• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.232-239
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• 2015

Faced with unbalanced grid operation mode, the high voltage direct current (HVDC) based on voltage source converter (VSC) can be properly controlled by a dual current control scheme. For the modular multilevel converter (MMC) controlling the AC side current is able to limit the arm current which flows along the IGBT of submodule (SM) to rated current. However the limitation of the arm current results in leaving the control range of active power at MMC confined to below the rated capacity. As a result, limiting the arm current causes the problem that the DC side voltage of the HVDC can not be controlled to the reference value since MMC HVDC adjusts the DC side voltage through the active power. In this paper, we propose the algorithm adjusting the active powers of both MMCs to resolve the problem. The back-to-back MMC HVDC applying the algorithm is modeled by PSCAD/EMTDC to verify the algorithm.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1683-1696
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• 2018

Under the conventional control strategy, the asymmetry of arm impedances may result in the poor operating performance of modular multilevel converters (MMCs). For example, fundamental frequency oscillation and double frequency components may occur in the dc and ac sides, respectively; and submodule (SM) capacitor voltages among the arms may not be balanced. This study presents an enhanced control strategy to deal with these problems. A mathematical model of an MMC with asymmetric arm impedance is first established. The causes for the above phenomena are analyzed on the basis of the model. Subsequently, an enhanced current control with five integrated proportional integral resonant regulators is designed to protect the ac and dc terminal behavior of converters from asymmetric arm impedances. Furthermore, an enhanced capacitor voltage control is designed to balance the capacitor voltage among the arms with high efficiency and to decouple the ac side control, dc side control, and capacitor voltage balance control among the arms. The accuracy of the theoretical analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed enhanced control strategy are verified through simulation and experimental results.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.271-281
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• 2014

Fluctuating wind conditions necessitate the use of a variable speed wind turbine (VSWT) with a AC/DC/AC converter scheme in order to harvest the maximum power from the wind and to decouple the synchronous generator voltage and frequency from the grid voltage and frequency. In this paper, a combination of a three phase diode bridge rectifier (DBR) and a modified topology of the diode clamped multilevel inverter (DCMLI) has been considered as an AC/DC/AC converter. A control strategy has been proposed for the DCMLI to achieve the objective of grid interface of a wind power system together with local load compensation. A novel fixed frequency current control method is proposed for the DCMLI based on the level shifted multi carrier PWM for achieving the required control objectives with equal and uniform switching frequency operation for better control and thermal management with the modified DCMLI. The condition of the controller gain is derived to ensure the operation of the DCMLI at the fixed frequency of the carrier. The converter current injected into the distribution grid is controlled in accordance with the wind power availability. In addition, load compensation is performed as an added facility in order to free the source currents being fed from the grid of harmonic distortion, unbalance and a low power factor even though the load may be unbalanced, non-linear and of a poor power factor. The results are validated using PSCAD/EMTDC simulation studies.

• Proceedings of the KIPE Conference
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• 2015.11a
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• pp.161-162
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• 2015

본 논문은 수중음향센서용 전력증폭기를 위한 멀티레벨 가변 출력전압 AC/DC 컨버터를 제안한다. 제안하는 AC/DC 컨버터는 멀티레벨 가변출력전압을 얻기 위해 2개의 flying-capacitor 3-level converters와 하나의 다이오드 브리지 회로로 구성되어 있다. 또한 본 논문에서는 제안하는 AC/DC 컨버터의 상세 회로도와 설계 가이드라인을 제시하였다.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2015.07a
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• pp.161-162
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• 2015

