Novel static inverters with high frequency pulse DC link

A novel combined soft switching technique and a novel topological family of the static inverter with high frequency pulse dc link are proposed in this paper. The topological structure is constituted of isolated high frequency pulse dc link circuit and inverter. In order to overcome the duty cycle D of the one transistor forward mode Static Inverter less than 0.5 and the topology of the interleaved forward mode Static Inverter more complicated, the duty cycle extension of high frequency pulse dc voltage is proposed in this paper. The steady operation principle of the active clamp forward mode high frequency pulse dc link static inverter with duty cycle extension and the control strategy of three-state discrete pulse modulation hysteresis current are deeply investigated. The design criteria for the key circuit parameters are gained. By using combined soft switching technique and the duty cycle extension of high frequency pulse dc voltage, a designed and developed 750 VA 27 V dc/115 V 400 Hz ac prototype has the advantages such as high efficiency, high power density, high reliability, high steady precision, fast dynamical response, low THD of output voltage, strong ability of over-load and short-circuit.     

A novel current initialization scheme for parallel resonant dc link inverter

In this paper a novel current initialization scheme is proposed for a parallel resonant dc link inverter. The method of current initialization is based on the state transition analysis of the system as a boundary-value problem. It is shown that, for a given load current, it is possible to force the dc link voltage to go to zero at a prescribed time by properly choosing the initial dc link current. This technique makes it possible to operate the resonant dc link inverter without any zero-crossing failure, which is the most important issue for satisfactory operation of such an inverter. The proposed current initialization technique is validated through digital computer simulation studies and practical implementation results.     

Design and implementation of an FPGA-based control IC forAC-voltage regulation

This paper presents a field-programmable gate army (FPGA)-based control integrated circuit (IC) for controlling the pulsewidth modulation (PWM) inverters used in power conditioning systems for AC-voltage regulation. We also propose a multiple-loop control scheme for this PWM inverter control IC to achieve sinusoidal voltage regulation under large load variations. The control scheme is simple in architecture and thus facilitates realization of the proposed digital controller for the PWM inverter using the FPGA-based circuit design approach. Bit-length effect of the digital PWM inverter controller has also been examined in this paper. The designed PWM inverter control IC has been realized using a single FPGA XC4005 from Xilinx Inc., which can be used as a coprocessor with a general-purpose microprocessor in application of AC-voltage regulation. Owing to the high-speed nature of FPGA, the sampling frequency of the constructed IC can be raised up to the range that cannot be reached using a conventional digital controller based merely on microcontrollers or a digital signal processor (DSP). Experimental results show the designed PWM inverter control IC using the proposed control scheme can achieve good voltage regulation against large load variations     

Solid State Voltage and Frequency Controller for a Stand Alone Wind Power Generating System

This paper deals with the voltage and frequency controller of a wind turbine driven isolated asynchronous generator. The proposed voltage and frequency controller consists of an insulated gate bipolar junction transistor based voltage source converter along-with battery energy storage system at its dc link. The proposed controller is having bidirectional active and reactive powers flow capability by which it controls the system voltage and frequency with variation of consumer loads and the speed of the wind turbine. It is also having capability of harmonic elimination and load balancing. The proposed electro-mechanical system along with its controller is modeled and simulated in MATLAB using Simulink and power system block-set toolboxes. Performance of the proposed controller is presented to demonstrate voltage and frequency control of a wind turbine driven isolated asynchronous generator along with harmonic elimination and load balancing.     

Development of a low cost fuel cell inverter system with DSP control

In this paper, the development of a low cost fuel cell inverter system is detailed. The approach consists of a three-terminal push-pull dc-dc converter to boost the fuel cell voltage (48V) to /spl plusmn/200 VDC. A four switch [insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT)] inverter is employed to produce 120-V/240-V, 60-Hz ac outputs. High performance, easy manufacturability, lower component count, safety and cost are addressed. Protection and diagnostic features form an important part of the design. Another highlight of the proposed design is the control strategy, which allows the inverter to adapt to the requirements of the load as well as the power source (fuel cell). A unique aspect of the design is the use of the TMS320LF2407 DSP to control the inverter. Two sets of lead-acid batteries are provided on the high voltage dc bus to supply sudden load demands. Efficient and smooth control of the power drawn from the fuel cell and the high voltage battery is achieved by controlling the front end dc-dc converter in current mode. The paper details extensive experimental results of the proposed design on Department of Energy (DoE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) fuel cell.     

