• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.163-172
• /
• 2016

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) has been receiving increased attentions in recent years. The new modular multilevel converter is a derivative topology from the traditional MMC in which the number of sub-modules (SMs) necessitated by each phase can be reduced by one. This paper presents a phase-shifted carrier pulse-width modulation (PSC-PWM) for the new MMC with an optimal phase-shifted angle to suppress the harmonics of the output voltage. Further, the harmonic features when the capacitor voltage of the middle SM is selected as two different values are also investigated. Moreover, in order to avoid introducing an unnecessary dc offset current at the ac terminals of the new MMC, a novel capacitor voltage balancing scheme is proposed by adjusting the amplitude of the reference signals rather than the offset. Finally, the validity and effectiveness of the proposed modulation and balancing schemes have been verified by experimental results based on a three-phase prototype of the new MMC.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.268-277
• /
• 2015

In this paper, a dual-converter three-phase pulse width modulation (PWM) rectifier based on unbalanced one-cycle control (OCC) strategy is proposed. The proposed rectifier is used to eliminate the second harmonic waves of DC voltage and distortion of line currents under unbalanced input grid voltage conditions. The dual-converter PWM rectifier employs two converters, which are called positive-sequence converter and negative-sequence converter. The unbalanced OCC system compensates feedback currents of positive-sequence converter via grid negative-sequence voltages, as well as compensates feedback currents of negative-sequence converter via grid positive-sequence voltages. The AC currents of positive- and negative-sequence converter are controlled to be symmetrical. Thus, the workload of every switching device of converter is balanced. Only one conventional PI controller is adopted to achieve invariant power control. Then, the parameter tuning is simplified, and the extraction for positive- and negative-sequence currents is not needed anymore. The effectiveness and the viability of the control strategy are demonstrated through detailed experimental verification.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.11 no.5
• /
• pp.734-742
• /
• 2011

In this paper a robust method is presented for the combined design of STATCOM and Power System Stabilizer (PSS) controllers in order to enhance the damping of the low frequency oscillations in power systems. The combined design problems among PSS and STATCOM internal ac and dc voltage controllers has been taken into consideration. The equations that describe the proposed system have been linearized and a Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) has been designed for the PSS. Then, the Particle Swarm Optimization technique (PSO) which has a strong ability to find the most optimistic results is employed to search for the optimal STATCOM controller parameters. The proposed controllers are evaluated on a single machine infinite bus power system with the STATCOM installed in the midpoint of the transmission line. The results analysis reveals that the combined design has an excellent capability in damping a power system's low frequency oscillations, and that it greatly enhances the dynamic stability of power systems. Moreover, a system performance analysis under different operating conditions and some performance indices studies show the effectiveness of the combined design.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.869-877
• /
• 2012

This paper presents a current-balancing circuit for security lights that uses parallel-connected LEDs. The parallel connection of LEDs causes current differences between the LED strings because of characteristic deviations. These differences can reduce the lifespan of a particular point of LEDs by thermal spotting. They can also cause non-uniform luminance of the lighting device. Among the different methods for solving these problems, the method using current-balancing transformers makes it easy to compensate for current differences and it has a simple circuitry. However, while the balancing transformer has been applied to AC light sources, LEDs operate on a DC source, so the driving circuitry and the design method have to be changed and their performances must be verified. Thus in this paper, a design method of the balancing transformer network and the driving circuitry for LEDs is proposed. The proposed design method could have a smaller size than the conventional design method. The proposed circuitry is applied to three types of 100-watt LED security lights, which use different LEDs. Experimental results are presented to verify the performance of the designed driving circuits.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 2007.07a
• /
• pp.614-615
• /
• 2007

There are roughly a hundred types of cables in power plants. The distribution of circuits in a nuclear plant is comprised of 20% instrument cables, 61% control cables, 13% AC power cables, 1% DC power cables, and 5% communication lines. In the nuclear power plant, medium voltage cables are generally included in the scope of systems reviewed for safety and are included in a plant's maintenance program. Medium voltage cables provide power to many critical components in plants, including feed water pumps, circulating water pumps, and condensate pumps. Among these cables, high temperature sections of cables feeding electrical power to the circulating water pump and the condenser extraction pump were found. The evaluation for these cables is performed to find the maximum allowable current and temperature. The result shows that the load current flowed about 85% of the allowable current ampacity, and the temperature of conductor at full load current did not exceed the limited temperature. Therefore, existing cables for circulating water pump and condenser extraction pump system are going to be used during design life.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.131-138
• /
• 2007

