• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.62 no.9
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• pp.1240-1248
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• 2013

This paper describes a switching-level operation analysis of BTB(Back-To-Back) converter for HVDC(high voltage DC) application based on MMC(modular multi-level converter). A switching-level operation analysis for BTB converter is very important to understand the converter operation in detail and check the voltage and current transients in each components. However, the development of switching-level simulation model for the actual size BTB Converter is very difficult because the MMC normally has more than 150 sub-modules for each arm. So, a switching level simulation model for the 11-level MMC-based BTB converter was developed with PSCAD/EMTDC software, which has 12 sub-modules for the positive arm and another 12 sub-modules for the negative arm. The DC-voltage balance algorithm, the circulating-current reduction algorithm, the harmonic reduction algorithm, and the redundancy operation algorithm were included in this simulation model. The developed simulation model can be utilized to analyze the MMC-based BTB converter for HVDC application in switching level and to develop the protection scheme for the MMC-based BTB converter for HVDC application.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.473-479
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• 2016

In this paper, the PSC PWM method is chosen as the optimal modulation method for a 20MW VSC HVDC, with consideration of the harmonic distortion of the output voltage, the switching frequency, and the control implementation difficulty. In addition, a new PSC PWM method is proposed in order to achieve an easy application and to solve the redundant control problems encountered in the previous PSC PWM method. To verify the proposed PSC PWM method, PSCAD/EMTDC simulations for an 11-level MMC RTDS HILS test and an 11-level MMC prototype converter test were performed. As can be seen from the results of these tests, the proposed PSC PWM method shows good results in an 11-level MMC with redundant sub-modules.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.522-531
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• 2016

This paper proposes a new NLC (Nearest Level Control) scheme for MMCs (Modular Multilevel Converters), which offers voltage ripple reductions in the DC capacitor of the SM (Sub-Module), the output voltage harmonics, and the switching losses. The feasibility of the proposed NLC was verified through computer simulations. Based on these simulation results, a hardware prototype of a 10kVA, DC-1000V MMC was manufactured in the lab. Experiments were conducted to verify the feasibility of the proposed NLC in an actual hardware environment. The experimental results were consistent with the results obtained from the computer simulations.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.328-333
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• 2013

Since a slight malfunction of control systems in a nuclear power plant may cause huge catastrophes, such control systems usually have multiple redundancy and reliable features, and their reliability and availability should be analyzed and verified thoroughly. This paper performed the reliability analysis of the SPLC (Safety Programmable Logic Controller) that is under developed as the control systems for the next generation nuclear power plant. One of the key features of SPLC is that it has multiple redundancy modes as faults happen, which means the reliability analysis for one fixed redundant model is not enough to analyze the reliability of SPLC. With considering this reconfigurable concept, FTA (Fault Tree Analysis) was used to capture fault-relationship among sub-modules. The analysis results show that MTTF (Mean Time to Fault) of SPLC is 45,080 hours, which is a about 4.5 times longer than the regulation, 10,000 hours.