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Low-speed drive is one of the challenges for modular multilevel converters (MMCs) due to large capacitor voltage fluctuation. In this article, a cascaded MMC and cycloconverter (CCV) based machine drive system is proposed to ensure stable operation of medium-voltage and low-speed machine. The MMC provides medium-frequency ac voltage for the CCV, and the CCV converts the medium-frequency ac input to low-frequency ac output required by the machine. Detailed analysis about MMC's operation frequency, device current stress, and submodule (SM) capacitance are given in this article. Proposed drive system can operate at zero/low frequency under rated load torque, while the SM capacitance is much smaller than that in existing methods. Simulation and experimental studies are conducted, and the results verify the effectiveness of the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a low computational burden model predictive control (MPC) strategy without weighting factor is proposed for the single-phase cascaded H-bridge CHB converters. To reduce the switching state candidates, a hierarchy control algorithm is proposed. The grid current is controlled by selecting a subregion from the designed 2-D control plane, instead of the entire area. Two vectors are chosen in one sampling period for more accurate tracking. Then, the voltage balancing is achieved by selecting the optimal switching state from the subregion candidates to form the above two vectors. The cost function can be constructed of one variable: load voltage. Therefore, the weighting factor can be eliminated. No tuning or retuning processes are required in the proposed method. To reduce the computational time further, the principle of eliminating the switching state candidates operating the same voltage balancing performance is proposed. Conventional and proposed MPC methods are verified by experimental tests via a laboratory setup of a three-cell connected CHB converter. Steady-state and transient operations demonstrate that the proposed method guarantees less distortion grid current and shorter execution time (reduced from 15 to 3 $\mu s$). Fast response speed to variations in voltage reference and load resistance can be achieved t. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high-performance requirements of power converters in industrial applications, sliding-mode control has drawn extensive research attention for its insensitivity against external disturbances. In order to ensure this advantage while suppressing the chattering problem caused by discontinuous switching functions, in this article, a fuzzy sliding-mode control (FSMC) strategy consisting of three control loops is proposed for three-phase three-level neutral-point-clamped active front-end rectifiers. In the power tracking loop, an improved super-twisting algorithm is proposed to enforce the tracking errors of active power and reactive power to bounded regions in finite time and guarantee the transient performance. Next, in the dc-link voltage regulation loop, the regulation error of dc-link voltage converges to a bounded region with a super-twisting extended state observer-based FSMC strategy. A simple but efficient proportional-integral controller is employed in dc-link voltage balancing loop to reduce the voltage difference between two dc-link capacitors. The proposed controller is characterized by attenuated chattering phenomenon and improved the dc-link voltage regulation performance, disturbance rejection ability, and power tracking performance. Experimental results are provided to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a nonlinear high-gain observer (NHGO)-based second-order sliding mode (SOSM) control strategy is proposed for the three-phase three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) converter. This controller applies the advanced SOSM algorithm both in the voltage regulation loop and in the power tracking loop, which provides a fast dynamic for the dc-link voltage, and also assures a good steady-state behavior for the NPC converter. Additionally, an NHGO technique is implemented in the voltage regulator combining with the SOSM algorithm. The conventional observer-based controllers suffer from the destructive effects of measurement noise, and it can only be addressed by diminishing the observer gain, which sacrifices the observer property. The NHGO technique adopts a time varying gain, that is, high gain in transient while low gain in steady state, which minimizes the adverse influence of measurement noise. The tuning method of the proposed NHGO-based SOSM controller is given to simplify the implementation process. Finally, the simulation and experimental results of the proposed control scheme for the NPC converter are given and compared with the conventional PI controller as well as the well-known linear extended state observer-based control method, which validates the feasibility and superiority of the proposed controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a sliding-mode-observer (SMO)-based control strategy to regulate the dc-link voltage for a three-phase two-level active front end (AFE). The SMO is designed for the voltage control loop to estimate the external load which is abruptly connected to the AFE dc-link and consequently causes the dc-link voltage fluctuation. The estimated load value is used to compensate the voltage loop controller, therefore, the voltage loop gains more robustness against the load perturbation and its disturbing effect is greatly reduced. The effectiveness and advantage of the proposed control strategy has been verified through theoretical analysis, simulations, and the real-application experiments conducted on a 5 KVA laboratory AFE. The results show that the proposed control strategy provides obvious improvement of the dc-link voltage control performance comparing with the conventional PI controller and demonstrates stronger robustness against the operating point variations caused by the changes in external load and dc-link capacitance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular multilevel converters have become the prominent topology for medium- and high-voltage applications. The performance of these converters highly depends on the accuracy of the used modulation approach, for which the capacitor voltage of submodules (SM) are usually assumed to be equal. This article exhibits that ignoring the capacitor voltage differences