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This paper presents a new method for islanding detection of distributed generation (DG) inverter that relies on analyzing the reactive power versus frequency (Q-f) characteristic of the DG and the islanded load. The proposed method is based on equipping the DG interface with a Q-f droop curve that forces the DG to lose its stable operation once an islanding condition occurs. A simple passive islanding detection scheme that relies on frequency relays can then be used to detect the moment of islanding. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated under the IEEE 1547 and UL 1741 antiislanding test configuration. The studies re- ported in this paper are based on time domain simulations in the power systems computer-aided design (PSCAD)/EMTDC environment. The results show that the proposed technique has negligible nondetection zone and is capable of accurately detecting islanding within the standard permissible detection times. In addition, the technique proves to be robust under multiple-DG operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter that can be implemented using only a single dc power source and capacitors. Standard cascaded multilevel inverters require n dc sources for 2n + 1 levels. Without requiring transformers, the scheme proposed here allows the use of a single dc power source (e.g., a battery or a fuel cell stack) with the remaining n - 1 dc sources being capacitors, which is referred to as hybrid cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter (HCMLI) in this paper. It is shown that the inverter can simultaneously maintain the dc voltage level of the capacitors and choose a fundamental frequency switching pattern to produce a nearly sinusoidal output. HCMLI using only a single dc source for each phase is promising for high-power motor drive applications as it significantly decreases the number of required dc power supplies, provides high-quality output power due to its high number of output levels, and results in high conversion efficiency and low thermal stress as it uses a fundamental frequency switching scheme. This paper mainly discusses control of seven-level HCMLI with fundamental frequency switching control and how its modulation index range can be extended using triplen harmonic compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a bridgeless Cuk-derived single power conversion inverter with reduced number of power components, which has reactive-power capability. The secondary diode of the conventional unfolding-type Cuk inverter is integrated into one of the secondary-side switches in the bridgeless Cuk-derived configuration, which reduces the number of active-power components. A modulation technique is developed to provide a current path during reverse power flow; this technique enables operations under unity and nonunity power factors. A repetitive controller coupled with a linear feedback controller and a feed-forward controller are used to achieve accurate output current tracking under the harsh control environment. Driving the diode-integrated switch in synchronous rectification mode provides higher power conversion efficiency than that under diode-based secondary side rectification. Circuit operation and design guidelines of the bridgeless Cuk inverter are presented in detail. A 500-VA prototype inverter was fabricated to demonstrate the desirable performance of the bridgeless Cuk-derived inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable operation of LCL filtered grid-connected inverters can be achieved using active damping. However, the stability can be threatened by non-ideal conditions such as delay in digitally controlled systems and grid impedance variation at the point of common coupling (PCC). In a grid-side current controlled inverter, the computational and pulsewidth modulation delays cause an unintentionally negative virtual resistance when the resonance frequency is higher than one-sixth of the sampling frequency $(f_{s}/ 6)$. This paper proposes a delay compensation method to address this issue, which can expand the effective damping region up to Nyquist frequency $(f_{s}/ 2)$. Also, it is shown that the negative real part of the inverter output admittance will make the system unstable under specific grid condition. Therefore, a PCC voltage feedforward method is proposed to cancel the negative real part of the inverter output admittance according to passivity-based stability. Thanks to the proposed methods, the inverter output admittance will be passive in all frequencies and can be connected to the grid regardless of grid impedance. It means that the inverter has robust plug-and-play functionality. The validity of the theoretical analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed approaches are verified using experimental results on a laboratory prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, two single-phase single-stage split-inductor buck–boost inverters are proposed: type-I and II. The proposed type-I is unity power factor inverter, while the proposed type-II inverter is suitable for any power factor. Both topologies remove the shoot-through problem. Furthermore, the reverse recovery issues for all switches are eliminated; therefore, mosfets are used to obtain higher efficiencies. The proposed inverters operated at higher switching frequencies confer the additional benefit of smaller passive components. The current stresses of the two switches in the proposed type-I and II inverters are lower of the conventional boost inverter. The dead time can be eliminated at both the high and line switching frequencies. In addition, the inductor conduction loss is minimized to improve efficiency. Moreover, the voltage stresses of the two switches in the type-I inverter can be much lower of its counterpart boost inverter. Most importantly, unlike the conventional high-reliability inverters, the magnetic volume of the proposed high-reliability type-I and II inverters is same of its counterpart boost inverter. The experimental results obtained for 500 W, 110 Vrms, 60 Hz hardware prototypes verify the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the low-frequency relative stability problem in paralleled inverter-based distributed generation (DG) units in microgrids. In the sense of the small-signal dynamics of a microgrid, it can be shown that as the demanded power of each inverter changes, the low-frequency modes of the power sharing dynamics drift to new locations and the relative stability is remarkably affected, and eventually, instability can be yielded. To preserve the power sharing stability, an adaptive decentralized droop controller of paralleled inverter-based DG units is presented in this paper. The proposed power sharing strategy is based on the static droop characteristics combined with an adaptive transient droop function. Unlike conventional droop controllers, which yield 1-DOF tunable controller, the proposed droop controller yields 2-DOF tunable controller. Subsequently, the dynamic performance of the power sharing mechanism can be adjusted, without affecting the static droop gain, to damp the oscillatory modes of the power sharing controller. To account for the power modes immigration at different loading conditions, the transient droop gains are adaptively scheduled via small-signal analysis of the power sharing mechanism along the loading trajectory of each DG unit to yield the desired transient and steady-state response. The gain adaptation scheme utilizes the filtered active and reactive powers as indices; therefore, a stable and smooth power injection performance can be obtained at different loading conditions. The adaptive nature of the proposed controller ensures active damping of power oscillations