Grid sequence detector based on a stationary reference frame

This paper proposes a new three-phase positive sequence detector. The scheme is based on a stationary reference frame and a Moving Average Filter (MAF) that guarantees the complete cancellation of harmonics and grid imbalances. The performance of the MAF is mathematically analyzed and a proper selection of the optimal filter’s window width is realized. The proposed detector operates in open loop and there is no PI controller to be tuned. Thus, the dynamic response and simplicity is improved compared to other solutions. Performance of the proposed detector is verified through simulation and experiment. It shows very good performance under extreme grid voltage conditions, allowing fast detection of the grid voltage positive sequence (within one grid voltage cycle).Postprint (published version

Sea trial results of a predictive algorithm at the Mutriku Wave power plant and controllers assessment based on a detailed plant model

Improving the power production in wave energy plants is essential to lower the cost of energy production from this type of installations. Oscillating Water Column is among the most studied technologies to convert the wave energy into a useful electrical one. In this paper, three control algorithms are developed to control the biradial turbine installed in the Mutriku Wave Power Plant. The work presents a comparison of their main advantages and drawbacks first from numerical simulation results and then with practical implementation in the real plant, analysing both performance and power integration into the grid. The wave-to-wire model used to develop and assess the controllers is based on linear wave theory and adjusted with operational data measured at the plant. Three different controllers which use the generator torque as manipulated variable are considered. Two of them are adaptive controllers and the other one is a nonlinear Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm which uses information about the future waves to compute the control actions. The best adaptive controller and the predictive one are then tested experimentally in the real power plant of Mutriku, and the performance analysis is completed with operational results. A real time sensor installed in front of the plant gives information on the incoming waves used by the predictive algorithm. Operational data are collected during a two-week testing period, enabling a thorough comparison. An overall increase over 30% in the electrical power production is obtained with the predictive control law in comparison with the reference adaptive controller.The work was funded by European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, OPERA Project under grantagreement No 654444, and the Basque Government under project IT1324-19. We acknowledge Ente Vasco de la Energía (EVE) for theaccess of the Mutriku plant and Oceantec in their support during the sea trials. The authors thank Joannes Berques (Tecnalia) for hiscontribution on the wave climate analysis at Mutriku and Borja de Miguel (IDOM) for his insights on the hydrodynamics modelling. Special thanks go to Temoana Menard in the study of the polytropic air model during its internship at Tecnalia

Grid sequence detector based on a stationary reference frame

This paper proposes a new three-phase positive sequence detector. The scheme is based on a stationary reference frame and a Moving Average Filter (MAF) that guarantees the complete cancellation of harmonics and grid imbalances. The performance of the MAF is mathematically analyzed and a proper selection of the optimal filter’s window width is realized. The proposed detector operates in open loop and there is no PI controller to be tuned. Thus, the dynamic response and simplicity is improved compared to other solutions. Performance of the proposed detector is verified through simulation and experiment. It shows very good performance under extreme grid voltage conditions, allowing fast detection of the grid voltage positive sequence (within one grid voltage cycle).Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

A Simplified Modeling Approach of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines for Dynamic Simulations

Currently, floating offshore wind is experiencing rapid development towards a commercial scale. However, the research to design new control strategies requires numerical models of low computational cost accounting for the most relevant dynamics. In this paper, a reduced linear time-domain model is presented and validated. The model represents the main floating offshore wind turbine dynamics with four planar degrees of freedom: surge, heave, pitch, first tower foreaft deflection, and rotor speed to account for rotor dynamics. The model relies on multibody and modal theories to develop the equation of motion. Aerodynamic loads are calculated using the wind turbine power performance curves obtained in a preprocessing step. Hydrodynamic loads are precomputed using a panel code solver and the mooring forces are obtained using a look-up table for different system displacements. Without any adjustment, the model accurately predicts the system motions for coupled stochastic wind–wave conditions when it is compared against OpenFAST, with errors below 10% for all the considered load cases. The largest errors occur due to the transient effects during the simulation runtime. The model aims to be used in the early design stages as a dynamic simulation tool in time and frequency domains to validate preliminary designs. Moreover, it could also be used as a control design model due to its simplicity and low modeling order.The work was funded by the Basque Government through the BIKAINTEK PhD support program (grant No. 48-AF-W2-2019-00010

An Iterative Refining Approach to Design the Control of Wave Energy Converters with Numerical Modeling and Scaled HIL Testing

The aim of this work is to show that a significant increase of the e_ciency of aWave Energy Converter (WEC) can be achieved already at an early design stage, through the choice of a turbine and control regulation, by means of an accurate Wave-to-Wire (W2W) modeling that couples the hydrodynamic response calibrated in a wave flume to a Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) test bench with sizes and rates not matching those of the system under development. Information on this procedure is relevant to save time, because the acquisition, the installation, and the setup of a test rig are not quick and easy. Moreover, power electronics and electric machines to emulate turbines and electric generators matching the real systems are not low-cost equipment. The use of HIL is important in the development of WECs also because it allows the carrying out of tests in a controlled environment, and this is again time- and money-saving if compared to tests done on a real system installed at the sea. Furthermore, W2W modeling can be applied to several Power Take-O_ (PTO) configurations to experiment di_erent control strategies. The method here proposed, concerning a specific HIL for testing power electronics and control laws for a specific WECs, may have a more general validity.This work was supported by MARINET, a European Community—Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 “Capacities” Specific Programme, grant agreement n. 262552