among SMs adversely affects the system performance. This becomes more obvious the larger the capacitor voltage differences are. Hence, this article proposes a more accurate feedforward modulation approach that takes into account either the instantaneous capacitor voltage value and the real output voltage in the modulation stage. As a result, in applications where larger SM voltage differences are expected, the current distortion and control performance are improved. Particularly, switching–saving approaches benefit from this method as it enables their operation with reduced switching losses without the downsides of increased distortion due to capacitor voltage differences. The proposed approach is analyzed and compared with the nearest-level modulation and with the level-shift PWM. Simulations and experimental validation are presented to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a novel robust control strategy for three-phase power converters operated under unbalanced grid conditions. A consolidated control objective is obtained in the stationary $\alpha \beta$ frame, which can be flexibly adjusted according to the degree of oscillation in the active and reactive powers and the balance of the three-phase current. Based on the dynamics of the converter and control objective, a control scheme in a cascaded framework is presented, in which an adaptive observer is applied to estimate the positive and negative sequences of the grid voltage. In the current tracking loop, a super-twisting algorithm current controller coupled with a super-twisting differentiator is implemented to track the current references, featuring rapid dynamics, and improved robustness. Additionally, in the voltage regulation loop, an effective composite controller is developed to regulate the dc-link voltage, where a super-twisting observer is used to estimate the load disturbance, thereby improving the performance of the converter. The experimental results are provided to confirm the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a two-stage control scheme consisting of an adaptive-gain second-order sliding mode (SOSM) controller and a switched high-gain observer (HGO) is proposed for the three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) converter. The adaptive-gain SOSM control method is applied both in the voltage regulation loop and instantaneous power tracking loop, thus, the boundary of the disturbance derivative does not need to be known a priori. Compared with the fixed-gain SOSM, it provides a faster dynamic and a better steady-state response for the NPC converter. On the other hand, the conventional disturbance compensation observer used in the power system suffers from the adverse effects of measurement noise, which limits the performance of the observer. A switched HGO is combined with the adaptive-gain SOSM controller in the voltage regulation loop to address this issue. By using a switched observer gain, the switched HGO greatly diminishes the performance degradation induced by the inevitable measurement noise. Finally, several experiments between the representative extended state observer-based SOSM control scheme and the proposed control method are carried out for a comparison. The results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular converters such as the multilevel cascaded H-bridge (CHB) are an attractive option for multiple applications mainly because of inherent modularity and fault-tolerant operation. This article is focused on the CHB converter operating with unbalanced conditions (different dc voltages and/or modulation indexes). Under these circumstances, applying the conventional control and modulation strategies, the output voltage harmonic spectrum is degraded. In this article, a generalized variable-angle phase-shifted pulsewidth modulation (PS-PWM) technique for CHB converters with a large number of power modules (> 3) is presented. The method considers all possible cells’ combinations to form groups and assigns the role of each cell in the group. This cell role defines the identifier of the cell in the variable-angle PS-PWM technique. In the steady state, in each group of cells, the harmonic distortion of the CHB output voltage located at twice the carrier frequency ƒc is eliminated, while the distortion at 4ƒc is also diminished. Experimental results show how the proposed technique achieves superior harmonic performance without introducing any significant disadvantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, different advanced control methods have been successfully proposed as alternatives to conventional cascaded linear controllers for power converters in distributed generation systems and microgrids. The prime movers of this research are strong capabilities of advanced controllers to improve the dynamic performance and robustness of power electronic converters in these applications. This article first introduces the key roles and functionalities of voltage source converters in distributed generation systems and microgrids. Then, it describes how these functionalities are traditionally achieved by using linear controllers, and addresses their fundamental dynamic performance limitations. Afterward, the most prominent advanced control methods are overviewed. In this context, the implementation principles, advantages, and disadvantages of prominent model- and data-based advanced control methods are critically discussed and experimentally compared. This article ends with a discussion about promising research directions in the area of advanced control for power electronic converters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrification has been a key component of technological progress and economic development since the industrial revolution. It has improved living conditions, spurred innovation, and increased efficiency across all sectors of our economy and all aspects of our lives. During the coming decades, electrification is expected to reach further and deeper into the transportation, building, and industry sectors, mainly motivated by the energy transition to a zero-carbonemission-based economy to mitigate climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a new control method for modular multilevel converter (MMC), which is based on a modification of the conventional nearest level control (NLC) scheme implemented by a model predictive control (MPC) technique. Applying the proposed method, the simplicity of the NLC is maintained