at different operating conditions, and yields a stable and robust performance of the paralleled inverter system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the development of two three-level cascaded Z-source inverters, whose output voltage can be stepped down or up unlike a traditional buck three-level inverter. The proposed inverters are designed using two three-phase voltage-source inverter bridges, supplied by two uniquely designed Z-source impedance networks. These three-phase bridges can either be cascaded at their dc sides to form a dc-link-cascaded Z-source inverter or at their ac outputs using single-phase transformers to form a dual Z-source inverter. The dc-link-cascaded inverter has the advantages of not using any clamping diodes and transformers, but does not have redundant switching states within a phase leg for equalizing switching losses among the power devices. This constraint limits the modulation options for the dc-link-cascaded inverter, and indeed, it can only be controlled using the modified carrier disposition technique with appropriate "Z-source shoot-through" states inserted for achieving balanced voltage boosting and optimal "nearest-three-vectors" switching. On the other hand, the dual Z-source inverter with transformer isolation can be controlled using different modulation approaches due to the presence of redundant switching states within a phase leg. Particularly, using a modified phase-shifted-carrier (PSC) scheme with shoot-through states inserted, it is shown that the dual inverter can be implemented using only a single Z-source network, while still achieving the correct volt-sec average and switching loss equalization. This represents a significant reduction in cost, and can more than compensate for the slightly degraded spectral characteristics of the PSC scheme. To verify the theoretical concepts discussed, experimental testing has been performed with the captured results presented in a later section of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The High power induction machines are designed at medium voltage (MV) rating for better performance. The multi-level inverters (MLI) are able to provide medium voltage with high quality output at low switching frequency as compared to conventional two-level inverter. In addition to this, MLI reduces dv/dt, switching losses and leakage current. In this paper, approaches to reduce and eliminate the common mode voltage (CMV) using five-level diode clamped multilevel inverter (DCMLI) are presented. The CMV spikes are also eliminated by shifting dead-time across the phase pole. A novel technique for the selection of switching states to synthesize the desire vector is proposed. This paper realizes the implementation of five-level diode clamped MLI for three phase induction motor. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-level inversion can be achieved by the cascade connection of two two-level inverters to an open-end winding induction motor. Several space vector based pulsewidth modulation (PWM) control strategies have been proposed for this power circuit configuration in the past. It is known that space vector modulation offers a degree of freedom in its implementation with regard to the distribution of the zero-vector. In this paper, the effect of placement of zero-vector for the implementation of space vector based PWM techniques for a dual-inverter fed open-end winding induction motor drive is reported. Apart from constructing a consistent theoretical frame work, experimental results with continuous and discontinuous PWM are presented in this paper and all the cases are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual world photovoltaic (PV) cell/module production is growing at almost an exponential rate and has reached 1727 MW in 2005. Building integrated PV (BIPV) projects are emerging as the strongest part of the PV market and grid interactive inverters are a key component in determining the total system cost. Module integrated converter (MIC) technology has become a global trend in grid interactive PV applications and may assist in driving down the balance of system costs to secure an improved total system cost. This paper concentrates on the topology study of the PV MICs in the power range below 500 W and covers most topologies recently proposed for MIC applications. The MIC topologies are classified into three different arrangements based on the dc link configurations. A systematic discussion is also provided at the end of the paper that focuses on the major advantages and disadvantages of each MIC arrangement. These are considered in detail and will provide a useful framework and point of reference for the next generation MIC designs and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In islanded microgrids, the harmonic power of nonlinear loads is distributed among parallel voltage source inverters (VSIs) according to the effective harmonic impedances, i.e., the sums of VSI output impedances and grid impedances. Since grid impedances are unknown and could be mismatched, VSI output impedances are usually reshaped to ensure the harmonic power sharing accuracy. However, as conventional techniques only regulate VSI output impedances in one dimension, only one degree of freedom is provided for the impedance shaping. It is revealed that such maneuvers can hardly fulfill the proper harmonic power sharing requirement under complex grid impedance situations. As a result, circulating harmonic currents will occur and produce additional power losses even if the total harmonic power has been accurately shared. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a two-dimensional impedance-shaping control, which can adaptively regulate VSI output resistances and inductances at the same time. The proposed control strategy requires no prior grid impedance knowledge and can eliminate the circulating harmonic currents for arbitrary grid impedances. Simulation and experimental results from an islanding microgrid prototype with three parallel VSIs are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a gallium nitride (GaN)-based single-inductor multiple-output (SIMO) dc–ac inverter, which generates multiple frequencies at the ac outputs, is introduced. The proposed time-multiplexed switching sequences enable the SIMO inverter to simultaneously generate sinusoidal-like outputs with different frequencies. In the absence of a parasitic body diode in the GaN transistor and with correct bias voltage, the proposed inverter requires no additional blocking diodes and/or cascaded power switches while still ensuring unidirectional flow of the inductor current for proper circuit operation. Compared with its silicon counterpart, this GaN-based inverter achieves a simplified circuit structure, reduced component count, small form factor, increased power density, and high efficiency. A practical application of this inverter is to act as a single wireless power transmitter which concurrently drives multiple transmitter coils at different frequencies for multi-standard wireless power transfer. A hardware prototype of a single-inductor three-output inverter producing three distinct resonant frequencies, namely, 100, 200, and 300 kHz, is constructed. The effectiveness of the proposed switching sequences and control method for this inverter is experimentally verified. No cross regulation is observed across the three individual ac outputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a voltage-source parallel resonant Class E inverter. The proposed circuit has a shunt capacitor including parasitic capacitance of a switching device and achieves zero-voltage switching and zero-voltage derivative switching at turning-on like a classical Class E inverter. Therefore, high power