• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1058-1070
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• 2017

This paper proposes a novel active damping scheme to suppress LCL-filter resonance with only grid-current feedback control in grid-connected voltage-source converters. The idea comes from the concept of the model reference adaptive control (MRAC). A detailed theoretical derivation is given, and the effectiveness of this method is explained based on its physical nature. According to the control structure of this method, the active damping compensator, which is essentially a second order resonant integrator (SORI) filter, provides an effective solution to damp LCL resonance and to eliminate the need for additional sensors. Compared with extra feedback methods, the cost and complexity are reduced. A straightforward tuning procedure for the active damping method has been presented. A stability analysis is illustrated in the discrete domain while considering a one-step delay. Finally, experimental results are presented to validate the analysis and to demonstrate the good performance of the proposed method.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.1101-1107
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• 2017

In this paper, a robust and fast grid synchronization method of a three-phase power converter is proposed. The amplitude and phase information of grid voltages are essential for power converters to be properly connected into the utility. The phase-lock-loop in synchronous reference frame has been widely adopted for the three-phase converter system since it shows a satisfactory performance under balanced grid voltages. However, power converters often operate under abnormal grid conditions, i.e. unbalanced by grid faults and frequency variations, and thus a proper active and reactive power control cannot be guaranteed. The proposed method adopts a second order generalized integrator in synchronous reference frame to detect positive sequence components under unbalanced grid voltages. The proposed method has a fast and robust performance due to its higher gain and frequency adaptive capability. Simulation and experimental results show the verification of the proposed synchronization algorithm and the effectiveness to detect positive sequence voltage.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.216-226
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• 2015

Grid synchronization is one of the key techniques for the grid-connected power converters used in distributed power generation systems. In order to achieve fast and accurate grid synchronization, a new phase locked loop (PLL) is proposed on the basis of the complex filter matrixes (CFM) orthogonal signal generator (OSG) crossing-decoupling method. By combining first-order complex filters with relation matrixes of positive and negative sequence voltage components, the OSG is designed to extract specific frequency orthogonal signals. Then, the OSG mathematical model is built in the frequency-domain and time-domain to analyze the spectral characteristics. Moreover, a crossing-decoupling method is suggested to decouple the fundamental voltage. From the eigenvalue analysis point of view, the stability and dynamic performance of the new PLL method is evaluated. Meanwhile, the digital implementation method is also provided. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by experiments under unbalanced and distorted grid voltage conditions.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.946-956
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• 2014

Cascaded H-Bridge (CHB) converters can be directly connected to medium-voltage grids without using transformers and they possess the advantages of large capacity and low harmonics. They are significant tools for providing grid connections in large-capacity renewable energy systems. However, the reliability of a grid-connected CHB converter can be seriously influenced by the number of power switching devices that exist in the structure. This paper proposes a fault-tolerant control strategy based on double zero-sequence voltage injection and DC voltage optimization to improve the reliability of star-connected CHB converters after one or more power units have been bypassed. By injecting double zero-sequence voltages into each phase cluster, the DC voltages of the healthy units can be rapidly balanced after the faulty units are bypassed. In addition, optimizing the DC voltage increases the number of faulty units that can be tolerated and improves the reliability of the converter. Simulations and experimental results are shown for a seven-level three-phase CHB converter to validate the efficiency and feasibility of this strategy.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1286-1294
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• 2015

Capacitor current feedback active damping is extensively used in grid-connected converters with an LCL filter. However, systems tends to become unstable when the digital control delay is taken into account, especially in low switching frequencies. This paper discusses this issue by deriving a discrete model with a digital control delay and by presenting the stable region of an active damping loop from high to low switching frequencies. In order to overcome the disadvantage of capacitor current feedback active damping, this paper proposes a modified approach using grid current and converter current for feedback. This can expand the stable region and provide sufficient active damping whether in high or low switching frequencies. By applying the modified approach, the active damping loop can be simplified from fourth-order into second-order, and the design of the grid current loop can be simplified. The modified approach can work well when the grid impedance varies. Both the active damping performance and the dynamic performance of the current loop are verified by simulations and experimental results.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1363-1371
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• 2017