while the current control ability in terms of both phase current and circulating current is enhanced by the MPC technique. A proper rounding function is used for each arm of the MMC instead of the conventional nearest integer function. The rounding function is determined by evaluating a cost function within the frame of MPC. To validate the proposed technique, a three-phase MMC prototype is employed. The conventional NLC-based control approach of MMC is also evaluated for comparative purposes. Results show that the proposed method exhibits excellent current-regulating ability. Compared with the conventional control scheme, the overall performance is improved without significantly increasing the computational burden or adding relevant complexity to the control system design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents voltage regulation and current tracking control strategies for three phase two-level grid-connected power converters. By using power-invariant Park’s transformation, an averaged mathematical model of power converters is obtained in dq synchronous reference frame. Then a novel control strategy using adaptive control and ${H}_{\infty }$ technique is proposed to regulate the dc-link output voltage as well as track a desired current reference for three-phase power rectifiers. More specifically, an efficient adaptive controller is established in the external loop for regulating dc-link output voltage in the presence of external disturbances. A set of ${H}_{\infty }$ controllers are designed in the internal loop to force the input currents track their desired values. Finally, simulation results obtained from the proposed control method are presented, analyzed, and compared with that of sliding mode control, and the superiority of the proposed control laws is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a model predictive control (MPC) strategy based on the optimal switching sequence (OSS) concept for a single-phase grid-connected H-bridge neutral-point-clamped (H-NPC) power converter is presented. The proposed OSS-MPC algorithm considers both the grid current tracking error and the dc-link capacitor voltage balance. Special emphasis is placed on the power converter control region in order to design suitable switching sequence candidates for this multiobjective control problem. Additionally, based on an analysis of the weighting factor effect over closed-loop performance, it is possible to demonstrate that this controller parameter is relatively easy to adjust. In fact, the weighting factor only affects the peak current during transients, with no effect over the steady-state performance. As a result, the proposed OSS-MPC provides a fast closed-loop dynamic to the H-NPC converter, which operates with a fixed switching frequency at all times. This predictive control strategy is experimentally validated in a 3.5-kVA laboratory setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a closed-loop analytic filtering scheme for the low-frequency capacitor voltage ripple in cascaded H-bridge converters. Although this technique can be applied to a number of cascaded converter applications, this article focuses particularly on the low-capacitance cascaded H-bridge static compensator. Filtering of capacitor voltage signals is particularly important in this application, due to the presence of large low-frequency harmonic voltage ripple. The main novelty of the proposed algorithm in this article is the estimation of the capacitance value of each H-bridge. The closed-loop capacitance estimation method reduces steady-state error in estimated voltage ripple magnitude and phase, which is otherwise present in the available open-loop filters in the literature. Furthermore, fast dynamic response is achieved compared to filtering schemes based on low-pass and bandstop filters. Therefore, the proposed solution optimizes the tradeoff between filtering accuracy and transient response. It also mitigates parametric uncertainties, time delays, and harmonic contamination in the outer voltage control loop. Furthermore, the estimated capacitance is also useful to track the state of health of the dc-link capacitors. Experimental results on a seven-level 1-kVA cascaded H-bridge prototype are presented to demonstrate the comparative performance of the proposed filtering scheme and traditional approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel control strategy for three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) power converter. The proposed control scheme consists of three control loops, i.e., instantaneous power tracking control loop, voltage regulation loop, and voltage balancing loop. First, in the power tracking control loop, a set of adaptive sliding mode controllers are established to drive the active and reactive power tracking to their desired values via radial basis function neural network technology. In the voltage regulation loop, an efficient but simple adaptive controller is designed to regulate dc-link output voltage where the load is considered as an external disturbance. Moreover, a composite controller is developed in the voltage balancing loop to ensure imbalance voltages between two dc-link capacitors close to zero, in which a reduced-order observer is used to estimate sinusoidal disturbance improving the converter performance. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed control strategy for the NPC power converter are compared with other control schemes through experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach to the control of three-phase two-level grid-connected power converters is proposed in this paper. The proposed control is an extended state observer (ESO)-based second order sliding mode (SOSM), which comprises two control loops: the outer loop is a voltage regulation loop, as well as inner loop is an instantaneous power tracking loop. The outer loop is accomplished by an ${H}_{\infty }$ controller plus an ESO, which is designed to regulate dc-link capacitor voltage of the converter and asymptotically reject external disturbances and parameter perturbations. The SOSM strategy is employed in the inner loop to drive the active and reactive power convergence to their desired values. Control objectives of nearly unity power factor and dc-link capacitor voltage regulation are simultaneously satisfied. Availability of the ESO-based SOSM is compared with the classic proportional-integral control in simulations, and the comparison implies that