A digitally controlled DC/DC converter for an RF power amplifier

This paper describes design and implementation of a digitally controlled dc/dc converter that provides a dynamically adjustable supply voltage for a radio frequency power amplifier (RFPA). The techniques employed in the design include a combination of constant-frequency continuous conduction mode (CCM) and a variable-frequency discontinuous conduction mode to achieve very high converter efficiency over a wide range of output power levels. The variable-frequency converter control is accomplished using a current-estimator circuit, which eliminates the need for current sensing. A field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based digital controller implementation allows programmability of the mode transition and other controller parameters. In the complete experimental system, which consists of the digitally controlled dc/dc converter and a class-E RFPA operating at 10GHz, experimental results show that the overall system efficiency is significantly improved over a wide range of RFPA output power levels.     

电压型三相逆变器定频滞环电流控制新策略

本文提出了电压型三相逆变器定频滞环控制一种新方法。该方法主要根据直流侧电源电压、电动机反馈电动势和参考电流信号波形的微分改变滞环电流宽度,实现开关频率的稳定。该方法的特点是不需要增加额外的模拟电路,完全数字化控制。使用Matlab仿真,仿真结果证明了该方法对电压型三相逆变器定频控制是有效可行的。     

Digital phase control for resonant inverters

This letter presents an approach for direct digital phase control of resonant inverters that is based on inductor current or voltage sensing. Compared to frequency control, phase control provides the advantages of self-tuning to the tank resonant frequency, reduced sensitivity for improved control near resonance, and inherent protection against operation below resonance to avoid hard switching. The digital control algorithm suitable for implementation using standard CMOS logic is derived. The design details of an experimental test platform based on a Xilinx field programmable gate array (FPGA) and experimental results for a typical resonant inverter are provided.     

Interfacing Renewable Energy Sources to the Utility Grid Using a Three-Level Inverter

This paper presents a novel approach for the connection of renewable energy sources to the utility grid. Due to the increasing power capability of the available generation systems, a three-level three-phase neutral-point-clamped voltage-source inverter is selected as the heart of the interfacing system. A multivariable control law is used for the regulator because of the intrinsic multivariable structure of the system. A current source (playing the role of a generic renewable energy source) is connected to the grid using a three-level inverter in order to verify the good performance of the proposed approach. Large- and small-signal d-q state-space averaged models of the system are obtained and used to calculate the multivariable controller based on the linear quadratic regulator technique. This controller simultaneously regulates the dc-link voltage (to operate at the maximum power point of the renewable energy source), the mains power factor (the power is delivered to the grid at unity power factor), and the dc-link neutral-point voltage balance. With the model and regulator presented, a specific switching strategy to control the dc-link neutral-point voltage is not required. The proposed controller can be used for any application, since its nature makes possible the control of any system variable. The good performance of the presented interfacing solution in both steady-state and transient operation is verified through simulation and experimentation using a 1-kW neutral-point-clamped voltage-source-inverter prototype, where a PC-embedded digital signal processor board is used for the controller implementation     

Implementation of a New Linear Control Technique Based on Experimentally Validated Small-Signal Model of Three-Phase Three-Level Boost-Type Vienna Rectifier

In this paper, the design and implementation of a new multiple-input-multiple-output linear control technique based on a theoretically established and experimentally validated small- signal model for the three-phase three-level boost-type ac/dc Vienna converter are presented. Averaging and local linearization techniques are used to derive the dynamic model expressed in the dqo reference frame. The resulted transfer functions are discretized for the sake of a digital controller design. Multiple-loop control strategy is adopted and consists of inner current feedback loops, which are based on the straightforward looping technique that neglects interactions between the dq components of control inputs and currents, respectively, and of an outer voltage loop, which is designed to ensure dc voltage regulation by adjusting the magnitude of the references for the inner current loops. The output dc voltage unbalance is also controlled in the inner loops. The proposed modeling and control approaches are first simulated and then validated on a 1.5-kW laboratory prototype supported by the DS 1104 digital real-time controller board of dSPACE. The obtained results prove the accuracy of the proposed new small-signal model and, therefore, its reliability for dynamic analysis and control design purposes. It is also proved that a judicious choice of controller parameters, as well as an adequate rating of boost inductors, allows one to meet the IEEE standard requirements in terms of ac line-current total harmonic distortion and power factor. The efficiency of the proposed control technique is maintained in case of disturbances occurring on both source and load sides.     