In this paper, an improved Direct Power Control (DPC) algorithm is presented for grid connected three phase PWM rectifiers. The new DPC approach is based on two main tasks. First the optimization of the look-up table, which is well-known in conventional DPC, is outlined for selecting the optimum converter output voltage vectors. Secondly a very simple and effective method is used to directly calculate their duty cycles from the power errors. Therefore, the measured active and reactive powers are made to track their references using hysteresis controllers. Then two vectors are selected and applied during one control cycle to minimize both the active and reactive power ripples. The main advantages of this method are that there is no need of linear current controllers, coordinates transformations or modulators. In addition, the control strategy is able to operate at constant switching frequencies to ease the design of the power converter and the AC harmonic filter. The control exhibits a good steady state performance and improves the dynamic response without any overshoot in the line current. Theoretical principles of the proposed method are discussed. Both simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the performance and effectiveness of this control scheme.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.160-170
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• 2018

For high power photovoltaic (PV) grid-connected converters, high order filters such as multi-tuned filters and Traps+RC filters with outstanding filtering performance have been widely researched. In this paper, the optimization of a multi-tuned filter with a low damping resistance and research on its corresponding control scheme have been combined to improve the performance of the proposed filter. Based on the characteristics of the switching harmonics produced by PWM, the proposed filter is optimized to further improve its filtering performance. When compared with the more common Traps+RC filter, the advantages of the proposed filter with low damping resistances in attenuating the major switching harmonics have been demonstrated. In addition, a simpler topology and reduced power loss can be achieved. On the other hand, to make the implementation of the proposed filter possible, on the base of the unique frequency response characteristic of the proposed filter, a digital single-loop control scheme has been proposed. This scheme is a simple and effective means to suppress the resonance peak caused by a lack of damping. Therefore, a smaller volume, better efficiency of the proposed filter, and easy implementation of the corresponding control scheme can be realized. Finally, the superiority of the proposed filter topology and control scheme is verified in experiments.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1034-1044
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• 2019

In medium-voltage and high-voltage high-power converters, the switching devices need to operate at a low switching frequency to reduce power loss and increase the power capacity. This increases the delay of the signal sampling and PWM. It also makes the cross-couplings of the d-q current components more severe. In addition, the LCL filter has three cross-coupling loops and is prone to resonance. In order to solve these problems, this paper establishes a complex vector model of an LCL type grid-connected converter. Based on this model, two multiple decoupling current control strategies with passive damping / notch damping are proposed for the LCL type grid-connected converter. The proposed strategies can effectively eliminate the cross-couplings of the converter, achieve independent control of the d-q current components, expand the stable region and suppress the resonance of the LCL filter. Simulation and experimental results verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the feasibility of the proposed strategies.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1483-1493
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• 2016

Multiple parallel inverters have multiple resonant frequencies that are influenced by many factors. This often results in stability and power quality problems. This paper develops a multiple input multiple output model of grid-connected inverter systems using a closed-loop transfer function. The influence factors of the resonant characteristics are analyzed with the developed model. The analysis results show that the resonant frequency is closely related to the number, type and composition ratio of the parallel inverters. To suppress resonance, a scheme based on virtual impedance is presented, where the virtual impedance is emulated in the vicinity of the resonance frequency. The proposed scheme needs one inverter with virtual impedance control, which reduces the design complexity of the other inverter controllers. Simulation and experimental tests are carried out on two single phase converter-based setups. The results validate the correctness of the model, the analytical results and the resonant suppressing scheme.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.960-969
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• 2016

High-power three-level voltage-source converters are widely utilized in high-performance AC drive systems. In several ultra-power instances, the harmonics on the grid side should be reduced through multiple rectifications. A combined harmonic elimination method that includes a dual primary-side series-connected winding transformer and selective harmonic elimination pulse-width modulation is proposed to eliminate low-order current harmonics on the primary and secondary sides of transformers. Through an analysis of the harmonic influence caused by dead time and DC magnetic bias, a synthetic compensation control strategy is presented to minimize the grid-side harmonics in the dual primary side series-connected winding transformer application. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed control strategy can significantly reduce the converter input current harmonics and eliminates the DC magnetic bias in the transformer.