the proposed strategy not merely achieves an almost perfect tracking performance, but also provides a complete robustness against resistance load variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a suitable long prediction horizon (multistep) model predictive control (MPC) formulation for cascaded H-bridge inverters is proposed. The MPC is formulated to include the full steady-state system information in terms of output current and output voltage references. Generally, basic single-step predictive controllers only track the current references. As a distinctive feature, the proposed MPC also tracks the control input references, which in this case is designed to minimize the common-mode voltage (CMV). This allows the controller to address both output current and CMV targets in a single optimization. To reduce the computational effort introduced by a long prediction horizon implementation, the proposed MPC formulation is transformed into an equivalent optimization problem that can be solved by a fast sphere decoding algorithm. Moreover, the benefits of including the control input references in the proposed formulation are analyzed based on this equivalent optimization problem. This analysis is key to understand how the proposed MPC formulation can handle both control targets. Experimental results show that the proposal provides an improved steady-state performance in terms of current distortion, inverter voltages symmetry, and CMV. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the last decades, multilevel converters have been developed usually for medium-voltage high-power applications. They have become a mature solution for the increasing power demand of multiple applications such as renewable energy systems, power quality improvement, and motor drives. In this paper, the operation of multilevel converters is addressed focusing on control and modulation techniques for different well-known applications. The new developments are presented as an extension of conventional methods for two-level voltage-source converters which are still the mainstream solution for most cases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes an extended state observer (ESO) based second-order sliding-mode (SOSM) control for three-phase two-level grid-connected power converters. The proposed control technique forces the input currents to track the desired values, which can indirectly regulate the output voltage while achieving a user-defined power factor. The presented approach has two control loops. A current control loop based on an SOSM and a dc-link voltage regulation loop which consists of an ESO plus SOSM. In this work, the load connected to the dc-link capacitor is considered as an external disturbance. An ESO is used to asymptotically reject this external disturbance. Therefore, its design is considered in the control law derivation to achieve a high performance. Theoretical analysis is given to show the closed-loop behavior of the proposed controller and experimental results are presented to validate the control algorithm under a real power converter prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Grid-connected power converters play a key role in several applications such as the integration of renewable energy sources and motor drives. For this reason, the development of high performance control strategies for this particular class of power converters has increasingly attracted the interest of both academic and industry researchers. This paper presents the predictive optimal switching sequence (OSS) direct power control (DPC) (OSS-DPC) algorithm for grid-connected converters. The OSS-DPC method belongs to the predictive-DPC family and provides the desired power references by calculating globally OSSs. To address computational and implementation issues, an efficient control algorithm, named reduced OSS-DPC, is introduced. The implementation of the proposed control strategy in a standard DSP is evaluated on a two-level power converter prototype working as a STATCOM. Experimental results show the algorithm's potential to provide high performance during both transient and steady states. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this work, a Model Based Adaptive Direct Power Control (MB-ADPC) with constant switching frequency for Three-Phase Three-Level Neutral Point Clamped (3L-NPC) converters is proposed. The rectifier and inverter operation mode are used to illustrate the flexibility of the proposed MB-ADPC controller. The control design process is based on the continuous averaged model of the system. Depending on the operation mode different control objectives have to be guaranteed. The proposed controller ensures the voltage regulation of the dc-link capacitors for the rectifier operation mode and to achieve voltage balance in the dc-link capacitors and the active and reactive power tracking for the rectifier and inverter operation modes. In addition, adaptive techniques are used to avoid system parameters uncertainties as smoothing inductors and grid frequency values. This work shows that the application of advanced control strategies based on the system model allows enhancing the performance of the overall system. The details of the controllers design process and the experimental results using a 50 kVA Three-Phase Three-Level NPC prototype are presented in this paper validating the proposed controllers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Multilevel cascaded H-bridge converters have found industrial application in the medium-voltage high-power range. In this paper, a generalized modulation technique for this type of converter based on a multidimensional control region is presented. Using the multidimensional control region, it is shown that all previous modulation techniques are particularized versions of the proposed method. Several possible solutions to develop a specific implementation of the modulation method are addressed in order to show the potential possibilities and the flexibility of the proposed technique. In addition, a feedforward version of this technique is also introduced to determine the switching sequence and the switching times, avoiding low harmonic distortion with unbalanced dc voltages. Experimental results are shown in order to validate the proposed concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiphase converters have been applied to an increasing number of industrial applications in recent years. On the other hand, multilevel