A new hybrid active power filter (APF) topology

In this paper, a new hybrid active power filter topology is presented. A higher-voltage, low-switching frequency insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) inverter and a lower-voltage high-switching frequency metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) inverter are used in combination to achieve harmonic current compensation. The function of the IGBT inverter is to support utility fundamental voltage and to compensate for the fundamental reactive power. The MOSFET inverter fulfills the function of harmonic current compensation. To further reduce cost and to simplify control, the IGBT and MOSFET inverters share the same DC-link via a split capacitor bank. With this approach harmonics can be cancelled over a wide frequency range. Compared to the conventional APF topology, the proposed approach employs lower dc-link voltage and generates less noise. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed active power filter topology is capable of compensating for the load harmonics     

A Minimal Harmonic Controller for a STATCOM

In this paper, a novel controller with fixed modulation index (MI) and variable dc capacitor voltage reference to minimize voltage and current harmonics is presented for a distribution static synchronous compensator (STATCOM). The STATCOM with the proposed controller consists of a three-phase voltage-sourced inverter and a dc capacitor and is used to provide reactive power compensation and regulate ac system bus voltage with minimum harmonics. A systematic design procedure based on pole-zero cancellation, root locus method, and pole assignment method has been developed to determine proper parameters for the current regulator, the dc voltage controller, and the ac voltage controller of the STATCOM. With the proposed STATCOM controller, harmonic distortions in the inverter output current and voltage can be reduced since the MI is held constant at unity in steady state. In addition, a fast adjustment in the STATCOM output reactive power is achieved to regulate the ac bus voltage through the adjustment of the dc voltage reference during the transient period. Simulation and experimental results for the steady-state operating condition and transient operating conditions for the system subjected to a reactive current reference step change, a three-phase line to neutral fault, and a step load change are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.     

Integrated active rectifier and power quality compensator withreduced current measurement

This paper describes a three-phase integrated active rectifier and shunt power quality compensator (IPQC). The measurement of only three currents is required, and the control algorithm can be implemented using a low-cost controller. The IPQC improves the harmonic content of the supply current, displacement power factor, supply current balance, and can serve as a four-quadrant active rectifier for motor drives and other DC-link loads. The operation of the IPQC is experimentally verified using a conventional three-phase insulated gate bipolar transistor voltage-source inverter. A low-cost fixed-point DSP-based controller with fixed-band hysteresis current regulation is used for the implementation of the control algorithms     

3C strategy for inverters in parallel operation achieving an equalcurrent distribution

A circular chain control (3C) strategy for inverters in parallel operation is presented in the paper. In the proposed inverter system, all the modules have the same circuit configuration, and each module includes an inner current loop and an outer voltage loop control. A proportional-integral controller is adopted as the inner current loop controller to expedite the dynamic response, while an H^∞ robust controller is adopted to reach the robustness of the multimodule inverter system and to reduce possible interactive effects among inverters. With the 3C strategy, the modules are in circular chain connection and each module has an inner current loop control to track the inductor current of its previous module, achieving an equal current distribution. Simulation results of two-module and a three-module inverter systems with different kinds of loads and with modular discrepancy have demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed control scheme. Hardware measurements are also presented to verify the theoretical discussion     

Common-Mode Ripple Current Estimator for Parallel Three-Phase Inverters

For the three-phase parallel voltage source inverter systems with common dc link, several control methods were developed to suppress the common-mode circulating current. The common-mode ripple current is the main disturbance source of the common-mode circulating current control system that forms part of the parallel discontinuous pulsewidth modulation (PWM) inverter system. In this paper, a real-time analysis method for the common-mode ripple voltage of the three-phase discontinuous PWM inverter is proposed, whereby the amplitude of the common-mode ripple current can be estimated correctly, the hysteresis width of the circulating current controller can be adjusted to be as small as possible, and consequently, the rms circulating current is minimized as well. The simulation and experimental results are presented to confirm the theoretical analysis method of the common-mode ripple current and the performance of the proposed common-mode ripple current estimator.      