conversion efficiency is achieved under high operating frequency. Unlike the other Class E inverters, the proposed circuit has no choke inductor or dc blocking capacitor. Moreover, it has a parallel resonant tank unlike the classical Class E inverter. Thus, a circuit protection is not required in a wireless power transfer system. Circuit analysis, circuit simulations, and circuit experiments were carried out. The experimental circuit performed the desired operation and the power conversion efficiency was 93.2% with the output power 4.76 W at the operating frequency 1 MHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to provide high and extendable power levels for inductive power transfer (IPT) system, a parallel multi-inverter system based on modular inverter is presented. Various power requirements can be implemented by an adjustment of the number of paralleled inverters, which provides a high modularity. A master−slave scheme is employed for the switching-driver signals of parallel inverters, where one acts as a leader while others act as followers. Despite the master−slave scheme, the proposed circuit topology has natural robustness because of the equality in terms of the hardware configuration of each modular inverter. For proper parameters, the output phase (current lagging corresponding voltage) of an inverter is lower than the average of output phase of all inverters, when its output voltage lags behind others, and vice versa. Based on this approach, PI controllers are designed to implement phase synchronization for output voltages of all inverters. An IPT prototype supplied by the proposed parallel multi-inverter with three inverters was designed, built, and tested. Experiments show that the proposed parallel multi-inverter system has not only good circulating current suppression capacity but also excellent performance of phase synchronization. The maximum dc−dc efficiency was 94% at a 35.1 kW receiving power. This paper is accompanied by a Matlab/Simulink file demonstrating phase synchronization control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-level inverter has an outstanding performance and is more advantageous in the switching vector selection than two-level inverter. In particular, the neutral-point voltage unbalance and common-mode voltage (CMV) reduction of three-level inverter should be carefully regulated for the appropriate operation, both of which, however, are mutually coupled resulting that the conventional space vector modulation (SVM) scheme cannot deal with them properly. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes an improved space vector modulation (ISVM) technique to reduce the CMV and neutral-point voltage imbalance simultaneously. The generating mechanism of neutral-point voltage oscillation is derived. Based on the analysis, the proposed ISVM method adopts four voltage vectors (large, medium, small, and zero vectors) with adjusted dwell times to eliminate the ac unbalance of the neutral-point voltage. Considering the occurrence of neutral-point voltage disturbances, the dc neutral-point unbalance voltage is controlled by selecting the P-type or N-type small vector and adjusting the dwell times of small vectors for neutral-point voltage recovery. In addition, a novel switching sequence arrangement method with the minimal number of switches transition in one switching cycles and between switching cycles is proposed to reduce the total switching loss. Theoretical analysis and verification results show that the proposed ISVM scheme can reduce the magnitude of CMV to half of value using the conventional SVM, and an accurate control of ac and dc unbalanced neutral-point voltage can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern high-power medium voltage drives, multilevel converters are increasingly used. Employing slight topological modifications, soft-switching technology can be applied to multilevel converters to reduce the switching losses. As a result, the switching frequency can be increased, thereby reducing the output filter size. However, common converter controls have to be modified. In this paper, a flexible control platform is presented that allows rapid prototyping of soft-switching topologies. An analysis of different auxiliary resonant commutated pole (ARCP) topologies shows that all switching commands can be synthesized with synchronized signals of two-level ARCP converters. Therefore, a flexible state-machine for two-level converters was developed first, which can also be used to build controls for multilevel topologies. It supports drivers with built-in intelligence as well as the control of additional switches that are required in some ARCP neutral-point-clamped (NPC) topologies. The switching commands for the state machines can be generated by standard multilevel modulation methods. Illegal switching states are filtered and multiple simultaneous commutations per phase are prevented for ARCP NPC converters. To verify the functionality, the control scheme was realized in a field programmable gate array and a completely modular test converter was developed. This test converter can be used to quickly implement all common multilevel topologies and test different modulation strategies. Experimental results are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces new controls for the cascaded multilevel power converter. This converter is also sometimes referred to as a ‘hybrid converter’ since it splits high-voltage/low-frequency and low-voltage/pulsewidth-modulation (PWM)-frequency power production between ‘bulk’ and ‘conditioning’ converters respectively. Cascaded multilevel converters achieve higher power quality with a given switch count when compared to traditional multilevel converters. This is a particularly favorable option for high power and high performance applications such as Naval ship propulsion. This paper first presents a new control method for the topology using three-level bulk and conditioning inverters connected in series through a three-phase load. This control avoids PWM frequency switching in the bulk inverter. The conditioning inverter uses a capacitor source and its control is based on compensating the real and reactive (P-Q) power difference between the bulk inverter and the load. The new control explicitly commands power into the conditioning inverter so that its capacitor voltage remains constant. A unique space vector analysis of hybrid converter modulation is introduced to quantitatively determine operating limitations. The conclusion is then generalized for all types of controls of the hybrid multilevel converters (involving three-level converter cells). The proposed control methods and analytical conclusions are verified by simulation and laboratory measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel distribution-level voltage control scheme that can compensate voltage sag and swell conditions in three-phase power systems. Faults occurring in power distribution systems or facilities in plants generally cause the voltage sag or swell. Sensitivity to voltage sags and swells varies within different applications. For sensitive loads, even a voltage sag of short duration can cause serious problems. Normally, a voltage interruption triggers a protection device, which causes the shutdown of the entire load. In order to mitigate power interruptions, this paper proposes a scheme for voltage sag support based on a pulse width modulated autotransformer. The proposed scheme is able to quickly recognize the voltage sag or swell condition, and it can correct the voltage by either boosting the input voltage during voltage sag events or reducing the voltage during swell events. The key advantage in this voltage control topology is that it uses only one controlled switch per phase to control the output voltage, thereby resulting in minimum cost per kVA. The paper presents the new voltage control topology, as well as the voltage detection method, the snubber design, and the commutation logic for the thyristor bypass switch. Experiments have been carried out to verify the validity of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newly proposed Z-Source inverter has been proven in the literature to exhibit both steady-state voltage buck and boost capabilities using a unique LC impedance network coupled between the power source and converter circuit. This paper now presents transient modeling and analysis of a voltage-type Z-source inverter. These aspects are found to be challenging and they need to be carefully investigated before attempting to design advanced control algorithms for controlling the Z-source inverter. Through detailed analysis, the paper identifies several phenomena on the dc and ac-sides of the inverter, which would result in the inverter having a non-minimum-phase transient response. The dc-side phenomenon is associated with the Z-source impedance network, which is shown through small-signal and signal-flow-graph analyses to be having a right-half-plane zero in its control-to-output transfer function. Also, the ac-side phenomenon is shown through space vector analysis to depend on the time intervals of inverter states used for reconstructing the desired inverter output voltage. Based on the ac vectorial analysis, a method for improving the inverter transient response is also presented. Last, simulation results obtained using a switching-functional model and experimental results obtained using a laboratory prototype are presented for validating the described theoretical concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, current source (CS) inverters have been adopted for use in medium and high power industry applications. These inverters, however, support only current-buck dc-ac power conversion and need a relatively complex modulator, as compared to conventional voltage source (VS) inverters. To address these limitations, this paper presents an integration of the buck-boost Z-source power conversion concept to the CS inverter topology to develop single- and three-phase Z-source CS inverters. For their efficient control, the paper starts by evaluating different carrier-based reference formulations to identify different inverter state placement possibilities. The paper then proceeds to design appropriate "reference-to-switch" assignments or logic equations for mapping out the correct CS gating signals, allowing a simple carrier-based modulator to control a Z-source CS inverter with complications such as commutation difficulties and "many-to-many" state assignments readily resolved. The developed system can be implemented using a digital signal processor with an embedded VS pulse-width modulator and an external programmable logic device, hence offering a competitive solution for medium power single and three-phase buck-boost power conversion. Theory, simulation, and experimental results are presented in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non-resonant electronic ballast based on one power switch and on one reactive element-one inductance-is described in this paper. The special current mode control implementation provides an intrinsic short-circuit protection and a very simple control circuitry. Filament heating time, current during the heating period, and protection against broken tube can be easily implemented with the proposed circuitry. A greenhouse application with a 120-V dc bus power distribution is presented in this paper. The dc bus voltage is easily obtained (in this particular application) from a classical series-connected 12-pulse rectifier in combination with a transformer with two secondary windings (one in Wye connection and other one in Delta connection). An additional advantage of this configuration is the high power factor obtained at the input stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilevel inverters with a large number of steps (more than 50 levels) can generate high quality voltage waveforms, good enough to be considered as suitable voltage template generators. Many levels or steps can follow a voltage reference with accuracy, and with the advantage that the generated voltage can be modulated in amplitude instead of pulse-width modulation. The main disadvantage of this type of topology is the large number of power supplies and semiconductors required to obtain these multistep voltage waveforms. This paper is focussed on minimizing the number of power supplies and semiconductors for a given number of levels. Different combinations of topologies are presented, and the corresponding mathematical relations have been derived. This paper shows optimized curves to obtain the relation between a minimum number of power semiconductors required for a given number of levels. Experimental results obtained from an optimized prototype, capable of generatng 81 levels of voltage with only four power supplies and 16 transistors per phase, are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyze the stability problems of grid connected inverters used in distributed generation. Complex controllers (e.g., multiple rotating dq-frames or resonant- based) are often required to compensate low frequency grid voltage background distortion and an LCL-filter is usually adopted for the high frequency one. The possible wide range of grid impedance values (distributed generation is suited for remote areas with radial distribution plants) challenge the stability and the effectiveness of the LCL-filter-based current controlled system. It has been found out and it will be demonstrated in this paper that the use of active damping helps to stabilise the system in respect to many different kinds of resonances. The use of active damping results in an easy plug-in feature of the generation system in a vast range of grid conditions and in a more flexible operation of the overall system able to manage sudden grid changes. In the paper, a vast measurement campaign made on a single-phase system and on a three-phase system used as scale prototypes for photovoltaic and wind turbines, respectively, validate the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new communication strategy for decentralized control of paralleled multi-inverter systems is introduced in this paper. The proposed strategy utilizes the common mode signal's circuit in the paralleled system as a channel of communication between individual inverters. Source voltage synchronization for paralleled inverters is presented to demonstrate its effectiveness. One inverter module acts as a source and a synchronized signal is sent by means of frequency modulation in this channel to all other modules via the common mode current. Each module will then receive and transform the signal to be used as a synchronized voltage command for individual inverters. The approach enables synchronization in the paralleled multi-inverter system and the method is not affected by external factors such as load change, output voltage variation, and different types of loads. The principle of operation, performance of the proposed strategy, as well as the experimental evaluation with three single-phase paralleled inverters are discussed and presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiphase motors are usually designed to have the concentrated winding and nonsinusoidal airgap flux density distribution in order to maximize the torque per ampere. This means that the phase voltage of a multiphase motor has the nonsinusoidal waveform. Accordingly, the conventional analysis on a multiphase space vector pulse-width modulation (SVPWM), which is confined to a sinusoidal phase voltage, should be extended to a nonsinusoidal phase voltage. In this paper, based on a multiple d-q spaces concept a novel analysis on a multiphase SVPWM to synthesize an arbitrary nonsinusoidal phase voltage is proposed. Throughout this paper, a five-phase inverter is used as a practical example. The basic concepts can be easily extended to an n-phase inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the optimum design of the LCC parallel-series inverter with resonant current mode control for 250-W high pressure sodium vapor lamps is presented. With this control method the inverter does not have any reactive energy, and both switching and conduction losses are minimized. Also, the design proposed performs a precise natural power control without exceeding the maximum power recommended by the lamp manufacturer without additional lamp power control circuitry. Since it is desirable implementing a low-cost and efficient power factor correction (PFC) stage for meeting the standard IEC 61000-3-2 Class C about low-frequency harmonic content injected in the line for lighting applications, a low-cost PFC buck pre-regulator is proposed. The ignition process is optimized because no additional circuitry is necessary for the lamp ignition providing low ignition inverter current. The design proposed leads to an important size and cost reduction, avoiding the additional circuitry used in the classic designs. Simulations and experimental results have validated the design proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a conventional speed sensorless stator flux-oriented (SFO) induction motor drive, when the estimated speed is transformed into the sampled-data model using the first-forward difference approximation, the sampled-data model has a modeling error which, in turn, produces an error in the rotor speed estimation. The error included in the estimated speed is removed by the use of a low pass filter (LPF). As the result, the delay of the estimated speed occurs in transients by the use of the LPF. This paper investigates the problem of a conventional speed sensorless SFO system due to the delay of the estimated speed in the field weakening region. In addition, this paper proposes a method to estimate exactly speed by using Luenberger observer. The proposed method is verified by the simulation and experiment with a 5-hp induction motor drive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores control methods for the Z-source inverter and their relationships of voltage boost versus modulation index. A maximum boost control is presented to produce the maximum voltage boost (or voltage gain) under a given modulation index. The control method, relationships of voltage gain versus modulation index, and voltage stress versus voltage gain are analyzed in detail and verified by simulation and experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cascaded multilevel inverters can be implemented through the series connection of single-phase modular power bridges. This paper presents details on how these bridges should be implemented and operated to synchronize their pulse-width-modulation (PWM) carriers, fundamental references and sampling instances to implement a network-controlled cascaded inverter with distributed PWM computation and overall optimal system performance. The paper begins by detailing the development and control of an integrated power bridge, designed with its own digital signal processor and associated control circuitry. Details describing the networked control algorithm and signal protocol needed for synchronizing the multiple power bridges through a dynamically fast data communication network, are then presented to achieve optimum harmonic cancellation and reduced common-mode voltage. The practicality and performance of the presented modular implementation concepts have been confirmed through the close match between simulation and experimental results obtained using a modular cascaded five-level inverter prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-level neutral-point-clamped voltage source inverter is widely used in high power, medium voltage applications. This paper studies continuous and discontinuous pulse-width modulation for this inverter. Detailed analysis of discontinuous modulation shows that the average switching frequency is not directly proportional to the carrier or sampling frequency, since additional switching transitions occur between different regions of discontinuity. At typical switching frequencies for high power applications (up to 2 kHz) these additional transitions contribute significantly to the inverter's total losses, so that a proper comparison of the harmonic performance can only be carried out under constant loss conditions with varying carrier frequency. This comparison is performed for a typical industrial medium voltage inverter. The paper then considers the major issues of neutral-point voltage balancing and loss distribution within the inverter, for the identified optimal modulation schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview an inverters developed for small distributed power generators. The functions of inverters in distributed power generation (DG) systems include dc-ac conversion, output power quality assurance, various protection mechanisms, and system controls. Unique requirements for small distributed power generation systems include low cost, high efficiency and tolerance for an extremely wide range of input voltage variations. These requirements have driven the inverter development toward simpler topologies and structures, lower component counts and tighter modular design. Both single-stage and multiple-stage inverters have been developed for power conversion in DG systems. single-stage Inverters offer simple structure and low cost, but suffer from a limited range of input voltage variations and are often characterized by compromised system performance. On the other hand, multiple-stage inverters accept a wide range of input voltage variations, but suffer from high cost, complicated structure and low efficiency. Various circuit topologies are presented, compared, and evaluated against the requirements of power decoupling and dual-grounding, the capabilities for grid-connected or/and standalone operations, and specific DG applications in this paper, along with the identification of recent development trends of single-phase inverters for distributed power generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shunt active filters are a means to improve power quality in distribution networks. Typically, they are connected in parallel to disturbing loads in order to reduce the injection of non sinusoidal load currents into the utility grid. The high power active filter investigated in this paper is based on a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controlled voltage source inverter Its inner current control is realized with a dead-beat controller that allows fast tracking of stochastically fluctuating toad currents For the mitigation of stationary load current harmonics, an outer control loop is required that compensates for the persistant phase error caused by the delay of the inner loop. The outer loop developed in this paper is based on integrating oscillators tuned to the major load current harmonics. Mathematically, they are equivalent to I-controllers in rotating reference frames. Some of these oscillators are located within a closed control loop. For frequencies where the feedback would excite grid resonances they are placed in a prefilter with phase shifting elements. Since all oscillators share a common feedback fulI selectivity of the harmonic analysis is achieved. For every harmonic the degree of compensation can be adjusted individually. In addition to the oscillators, a direct path is provided that feeds forward the load current to the inner control loop. Thus, load current transients can be tracked with the full speed of the dead-beat controller. The direct path does not affect the harmonic analysis performed by the oscillators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since variable speed electric drive systems are supplied from power electronic Converters, it is possible to utilize ac machines with a phase number higher than three. It is shown in the paper, using general theory of electrical machines, that an increase of the stator phase number to at least five (or more) enables completely independent vector control of two (or more) multiphase machines that are supplied from a single current-controlled voltage source inverter. In order to achieve such an independent control it is necessary to connect multiphase stator windings of the machines in series and perform an appropriate phase sequence transposition. The concept is equally applicable to any multiphase ac machine type and its major advantage, compared to an equivalent multimotor three-phase drive system, is the saving of a certain number of inverter legs. The actual saving depends on the number of phases. The concept is introduced using an n-phase induction machine as the starting point and further analysis is restricted to an odd number of phases, for the reason explained in the paper. Classification of all the possible cases that may arise is given, followed by presentation of connection diagrams for selected phase numbers. Detailed verification of the proposed concept is provided by simulating the operation of a seven-phase three-motor drive system, controlled using indirect rotor flux oriented control principles. Some preliminary experimental results, which confirm the feasibility of two-motor series-connected drive system, are included as well. The main advantages and drawbacks of the concept, when compared with an equivalent three-phase multimotor drive system, are finally. addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new cascaded nonlinear controller has been designed and implemented on the packed U-cell (PUC) seven-level inverter. The proposed controller has been designed based on a simplified model of PUC inverter and consists of a voltage controller as an outer loop and a current controller as an inner loop. The outer loop regulates the PUC inverter capacitor voltage as the second dc bus. The inner loop is in charge of controlling the flowing current, which is also used to charge and discharge that capacitor. The main goal of the whole system is to keep the dc capacitor voltage at a certain level results in generating a smooth and quasi-sine-wave seven-level voltage waveform at the output of the inverter with low switching frequency. The proposed controller performance is verified through experimental tests. Practical results prove the good dynamic performance of the controller in fixing the PUC capacitor voltage for various and variable load conditions and yet generating low-harmonic seven-level voltage waveform to deliver power to the loads. Operation as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or ac loads interface for photovoltaic energy conversion applications is targeted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-phase grid-connected inverters are widely used to connect small-scale distributed renewable resources to the grid. However, unlike a three-phase system, control for a single-phase inverter is more challenging, especially when the inverter is used with an LCL filter. This paper proposes a novel recurrent neural network-based vector control method for a single-phase inverter with an LCL filter. The neural network is trained based on adaptive dynamic programming principle, and the objective of the training is to approximate optimal control. The Levenberg–Marquardt plus forward accumulation through time algorithm is developed for training the proposed recurrent neural network controller. The neural network vector control approach is compared with the conventional control methods, including the conventional PI-based vector control method and the PR-based control technique for single-phase inverters. Both the simulations and hardware experiments demonstrate the great advantages of the proposed neural network vector control over the conventional control methods. Compared with conventional control methods, the neural network control allows for low sampling rate and low switching frequency, while maintaining high performance in controlling a single-phase inverter. In addition, no specific damping policy is required to implement the proposed neural network vector control for an LCL-filter based single-phase inverter. The study shows that the neural network vector control is a robust control method, and can provide better control performance even when facing system parameter changes, while under this case, both the conventional PI-based vector control and the PR-based control failed to yield the acceptable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paralleled inverters are widely employed as the power source in the AC distributed power system, whose output impedance and stability status are required in the impedance-based stability analysis of the whole system. This paper presents an output impedance model as well as a stability prediction method for three-phase paralleled inverters with master–slave sharing scheme. While the output impedance of three-phase paralleled inverters is generally modeled under synchronous reference frame (SRF), the terminal characteristics of individual inverters operating standalone are innovatively adopted in the proposed output impedance model, with no need for knowledge about inner parameters of the inverters. Furthermore, the stability criterion is derived with this model according to the generalized Nyquist criterion, where the stability of paralleled inverters can be predicted by investigating characteristic loci of two return ratios. Meanwhile, the terminal characteristics of individual inverters controlled under SRF is comprehensively modeled. Finally, the proposed output impedance model and stability criterion were experimentally verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a control strategy for the parallel operation of three-phase inverters forming an online uninterruptible power system (UPS) is presented. The UPS system consists of a cluster of paralleled inverters with LC filters directly connected to an ac critical bus and an ac/dc forming a dc bus. The proposed control scheme comprises two layers: 1) a local layer that contains a “reactive power-to-phase droop” in order to synchronize the phase angle of each inverter and a virtual resistance loop that guarantees equal power sharing among inverters; and 2) a central controller that guarantees synchronization with an external real/fictitious utility, and critical bus voltage amplitude restoration. Improved transient and steady-state frequency, active, reactive, and harmonic power sharing, and global phase-locked loop resynchronization capability are achieved. Detailed system topology and control architecture are presented in this paper. Furthermore, a mathematical model was derived in order to analyze critical parameters effects on system stability. The proposed control approach has been validated by means of experimental results obtained for several case-study scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high penetration level of power electronics interfaced distributed generation (DG) systems creates great ancillary services potential through the DG interfacing converters, such as the grid unbalanced voltage compensation. However, the unbalanced voltage