최근 세계적으로 전력계통의 대륙 간 연계나 신재생에너지, 분산전원의 계통 연계를 위해 HVDC(High voltage Direct Current)에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 대용량, 장거리 송전이 필요한 경우 HVAC에서의 전력손실과 송전거리의 한계를 극복하기 위하여 HVDC가 새로운 대안으로 떠오르고 있으며, LCC(Line commutated Converter)와 VSC(Voltage Source Converter)의 기술발전이 비약적으로 이뤄지고 있다. 특히, DC Grid화를 위해서 유럽에서는 해상풍력을 연계한 Windfarm을 DC Grid화 하는 프로젝트가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 이러한 신재생 에너지의 계통 연계를 위해서 DC Grid가 본격적으로 논의가 되고 있고 관련분야에서는 기술개발을 앞다퉈 진행하고 있는 상황이다. DC Grid 구현을 위해 VSC HVDC가 최근 주목받고 있으며, VSC로 연계된 DC Grid의 AC 계통과의 연계를 위해 가장 필요한 것이 바로 DC 차단기라고 할 수 있겠다. 본 논문에서는 DC Grid의 고장분석을 위한 기초연구로써 MMC(Modular Multilevel Converter) VSC를 기반으로 한 Point-to-Point HVDC Grid에서의 DC 고장에 대한 분석을 실시하였으며 그 특징을 분석하였다.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1528-1538
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• 2018

In this paper, configuration of $1-{\phi}$ seven-level boost DC-link cascade based reversing voltage multilevel inverter (BDCLCRV MLI) is proposed for uninterrupted power supply (UPS) applications. It consists of three level boost converter, level generation unit and full bridge circuit for polarity generation. When compared with conventional boost cascaded H-bridge MLI configurations, the proposed system results in reduction of DC sources, reduced power switches and gate drive requirements. Inverter switching is accomplished by providing appropriate switching angles that is generated by any optimization switching angle techniques. Here, round modulation control (RMC) method is taken as the optimization method and switching angles are derived and the same is compared with various switching angles methods i.e., equal-phase (EP) method, and half-equal-phase (HEP) method which results in improved quality of obtained AC power with lowest total harmonic distortion (THD). Reduction in DC sources and switch count makes the system more cost effective. A simulation and prototype model of $1-{\phi}$ seven-level BDCLCRV MLI system is developed and its performance is analyzed for various operating conditions.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1100-1108
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• 2014

Modular multilevel converters (MMCs) have emerged as the most promising topology for high and medium voltage applications for the coming years. However, one particular negative characteristic of MMCs is the existence of circulating current, which contains a dc component and a series of low-frequency even-order ac harmonics. If not suppressed, these ac harmonics will distort the arm currents, increase the power loses, and cause higher current stresses on the semiconductor devices. Repetitive control (RC) is well known due to its distinctive capabilities in tracking periodic signals and eliminating periodic errors. In this paper, a novel circulating current control scheme base on RC is proposed to effectively track the dc component and to restrain the low-frequency ac harmonics. The integrating function is inherently embedded in the RC controller. Therefore, the proposed circulating current control only parallels the RC controller with a proportional controller. Thus, conflicts between the RC controller and the traditional proportional integral (PI) controller can be avoided. The design methodologies of the RC controller and a stability analysis are also introduced. The validity of the proposed circulating current control approach has been verified by simulation and experimental results based on a three-phase MMC downscaled prototype.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.1746-1752
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• 2014

This paper presents an application of proportional-resonant (PR) current controllers in modular multilevel converter-high voltage direct current (MMC-HVDC) system under unbalanced voltage conditions. The ac currents are transformed and controlled in the stationary reference frame (${\alpha}{\beta}$-frame). Thus, the complex analysis of the positive and negative sequence components in the synchronous rotating reference frame (dq-frame) is not necessary. With this control method, the ac currents are kept balanced and the dc-link voltage is constant under the unbalanced voltage fault conditions. The simulation results based on a detailed PSCAD/EMTDC model confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control method.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2020

This study deals with the modulation index (MI) of a voltage source converter (VSC) HVDC system based on a modular multilevel converter (MMC). In the two-level converter, the purpose of the MI is to maximize the achievable AC voltage of the converter from a fixed DC voltage. Unlike that in a two-level converter, the MI in the MMC topology plays a role in making the converter a voltage source using a capacitor. The circulating current in the MMC distorts the AC voltage reference, and the distortion affects the MI. In addition, the AC network conditions, such as AC voltage variation and reactive power, affect the MI. Therefore, the MI should be optimized with consideration of internal and external factors. This study proposes a method to optimize the MI of an MMC HVDC system.

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