Current-limiting three-phase rectifiers

In this paper, a nonlinear controller is proposed for a three-phase rectifier so that its input current does not exceed a given limit. At the same time, the proposed controller can achieve accurate dc output voltage regulation and reactive power control independently from system parameters including the load during the normal operation. Using the generic dq transformation and the nonlinear model of the rectifier, the boundedness and the current-limiting property of the closed-loop system are proven using Lyapunov methods and the input-to-state stability theory. Moreover, an analytic framework for selecting the controller parameters is presented and the current limitation is proven for both the cases with L and LCL filters at the input of the rectifier. Different from existing approaches, the current-limiting property is achieved without external limiters, monitoring devices, or switches and is incorporated in the control dynamics, independently from the type of the load (linear or nonlinear). Extensive real-time simulation results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy

Power sharing of parallel operated DC-DC converters using current-limiting droop control

In this paper, a nonlinear current-limiting droop controller is proposed to achieve accurate power sharing among parallel operated DC-DC boost converters in a DC micro-grid application. In particular, the recently developed robust droop controller is adopted and implemented as a dynamic virtual resistance in series with the inductance of each DC-DC boost converter. Opposed to the traditional approaches that use small-signal modeling, the proposed control design takes into account the accurate nonlinear dynamic model of each converter and it is analytically proven that accurate power sharing can be accomplished with an inherent current limitation for each converter independently using input-to-state stability theory. When the load requests more power that exceeds the capacity of the converters, the current-limiting capability of the proposed control method protects the devices by limiting the inductor current of each converter below a given maximum value. Extensive simulation results of two paralleled DC-DC boost converters are presented to verify the power sharing and current-limiting properties of the proposed controller under several changes of the load

Stability analysis and nonlinear current-limiting control design for DC micro-grids with CPLs

In this study, a DC micro‐grid consisting of multiple paralleled energy resources interfaced by both bidirectional AC/DC and DC/DC boost converters and loaded by a constant power load (CPL) is investigated. By considering the generic dq transformation of the AC/DC converters' dynamics and the accurate nonlinear model of the DC/DC converters, two novel control schemes are presented for each converter‐interfaced unit to guarantee load voltage regulation, power sharing and closed‐loop system stability. This novel framework incorporates the widely adopted droop control and using input‐to‐state stability theory, it is proven that each converter guarantees a desired current limitation without the need for cascaded control and saturation blocks. Sufficient conditions to ensure closed‐loop system stability are analytically obtained and tested for different operation scenarios. The system stability is further analysed from a graphical perspective, providing valuable insights of the CPL's influence onto the system performance and stability. The proposed control performance and the theoretical analysis are first validated by simulating a three‐phase AC/DC converter in parallel with a bidirectional DC/DC boost converter feeding a CPL in comparison with the cascaded PI control technique. Finally, experimental results are also provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control approach on a real testbed

PLL-less Nonlinear Current-limiting Controller for Single-phase Grid-tied Inverters: Design, Stability Analysis and Operation Under Grid Faults

A nonlinear controller for single-phase grid-tied inverters, that can operate under both a normal and a faulty grid with guaranteed closed-loop stability, is proposed. The proposed controller acts independently from the system parameters, does not require a phase-locked loop (PLL) and can achieve the desired real power regulation and unity power factor operation. Based on nonlinear input-to-state stability theory, it is analytically proven that the inverter current always remains below a given value, even during transients, independently from grid variations or faults (short circuit or voltage sag). The desired performance and stability of the closed-loop system are rigorously proven since the controller has a structure that does not require any switches, additional limiters or monitoring devices for its implementation. Therefore, nonlinear stability of a grid-tied inverter with a given current-limiting property is proven for both normal and faulty grid conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is experimentally verified under different operating conditions of the grid

The merger history, AGN and dwarf galaxies of Hickson Compact Group 59

Compact group galaxies often appear unaffected by their unusually dense environment. Closer examination can, however, reveal the subtle, cumulative effects of multiple galaxy interactions. Hickson Compact Group (HCG) 59 is an excellent example of this situation. We present a photometric study of this group in the optical (HST), infrared (Spitzer) and X-ray (Chandra) regimes aimed at characterizing the star formation and nuclear activity in its constituent galaxies and intra-group medium. We associate five dwarf galaxies with the group and update the velocity dispersion, leading to an increase in the dynamical mass of the group of up to a factor of 10 (to 2.8e13 Msun), and a subsequent revision of its evolutionary stage. Star formation is proceeding at a level consistent with the morphological types of the four main galaxies, of which two are star-forming and the other two quiescent. Unlike in some other compact groups, star-forming complexes across HCG 59 closely follow mass-radius scaling relations typical of nearby galaxies. In contrast, the ancient globular cluster populations in galaxies HCG 59A and B show intriguing irregularities, and two extragalactic HII regions are found just west of B. We age-date a faint stellar stream in the intra-group medium at ~1 Gyr to examine recent interactions. We detect a likely low-luminosity AGN in HCG 59A by its ~10e40 erg/s X-ray emission; the active nucleus rather than star formation can account for the UV+IR SED. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of galaxy evolution in dense environments.Comment: 38 pages, 17 figures. Please visit "http://tinyurl.com/isk-hcg59" for a full-resolution PDF. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa