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Modular multilevel converters (MMCs) can be configured to perform ac/ac conversion, which makes them suitable as railway power supplies. In this paper, a hierarchical control scheme for ac/ac MMCs for railway power supplies is devised and evaluated, considering the requirements and the operating conditions specific to this application. Furthermore, admittance models of the ac/ac MMC are developed, showing how the suggested hierarchical control scheme affects the three-phase and the single-phase side admittances of the converter. These models allow for analyzing the stability of the interconnected system using the impedance-based stability criterion and the passivity-based stability assessment. Finally, the findings presented in this paper are validated experimentally, using a down-scaled MMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future meshed high-voltage direct current grids require modular multilevel converters with extended functionality. One of the most interesting new submodule topologies is the semi-full-bridge because it enables efficient handling of dc-side short circuits while having reduced power losses compared to an implementation with full-bridge submodules. However, the semi-full-bridge submodule requires the parallel connection of capacitors during normal operation, which can cause a high redistribution current in case the voltages of the two submodule capacitors are not equal. The maximum voltage difference and resulting redistribution current have been studied analytically by means of simulations and in a full-scale standalone submodule laboratory setup. The most critical parameter is the capacitance mismatch between the two capacitors. The experimental results from the full-scale prototype show that the redistribution current peaks at 500 A if the voltage difference is 10 V before paralleling and increases to 2500 A if the difference is 40 V. However, neglecting very unlikely cases, the maximum voltage difference predicted by simulations is not higher than 20–30 V for the considered case. Among other measures, a balancing controller is proposed, which reduces the voltage difference safely if a certain maximum value is surpassed. The operating principle of the controller is described in detail and verified experimentally on a down-scaled submodule within a modular multilevel converter prototype. It can be concluded that excessively high redistribution currents can be prevented. Consequently, they are no obstacle for using the semi-full-bridge submodule in future HVdc converters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability of a modular multilevel converter connected to an ac grid can be assessed by analyzing the converter ac-side admittance in relation to the grid impedance. The converter control parameters have a strong impact on the admittance and they can be adjusted for achieving system stability. This paper focuses on the admittance-shaping effect produced by different current-control schemes, either designed on a per-phase basis or in the $dq$ frame using space vectors. A linear analytical model of the converter ac-side admittance is developed, including the different current-control schemes and the phase-locked loop. Different solutions for computing the insertion indices are also analyzed, showing that for a closed-loop scheme a compact expression of the admittance is obtained. The impact of the control parameters on the admittance is discussed and verified experimentally, giving guidelines for designing the system in terms of stability. Moreover, recommendations on whether a simplified admittance expression could be used instead of the detailed model are given. The findings from the admittance-shaping analysis are used to recreate a grid-converter system whose stability is determined by the control parameters. The developed admittance model is then used in this experimental case study, showing that the stability of the interconnected system can be assessed using the Nyquist stability criterion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connecting a modular multilevel converter to an ac grid may cause stability issues, which can be assessed by analyzing the converter ac-side admittance in relation to the grid impedance. This paper presents a method for calculating the ac-side admittance of modular multilevel converters, analyzing the main frequency components of the converter variables individually. Starting from a time-averaged model of the converter, the proposed method performs a linearization in the frequency domain, which overcomes the inherent nonlinearities of the converter's internal dynamics and the phase-locked loop used in the control. The ac-side admittance obtained analytically is first validated by simulations against a nonlinear time-averaged model of the modular multilevel converter. The tradeoff posed by complexity of the method and the accuracy of the result is discussed, and the magnitude of the individual frequency components is shown. Finally, experiments on a down-scaled prototype are performed to validate this study and the simplification on which it is based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]