are connected to weak grids and may have been considered as the culprit of poor power quality affecting other loads in particular sensitive loads connected to the same point of common coupling (PCC). This paper is intended to demystify the renewable generation, and turns the negative perception into positive revelation of the superiority of PV generation to the power quality improvement in a microgrid system. The main objective of this work is to develop a control method for the PV inverter so that the power quality at the PCC will be improved under various disturbances. The method is to control the reactive current based on utilizing the grid current to counteract the negative impact of the disturbances. The proposed control method is verified in PSIM platform. Promising results have been obtaine

Control of the modular multilevel matrix converter for wind energy conversion systems

The nominal power of single Wind Energy Conversion Systems has been steadily growing, reaching power ratings close to 10 MW. In the power conversion stage, medium-voltage power converters are replacing the conventional low-voltage back-to-back topology. Modular Multilevel Converters have appeared as a promising solution for Multi-MW WECSs due to their characteristics such as modularity, reliability and the capability to reach high nominal voltages. Thereby, this thesis discusses the application of the Modular Multilevel Matrix Converter to drive Multi-MW Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECSs). The modelling and control systems required for this application are extensively analysed and discussed in this document. The proposed control strategies enable decoupled operation of the converter, providing maximum power point tracking capability at the generator-side, grid-code compliance and Low Voltage Ride Through Control at the grid-side and good steady-state and dynamic performance for balancing the capacitor voltages of the converter. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategies is validated through simulations and experimental results. Simulation results are obtained with a 10MW, 6.6 kV Modular Multilevel Matrix Converter based WECS model developed in PLECS software. Additionally, a 5 kVA downscale prototype has been designed and constructed during this Ph.D. The downscale prototype is composed of 27 H-Bridges power cells. The system is controlled using a Digital Signal Processor connected to three Field Programmable Gate Array which are equipped with 50 analogue-digital channels and 108 gate drive signals. Two programmable AMETEK power supplies emulate the electrical grid and the generator. The wind turbine dynamics is programmed in the generator-side power supply to emulate a generator operating in variable speed/voltage mode. The output port of the Modular Multilevel Matrix Converter is connected to another power source which can generate programmable grid sag-swell conditions. Simulation and experimental results for variable-speed operation, grid-code compliance, and capacitor voltage regulation have confirmed the successful operation of the Modular Multilevel Matrix Converter based WECSs. In all the experiments, the proposed control systems ensure proper capacitor voltage balancing, keeping the flying capacitor voltages bounded and with low ripple. Additionally, the performance of the generator-side and grid-side control system have been validated for Maximum Power Point Tracking and Low-Voltage Ride Through, respectively

Control of the modular multilevel matrix converter for wind energy conversion systems

The nominal power of single Wind Energy Conversion Systems has been steadily growing, reaching power ratings close to 10 MW. In the power conversion stage, medium-voltage power converters are replacing the conventional low-voltage back-to-back topology. Modular Multilevel Converters have appeared as a promising solution for Multi-MW WECSs due to their characteristics such as modularity, reliability and the capability to reach high nominal voltages. Thereby, this thesis discusses the application of the Modular Multilevel Matrix Converter to drive Multi-MW Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECSs). The modelling and control systems required for this application are extensively analysed and discussed in this document. The proposed control strategies enable decoupled operation of the converter, providing maximum power point tracking capability at the generator-side, grid-code compliance and Low Voltage Ride Through Control at the grid-side and good steady-state and dynamic performance for balancing the capacitor voltages of the converter. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategies is validated through simulations and experimental results. Simulation results are obtained with a 10MW, 6.6 kV Modular Multilevel Matrix Converter based WECS model developed in PLECS software. Additionally, a 5 kVA downscale prototype has been designed and constructed during this Ph.D. The downscale prototype is composed of 27 H-Bridges power cells. The system is controlled using a Digital Signal Processor connected to three Field Programmable Gate Array which are equipped with 50 analogue-digital channels and 108 gate drive signals. Two programmable AMETEK power supplies emulate the electrical grid and the generator. The wind turbine dynamics is programmed in the generator-side power supply to emulate a generator operating in variable speed/voltage mode. The output port of the Modular Multilevel Matrix Converter is connected to another power source which can generate programmable grid sag-swell conditions. Simulation and experimental results for variable-speed operation, grid-code compliance, and capacitor voltage regulation have confirmed the successful operation of the Modular Multilevel Matrix Converter based WECSs. In all the experiments, the proposed control systems ensure proper capacitor voltage balancing, keeping the flying capacitor voltages bounded and with low ripple. Additionally, the performance of the generator-side and grid-side control system have been validated for Maximum Power Point Tracking and Low-Voltage Ride Through, respectively

Fault Ride-Through Capacity Enhancement of Fixed Speed Wind Generator by A Modified Bridge-type Fault Current Limiter

Fault Ride-Through (FRT) is a common requirement to abide by grid code all over the world. In this work, to enhance the fault ride-through capability of a fixed speed wind generator system, a modified configuration of Bridge-Type Fault Current Limiter (BFCL) is proposed. To check the effectiveness of the proposed BFCL, its performance is compared with that of the Series Dynamic Braking Resistor (SDBR). A harmonic performance improvement by the proposed method is also analyzed. Three-line-to-ground (3LG), line-to-line (LL) and single-line-to-ground (1LG) faults were applied to one of the double circuit transmission lines connected to the wind generator system. Simulations were carried out using Matlab/Simulink software. Simulation results show that the proposed BFCL is very effective device to achieve the FRT and suppress fault current that eliminates the need for circuit breaker replacement. Also, the BFCL improves the harmonic performance and helps follow harmonic grid code. Moreover, it was found that the BFCL works better than the SDBR, and has some distinct advantages over the SDBR