compensation may cause adverse effects on the DGs' operation, such as output active power oscillation and dc-link voltage variations. Moreover, since the compensation is realized through the available rating of DGs' interfacing converters, it is equally important to consider the effectiveness of control strategy for unbalanced voltage compensation. Considering these challenging issues, two grid unbalanced voltage compensation strategies for three-phase power electronics interfaced DG systems are proposed in this paper. Especially, the first control strategy aims at minimizing the DG's active power oscillation and reducing the adverse effects of unbalanced voltage compensation on DG's operation. The second control strategy focuses on the effectiveness of unbalanced voltage compensation by controlling DG's negative sequence current to be inphase with the grid negative sequence current. Performances of the two proposed control strategies under different grid conditions and DG operating conditions are studied, and recommendations for appropriate control strategy utilization under various conditions are provided. Finally, validity of the proposed strategies is verified by both simulations and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the faulty cells of a nonregenerative cascaded H-bridge inverter are bypassed, it is necessary to inject a zero-sequence voltage into the inverter phase voltages so as to achieve the maximum balanced line-to-line voltage. However, the injected zero-sequence voltage may lead to a back flow of real power (BFRP) in at least one phase so that the dc voltage will rise to an intolerable level. To solve the problem, this paper proposes a new method of generating zero-sequence voltages. This method can not only maximize the available output voltage but also suppress the BFRP effectively. The zero-sequence voltage is always limited to an appropriate range to achieve the maximum output voltage through linear modulation. Closed-loop control is used to minimize the fundamental component of the zero-sequence voltage so that the power is less likely to flow back. Compared with the conventional methods, the proposed method allows the inverter to drive a load with a lower power factor not inducing BFRP or degrading the output voltage capability. As a result, the probability of overvoltage on the dc side is reduced. The experimental results show that the proposed method is effective and feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a fast and robust $DQ$ current controller to regulate the output power of single-phase grid-connected inverters. The proposed method generates the grid current orthogonal component without introducing any additional dynamics or distortions to the control loop. Moreover, its operation does not depend on the system parameters. The proposed method exhibits improved steady-state and dynamic performances in comparison with the inverters equipped with the conventional orthogonal signal generation techniques. Its improved characteristics make the proposed controller suitable for smart inverter applications, to provide advanced grid functionalities as demanded by recently revised standards. Simulation and experimental results show the feasibility and performance of this control structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent researches on inverter-based distributed generators, disadvantages of traditional grid-connected current control, such as no grid-forming ability and lack of inertia, have been pointed out. As a result, novel control methods like droop control and virtual synchronous generator (VSG) have been proposed. In both methods, droop characteristics are used to control active and reactive power, and the only difference between them is that VSG has virtual inertia with the emulation of swing equation, whereas droop control has no inertia. In this paper, dynamic characteristics of both control methods are studied, in both stand-alone mode and synchronous-generator-connected mode, to understand the differences caused by swing equation. Small-signal models are built to compare transient responses of frequency during a small loading transition, and state-space models are built to analyze oscillation of output active power. Effects of delays in both controls are also studied, and an inertial droop control method is proposed based on the comparison. The results are verified by simulations and experiments. It is suggested that VSG control and proposed inertial droop control inherits the advantages of droop control, and in addition, provides inertia support for the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential power processing (DPP) is a power electronics system architecture that configures dc–dc converters in parallel with the PV string to improve its power yield. The parallel nature of the DPP architecture brings a number of benefits, such as low converter power rating and low power losses, all of which make DPP especially suitable for submodule-level maximum power point tracking (MPPT). Meanwhile, microinverters typically perform only module-level MPPT and do not address power losses due to uncompensated submodule mismatch. In this paper, we introduce DPP converters into a microinverter system to improve its energy capture by recovering power losses due to submodule mismatch. The control method to interface DPP converters with a microinverter for submodule MPPT is presented and the tradeoff between tracking accuracy and control overhead is analyzed. A small-footprint DPP converter is designed. A digitally assisted windowed sensing technique is also implemented to address the challenge of precise current sensing. Altogether, the proposed solution seamlessly integrates DPP into the existing microinverter design. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution, a hardware prototype has been built and tested with an off-the-shelf commercial microinverter. The improvement in energy capture with DPP converters has been experimentally verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an islanding detection method for inverter-based distributed generators (DGs) is presented, which is based on perturbing reactive power output. Two sets of disturbances are configured in this method, which have different amplitudes and duration time. The first set of reactive power disturbance (FSORPD) is periodic with small amplitudes to break the reactive power balance during islanding, whereas the magnitude of the second set of reactive power disturbance (SSORPD) is sufficient to force the frequency to deviate outside its threshold limits. Considering all the possible frequency variation characteristics with the FSORPD after islanding, three criterions are designed for switching the disturbance from the FSORPD to the SSORPD. Since DGs located at different positions have the same frequency variation characteristics, the SSORPDs can be added on different DGs at the same time without the need of communication. Therefore, synchronization of the SSORPDs can be guaranteed for the system with multiple DGs and the method can detect islanding with a zero nondetection zone property. Moreover, the method can be applied to the DG either operating at unity power factor or supplying reactive power as well for its local load. According to the antiislanding test system recommended in IEEE Std.929-2000 and IEEE Std.1547-2003, the effectiveness of the method has been validated with several case studies in the power systems computer-aided design/Electro magnetic transient in DC system environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When faced with distorted grid voltage, more harmonics will appear in the output currents of the grid-connected inverters. The grid-voltage feedforward strategy, as the most