converters have become a mature technology mainly in medium- and high-power applications. One of the problems of multilevel converters is the dc voltage unbalance of the dc bus. Depending on the loading conditions and the number of levels of the converter, oscillations appear in the dc voltages of the dc link. This paper presents a feedforward modulation technique for multilevel multiphase converters that reduces the distortion under balanced or unbalanced dc conditions. The proposed modulation method can be applied to any multilevel-converter topology with any number of levels and phases. Experimental results are shown in order to validate the proposed feedforward modulation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The papers in this special section focus on predictive control in power converters and electrical drives. With the fast microcontrollers available today, applications of predictive control in power converters and electrical drives are a very powerful and attractive alternative to classical controllers. The use of predictive control offers a number of advantages: very intuitive approach, no need for linear controllers and modulators, easy inclusion of nonlinearities and restrictions, etc. However, predictive control schemes in power converters and electrical drives have not yet been implemented in industrial applications. Nevertheless, after some further progress, it can be expected that the advantages of predictive algorithms will lead to an increased number of industrial applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a simple and low-computational-cost modulation technique for multilevel cascaded H-bridge converters. The technique is based on geometrical considerations considering a unidimensional control region to determine the switching sequence and the corresponding switching times. In addition, a simple strategy to control the dc-voltage ratio between the H-bridges of the multilevel cascaded converter is presented. Examples for the two-cell topology are shown, but the proposed technique can be applied to develop modulation methods for a higher number of H-bridges. Experimental results are presented to validate the proposed technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a multilevel cascaded converter fed with a single dc source has been presented. An analysis of the steady-state working limits of this type of converter is presented in this paper. Limits of the maximum output voltage and the minimum and maximum loading conditions for stable operation of the converter are addressed. In this paper, a way to achieve any dc voltage ratio (inside the stable operation area of the converter) between the H-bridges of the single-dc-source cascaded H-bridge converter is presented. The proposed dc-voltage-ratio control is based on a time-domain modulation strategy that avoids the use of inappropriate states to achieve the dc-voltage-ratio control. The proposed technique is a feedforward-modulation technique which takes into account the actual dc voltage of each H-bridge of the converter, leading to output waveforms with low distortion. In this way, the dc voltage of the floating H-bridge can be controlled while the output voltage has low distortion independently of the desired dc voltage ratio. Experimental results from a two-cell cascaded converter are presented in order to validate the proposed dc-voltage-ratio control strategy and the introduced concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modulation techniques for multilevel converters can create distorted output voltages and currents if the dc-link voltages are unbalanced. This situation can be avoided if the instantaneous dc voltage error is not taken into account in the modulation process. This paper proposes a feed-forward space vector modulation method for a single-phase multilevel cascade converter. Using this modulation technique, the modulated output voltage of the power converter always generates the reference determined by the controller, even in worst case voltage unbalance conditions. In addition, the possibility of optimizing the dc voltage ratio between the H-bridges of the power converter is introduced. Experimental results from a 5-kVA prototype are presented in order to validate the proposed modulation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simplified space vector modulation (SVM) techniques for multilevel converters are being developed to improve factors such as the computational cost, number of commutations, and voltage distortion. The feedforward SVM presented in this paper takes into account the actual dc capacitor voltage unbalance of the multilevel power converter. The resulting technique is a low-cost generalized feedforward 3-D SVM method and is particularized for three-phase multilevel diode-clamped converters. This new modulation technique can be applied to topologies where the gamma component may not be zero. The computational cost of the proposed method is similar to those of comparable methods and it is independent of the number of levels of the power converter. Experimental results using a three-level diode-clamped converter are presented to validate the proposed modulation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acting as an interface between the grid and many energy systems, the active front-end (AFE) has been widely used in a large variety of industrial applications. In this paper, in order to ensure the fast dynamic performance and good disturbance rejection ability of the AFE, a high-gain observer (HGO) plus adaptive super-twisting algorithm (STA) for the three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) converter is proposed. Comparing with the conventional PI control strategy, the proposed controller implements the adaptive STA in the voltage regulator to provide a faster transient response. The gains of the adaptive STA keep varying according to the rules being reduced in steady state but increasing in transient conditions. Therefore, the chattering phenomenon is mitigated and the dynamic response is guaranteed. Additionally, to undermine the impact of external disturbances on the dc-link voltage, a high-efficiency HGO is designed in the voltage regulation loop to reject it. Experimental results based on a three-level NPC prototype are given and compared with the conventional PI method to validate the fast dynamic performance and high disturbance rejection ability of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]