A discretized current control technique with delayed input voltagefeedback for a voltage-fed PWM inverter

A current control technique for a voltage-fed PWM inverter is presented. The discretized state equation of an inverter and a load independent of operating conditions with the delayed input voltage feedback has been derived using the averaging concept. The discretized current controller is proposed to reduce the current error as fast as possible using the deadbeat control strategy and to stabilize the closed loop system asymptotically when the variations of load parameters are given in the predetermined stabilized region. This proposed control scheme is realized by the symmetrical uniform sampling method and is easily implemented using a microprocessor-based system. Computer simulation for the proposed controller has been carried out and the results show good static and dynamic performances     

A DC Voltage Monitoring and Control Method for Three-Phase Grid-Connected Wind Turbine Inverters

Space vector pulsewidth modulation (SVPWM) based three-phase voltage source inverters provide a widely used interface between electric grids and wind turbine systems. PI controllers, predictive algorithms and real-time sampling techniques are often used to overcome the shortcomings of SVPWM. These techniques depend highly on accurate measurements of inverter voltages and currents, thus making sensors the key elements in the control process. Among these sensors, the dc link voltage (Vdc) sensor is critical: if it sends out a signal with a significant error, the output current will be distorted. The Authors have developed a combination of PI and predictive methods, using them simultaneously to control a three-phase grid-connected inverter. Under this new control scheme, the PI controller is given a new task of monitoring and controlling Vdc. As a result, the output current of the inverter is of high quality, and more importantly, Vdc can be double checked for its correctness of measurements. When the Vdc sensor fails or its signals are corrupted, the Vdc PI controller will become a Vdc controller, adding an extra protective function for the reliable operation of wind turbine inverters.     

An assessment of the inverter switching characteristics in DTC induction motor drives

The switching characteristics of an inverter feeding an induction motor controlled with the direct torque control (DTC) technique are assessed in steady state. At first, the application share of the inverter voltage vectors for the stator flux covering half a sextant is defined and predicted. The prediction indicates that, under operation at fixed inverter dc link voltage and stator flux magnitude, the application share depends only on the supply frequency of the motor and, to a small extent, on the load. Afterwards, the inverter transitions and the corresponding phase commutations within a stator flux sextant are analyzed. The outcome of the analysis permits to compute the commutations of the inverter phases in one turn of the stator flux and, from them, the inverter switching frequency is obtained. Its value is influenced by the sampling interval and the control delay arising from the microprocessor implementation of DTC. For given sampling interval and control delay, it is shown that the inverter switching frequency depends on the same quantities as the application share of the inverter voltage vectors. A comparison with the switching characteristics of an inverter controlled with the space vector modulation technique is carried out. At last, the paper discusses the sensitivity of the switching frequency of an inverter for DTC to the following quantities: inverter dc link voltage, sampling interval and control delay. Throughout the paper simulation and experimental results are given to confirm the theoretical findings.     

A Wide-Range Active and Reactive Power Flow Controller for a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Power Conditioning System

A wide-range active and reactive power flow controller is designed to operate the inverter in pure leading, pure lagging, and the mix with active and reactive power conditions. The key to achieving lagging power flow control is to ensure sufficiently high enough dc bus voltage to avoid duty cycle saturation. The key to achieving precision power flow control for a wide range of power level is to adopt the quasi-proportional resonant controller for the current loop and the admittance compensator to cancel the grid-voltage-induced negative power flow. In this paper, the current loop transfer function has been systematically derived for the controller design purpose. Phasor analysis was adopted to explain the need of dc bus voltage requirement. A 5-kVA grid-tie fuel cell inverter was used as the platform to show current loop controller design and admittance compensation. The proposed controller has been simulated, and the same parameters have been used for a DSP-based controller. Both simulation and hardware experimental results agree well with the theoretical analysis.      

A Direct PWM Technique for a Single-Phase Full-Bridge Inverter Through Controlled Capacitor Charging

The controlled-capacitor-charging (CCC) technique is utilized in this paper to synthesize a sinusoidal voltage at the output from the unregulated dc at the input. The method is based on the controlled charging/discharging of a capacitor to realize the desired voltage waveform. A capacitor that is connected across the load is charged/discharged through an inductor by applying high-frequency pulses. The applied pulses could be of either positive or negative polarity, depending on the error signal in the controller. The controller senses the output voltage and current and operates to maintain zero-current switching at every turn-on while keeping the output voltage close to the reference waveform by a tracking-control algorithm, enforcing limits in maximum switching frequency and voltage ripples. This paper presents a direct method of implementing the pulsewidth modulation for the single-phase full-bridge inverter, using the CCC technique. A simple procedure to design such an inverter is also discussed. The proposed controller is simulated in a personal computer simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis. Supporting results from an experimental prototype confirm the usefulness of the proposed controller. The inverter may be used in uninterruptible power supply and many other applications.