direct solution to compensate the harmonics, however, is seriously affected by the errors in the grid-voltage feedforward loop, such as delays. This issue is more significant for high-power inverters, where the switching frequency is relatively low (< 5 kHz), and the grid-interface inductance is small (< 0.5 mH). The errors mainly include the signal distortion caused by the conditioning circuits, the control delay of the digital controller, and the zero-order hold (ZOH) characteristic of pulse width modulation (PWM). In this paper, several improvements have been made to reduce the signal distortion and compensate the delays. A second-order Butterworth low-pass filter in the conditioning circuit is carefully designed with the maximum flat magnitude response and the almost linear phase response to avoid distorting the measured grid voltage. Furthermore, based on the conventional repetitive predictor, an open-loop simplified repetitive predictor is proposed to compensate the delays in the grid-voltage feedforward loop. Three predictive steps are achieved by the open-loop simplified repetitive predictor to compensate the delays: one step for the delay caused by the conditioning circuit, the second step for the control delay of the digital controller, and the third step for the ZOH characteristic of PWM. The effectiveness of the improved grid-voltage feedforward strategy are experimentally validated on a 250-kVA solar power generation system, where the current harmonics are effectively attenuated. In addition, the inverter starting current is suppressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-line-start permanent magnet synchronous machines (NLSPMSMs) are normally considered not able to operate stably under grid drive. However, this paper proposes an effective control strategy to achieve soft start and synchronous switching of NLSPMSMs from inverter to grid drives so that to extend the application field. The system electromechanical model during switching is deduced and analyzed numerically to verify the stability under grid drive. For the control strategy, model-based sliding-mode observer is adopted during soft start for low-cost position sensorless drive, and two digital phase lock loops are used to obtain the phases of grid and inverter voltages for phase tracking. Experiments are carried out on five NLSPMSMs with different rated powers and velocities, and test results show that all these prototypes can be safely switched to grid drive and robust to load variation. Tested waveforms are coincident with numerical analysis, and the system efficiencies of NLSPMSMs under inverter and grid drives are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a high-gain single-stage boosting inverter (SSBI) for alternative energy generation. As compared to the traditional two-stage approach, the SSBI has a simpler topology and a lower component count. One cycle control was employed to generate ac voltage output. This paper presents theoretical analysis, simulation and experimental results obtained from a 200 W prototype. The experimental results reveal that the proposed SSBI can achieve high dc input voltage boosting, good dc–ac power decoupling, good quality of ac output waveform, and good conversion efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A zero-voltage switching (ZVS) grid-connected full-bridge inverter and its modulation schemes are investigated. A novel sinusoidal pulse width modulation scheme for the ZVS full-bridge inverter (ZVS SPWM) is proposed in this paper. The ZVS SPWM is evolved from the double-frequency SPWM by adding gate drive to the auxiliary switch. The ZVS condition is analyzed and the circulation loss of the resonant branch is optimized by adjusting the energy storage in the resonant inductor. The reverse recovery of the body-diode of MOSFET is relieved and ZVS is realized for both main and auxiliary switches. The filter inductors are significantly reduced with higher switching frequency. The design guideline of resonant parameters and the implementation of ZVS SPWM in DSP controller are introduced. The ZVS SPWM scheme is verified on a 3-kW inverter prototype. According to the experimental result, peak efficiency as 98.8% is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration of distributed generation (DG) such as photovoltaics (PV) represents a challenge for the traditional operation of distribution power systems. As the installed power of DGs grows, grid codes are being modified to involve DGs in the provision of ancillary services. This includes the ability to ride-through large disturbances. In this paper, the behavior of a single-stage PV system under unbalanced voltage conditions is studied, and a fault ride-through control scheme is proposed which is able to support the grid through the injection of reactive power. Furthermore, adjustable power quality is enabled as a tradeoff between power ripple and current harmonics. The control scheme makes use of a current controller based on the space vector Fourier transform concept. No rotational transformation is required, and zero steady-state error is ensured when tracking distorted current references. The controller was tested in detailed PSCAD/EMTDC computer simulations, and implemented in a real grid-connected PV system to demonstrate its performance under unbalanced voltage conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The authors have proposed two methods for iron loss evaluation of the ac filter inductor used in a pulsewidth modulation (PWM) inverter. The first method is a loss map method, which can be used for the iron loss calculation of the ac filter inductor without using a real PWM inverter, and the second method is an iron loss analyzer (ILA), which can measure the iron loss of the ac filter inductor during every switching period on a real PWM inverter. In this paper, the measurement results obtained using the ILA and the results calculated using the loss map method on both the single-phase and three-phase inverters are compared. The calculated iron loss of the ac filter inductor on the three-phase PWM inverter is found to have a relatively large error for certain PWM pulse conditions. In order to reduce the calculation error, the authors propose a modified loss calculation method and demonstrate that the calculation error is reduced to less than 2%. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Under voltage sags, grid-tied photovoltaic inverters should remain connected to the grid according to low-voltage ride-through requirements. During such perturbations, it is interesting to exploit completely the distributed power provisions to contribute to the stability and reliability of the grid. In this sense, this paper proposes a low-voltage ride-through control strategy that maximizes the inverter power capability by injecting the maximum-rated current during the sag. To achieve this objective, two possible active power situations have been considered, i.e., high- and low-power production scenarios. In the first case, if the source is unable to deliver the whole generated power to the grid, the controller applies active power curtailment to guarantee that the maximum rated current is not surpassed. In the second case, the maximum allowed current is not reached, thus, the control strategy determined the amount of reactive power that can be injected up to reach it. The control objective can be fulfilled by means of a flexible current injection strategy that combines a proper balance between positive- and negative-current sequences, which limits the inverter output current to the maximum rated value and avoid active power oscillations. Selected experimental and simulation results are reported in order to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]