In this paper, a novel nonlinear control method of the CVCF(constant voltage and constant frequency) output voltage for the three-phase PWM inverter with LC output filters is proposed. A nonlinear modeling including the output LC filters is linearized by feedback linearization theory, the controllers of which can be designed based on a linear control theory. It is applied to the DC/AC power conversion of the PWM inverter for stand-alone wind power generation system. It has been verified by the experimental results that the proposed control scheme gives high dynamic responses at load variation as well as a zero steady-state error.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.611-620
• /
• 2010

This paper presents a new architecture, called "Power Electronics Remote Wiring and Measurement Laboratory (PermLAB)", that translates a common gateway interface (CGI) string from a remote web user to a web server connected to a 3-dimension switching matrix board, can be used to switch on and off, and to control a cluster of instruments and components. PermLAB addresses real-time connection, switching, and data acquisition over the Internet instead of using simulated data. A software procedure uses a signature system to identify each instrument and component in a complex system. The Web-server application is developed in HTML, JavaScript and Java, and in C language for the CGI interface, which resides in a controller portion of LabVIEW. The LabVIEW software fully integrates the Web sever, LabVIEW data acquisition boards and controllers, and the 3-dimensional switching matrix board. The paper will analyze a half-wave rectifier (AC - DC converter) circuit connected over the Internet using the PermLAB. PermLAB allows students to obtain real data by real-time wiring of real circuits in the laboratory using a "virtual breadboard" on the Web. The software for the Web-based 3-dimensional system is flexible, portable, can be integrated into many laboratory applications or expanded, and easily accessible worldwide.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.777-783
• /
• 2010

In order to drive gas discharge lamps, DC-AC converters with a LCC resonant tank, whose output voltage is adjusted by a variable frequency control are frequently used. However, when they are activated by varying the operating frequency, converters are frequently damaged by unstable operation, due to the rising and falling of the operating frequency near the resonant frequency. To solve this problem, a simple protection circuit for the power supply of a gas discharge lamp is proposed in this paper. This circuit senses the primary current of the main transformer. Using this protection circuit, the operating frequency of the lamp driving inverter system is kept close to and on the right side of the resonant frequency and the inverter is always operated in the ZVS condition. The resulting stable variable frequency operation allows various gas discharge lamps to be tested without the risk of damaging the main switches, because the protection circuit can protect the power MOSFETs of bridge converters from abnormal conditions. The validity and effectiveness of the proposed protection circuit are verified through the experimental results.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.839-847
• /
• 2016

Energy recovery battery testing systems (ERBTS) have been widely used in battery manufactures. All the ERBTS are connected in parallel which forms a special and complicated micro-grid system, which has the shortcomings of low energy recovery efficiency, complex grid-connected control algorithms issues for islanded detection, and complicated power circuit topology issues. To solve those shortcomings, a DC micro-grid system is proposed, the released testing energy has the priority to be reutilized between various testing system within the local grid, Compared to conventional scheme, the proposed system has the merits of a simplified power circuit topology, no needs for synchronous control, and much higher testing efficiency. The testing energy can be cycle-used inside the local micro-grid. The additional energy can be recovered to AC-grid. Numerous experimental comparison results between conventional and proposed scheme are provided to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed technique.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 2007.07a
• /
• pp.1241-1242
• /
• 2007

전세계가 고유가 시대로 들어서면서 각국은 에너지 확보에 전력을 기울이고 있다. 이에 대체 에너지 개발이 미래의 중요한 과제로 여겨지고 있다. 본 연구에서는 결정질 실리콘 태양전지의 대안으로 주목받고 있는 염료감응형 태양전지를 다루어 보았다. 유효면적 $8cm^2$의 염료감응형 태양전지의 직병렬 조합을 이용하여 DSSC 모듈을 만들어 얻은 출력을 전력변환 시킴으로써 상용전원을 얻고자 하였다. 염료감응형 태양전지모듈을 만들기 위해 먼저 DSSC의 단위 셀을 최적화 시키고 이를 실제 광원에서 다양한 직병렬 연결 시도 끝에 모듈로부터 약 5.7V, 3A의 출력을 얻을 수 있었다. 이를 Boost converter를 이용하여 전압을 12V까지 승압하고 이 출력을 고속 스위칭 소자인 MOSFET을 이용하여 스위칭한 Push-pull converter에서 DC 310V까지 승압시켰다. 그리고 그 출력을 DSP를 이용한 20[kHz]의 PWM신호를 만들어 제어한 결과, AC 220V의 상용전원을 얻었다. 그리고 이 전원을 부하에 연결하여 그 동작 특성을 연구하였다.