Variable-Frequency Grid-Sequence Detector Based on a Quasi-Ideal Low-Pass Filter Stage and a Phase-Locked Loop

This paper proposes a filtered-sequence phase-locked loop (FSPLL) structure for detection of the positive sequence in three-phase systems. The structure includes the use of the Park transformation and moving average filters (MAF). Performance of the MAF is mathematically analyzed and represented in Bode diagrams. The analysis allows a proper selection of the window width of the optimal filter for its application in the dq transformed variables. The proposed detector structure allows fast detection of the grid voltage positive sequence (within one grid voltage cycle). The MAF eliminates completely any oscillation multiple of the frequency for which it is designed; thus, this algorithm is not affected by the presence of imbalances or harmonics in the electrical grid. Furthermore, the PLL includes a simple-frequency detector that makes frequency adaptive the frequency depending blocks. This guarantees the proper operation of the FSPLL under large frequency changes. The performance of the entire PLL-based detector is verified through simulation and experiment. It shows veryPeer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Current balancing strategy in parallel-connected legs of power inverters

The parallel connection of inverter legs is a way to increase the output currents and thus the converter rated power. The connection is made by inductors and a critical issue is to achieve balanced currents among the legs. Circulating currents produce additional losses and stress to the power devices of the converter. Therefore, they should be controlled and minimized. An efficient technique to achieve such a balance is presented in this paper. The proposed strategy does not include proportional-integral (PI) controllers and parameter tuning is not required. The exact control action to achieve current balance is straightforward calculated and applied. Simulation and experimental results are shown in this paper to verify efficiency of the proposed balancing method.Postprint (author’s final draft

Parallel-connected legs in a grid-tied inverter system for distributed generation

Grid-connected high-power inverters are often used in distributed generation and power quality systems. Those inverters have to handle high currents in order to achieve high power values without resorting to higher voltages. Connecting inverter legs in parallel is a proper way to achieve such high currents. Such parallel connection is made by means of inductors and achieving balanced currents among the legs becomes a critical issue. Circulating currents may produce additional losses and stress to the converter’s power devices. Therefore, they should be controlled and minimized. An efficient technique to achieve such balance is presented in this paper. The proposed strategy has been developed on a gridconnected three-phase system. Each phase of the inverter is made up of three legs in parallel. Besides, the control implemented in this work allows full regulation of the power factor. This way, any desired power factor value can be achieved in order to meet grid-connection requirements. Simulation and experimental results are shown in this paper.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Analysis of electrical drive speed control limitations of a power take-off system for wave energy converters

The active control of wave energy converters with oil-hydraulic power take-off systems presents important demands on the electrical drives attached to their pumps, in particular on the required drive accelerations and rotational speeds. This work analyzes these demands on the drives and designs reliable control approaches for such drives by simulating a wave-to-wire model in a hardware in-the-loop simulation test rig. The model is based on a point absorber wave energy converter, being the wave, hydrodynamic and oil-hydraulic part simulated in a computer that sends and receives signals from the real embedded components, such as the drive generator, controller and back-to-back converter. Three different control strategies are developed and tested in this test rig and the results revealed that despite the drive limitations to acceleration levels, well above 1 × 104 rpm/s, these do not significantly affect the power take-off efficiency, because the required acceleration peaks rarely achieve these values. Moreover this drive is much more economical than an oil-hydraulic and equivalent one that is able to operate at those peaks of acceleration.This work was performed within the Strategic Research Plan of the Center for Marine Technology and Ocean Engineering, which is financed by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia-FCT) and the project "Generic hydraulic power take-off system for wave energy converters" funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under contract PTDC/EMS-SIS-1145/2014. The testing has received support from MARINET, a European Community - Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 "Capacities" Specific Programme, grant agreement nr. 262552. The research leading to these results is also part of the OceaNET project, which has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement nr. 607656

Standardising Marine Renewable Energy Testing: Gap Analysis and Recommendations for Development of Standards

Marine renewable energy (MRE) is still an emerging technology. As such, there is still a lack of mature standards and guidance for the development and testing of these devices. The sector covers a wide range of disciplines, so there is a need for more comprehensive guidance to cover these. This paper builds on a study undertaken in the MaRINET2 project to summarise recommendations and guidance for testing MRE devices and components, by reviewing the recently published guidance. Perceived gaps in the guidance are then discussed, expanding on the previous study. Results from an industry survey are also used to help quantify and validate these gaps. The main themes identified can be summarised as: the development progression from concept to commercialisation, including more complex environmental conditions in testing, accurately modelling and quantifying the power generated, including grid integration, plus modelling and testing of novel moorings and foundation solutions. A pathway to a standardised approach to MRE testing is presented, building on recommendations learnt from the MaRINET2 round-robin testing, showing how these recommendations are being incorporated into the guidance and ultimately feeding into the development of international standards for the marine renewable energy sector