A power decoupling control method for an isolated single‐phase AC‐to‐DC converter based on a high‐frequency cycloconverter

This paper proposes a new power decoupling method for a high‐frequency cycloconverter which converts the single‐phase line‐frequency ac input to the high‐frequency ac output directly. The cycloconverter consists of two half‐bridge inverters, two input filter capacitors, and a series‐resonant circuit. The proposed power decoupling method stores the input power ripple at double the line frequency in the filter capacitors. Therefore, the proposed method achieves a unity power factor in ac input and a constant current amplitude in the high‐frequency output without any additional switching device or energy storage element. This paper theoretically discusses the principle and operating performance of the proposed power decoupling method, and the viability is confirmed by using an experimental isolated ac‐to‐dc converter based on the high‐frequency cycloconverter. As a result, the proposed power decoupling method effectively improved the displacement power factor in the line current to more than 0.99 and reduced the output voltage ripple to 4% without any electrolytic capacitor.     

The Proposal of Isolated Single‐Stage AC‐DC Converter

An isolated ac‐dc converter has been used in various applications, such as power supply and as a battery charger for electric vehicle. In conventional converters, a loss in each conversion stage can be reduced by applying a soft switching method. However, a conventional converter has many conversion stages including the rectifier stage, power factor correction, and dc/dc converter stages; thus, it is difficult to reduce the total converter loss and size. In this paper, we propose a novel isolated‐type ac‐dc converter with only one conversion stage; it can realize a zero‐voltage switching operation in all switching devices.     

Comparison of Switching Loss of Single‐Phase Step‐Up/Step‐Down Bidirectional Converter with Voltage‐Fed/Current‐Fed Hybrid‐Type Operation

Electric energy storage systems are very important as one of the solutions to global warming. Step‐up/step‐down characteristics are required for electric energy storage systems. In addition, such systems must have high efficiency, low cost, and small scale. Therefore, the authors proposed a single‐phase step‐up/step‐down bidirectional converter with voltage‐fed and current‐fed hybrid‐type operation. The proposed converter consists of a two‐quadrant dc–dc converter and a single‐phase voltage‐fed converter. The circuit has several advantages such as low switching loss, use of very small capacitance, and so on. In this paper, the authors compare a comparison of the switching losses with a simple analysis.     

Control and protection scheme of HVDC system with self‐commutated converter in system fault conditions

For extending self‐commutated converter application to future trunk power systems, it is important to develop a stable operation scheme as well as to realize substantial cost reduction through coordinated system and control design. Suppression controls of converter overcurrent and dc overvoltage in various system fault conditions are essential in order to ensure stable operation and cost reduction of HVDC systems with voltage source type self‐commutated converters. Converter control and protection schemes which include such suppression controls have been developed, employing CRIEPI's ac/dc Power System Simulator test and EMTP analysis. This paper first discusses the cause of converter overcurrent at ac system faults, considering the effect of PWM pulse number and converter control speed. Continued operation has been achieved by adding a new overcurrent suppression scheme to the converter control. In the case of a dc line grounding fault, the selection of the grounding circuit constant and the adoption of a high‐speed converter control practically ensure the reduction of dc overvoltage while suppressing converter overcurrent. The converter block and restart sequence after a dc fault, which is coordinated with dc circuit breaker operation, enables stable recovery of HVDC transmission as fast as the usual line‐commutated HVDC system. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 132(2): 6–18, 2000     

A Low‐Speed,High‐Torque Motor Drive Using a Modular Multilevel Cascade Converter Based on Triple‐Star Bridge Cells (MMCC‐TSBC)

This paper provides an experiment‐based discussion on a modular multilevel cascade converter based on triple‐star bridge cells (MMCC‐TSBC) for a low‐speed high‐torque motor drive. The TSBC is a direct ac‐to‐ac power converter capable of achieving bidirectional power flow as well as drawing and feeding three‐phase sinusoidal input (supply‐side) and output (motor‐side) currents with any power factor at both sides. This paper discusses active dc‐capacitor‐voltage control applied to the low‐speed, high‐torque motor drive. A specially designed downscaled system combining a 320‐V, 38‐Hz, 6‐pole, 15‐kW induction motor with a 400‐V, 15‐kW TSBC is constructed and tested to confirm the validity of the motor drive. Experimental waveforms obtained from the downscaled system confirm stable operation with the rated load torque across a range from a standstill to the rated speed, including satisfactory start‐up performance.     

Energy storage system utilizing large‐capacity electric double‐layer capacitors for peak‐cut of power demand

Recently, due to a rapid increase of demand for air conditioning in summer, peak power demand is becoming increasingly acute. Therefore, the load factor has a tendency to drop every year. The drop of the load factor is leading to a drop in the utilization factor of the power facilities and an increase in the cost of installation. In this paper, we propose an energy storage system for peak‐cut of power demand, in which we use large‐capacity electric double‐layer capacitors. This energy storage system has some distinctive characteristics, including long life span, maintenance‐free operation, preservation of environment, high efficiency at charge/discharge, and so on. This paper deals with the circuit arrangement of the proposed energy storage system, the charge equalization method of the capacitors, and the control method of the converter at charge/discharge. Finally, the operating characteristics of this system are evaluated by simulation analysis. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 133(3): 83‐92, 2000     

Operation analysis of quasi‐resonant,high‐frequency transformer link dc–ac converters applied to phase‐shift PWM control on the secondary side

In recent years, the soft‐switching techniques have attracted attention for their peculiar advantages such as low switching loss, high power density, EMI/RFI noise reduction, and so on. The authors have previously reported on a quasi‐resonant dc–dc converter using new phase‐shift PWM control scheme. By using the proposed control scheme, circulating current is eliminated and ZVS (Zero Voltage Switching) is achieved with small commutating current. As a result, the conduction losses caused by their currents are substantially reduced. In this paper, the authors apply a proposed control scheme to a quasi‐resonant high‐frequency transformer link dc–ac converter. As a result, all switching devises in this dc–ac converter can achieve soft switching with small commutating current irrespective of inverter mode and rectifier mode. Its operating principle and unique features are described as compared with the symmetrical control scheme of dc–ac converter. Operating performance of this dc–ac converter in the steady state is illustrated by means of simulation results. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 130(2): 88–98, 2000     

HVDC tapping using soft switching techniques

Contents  Soft switching techniques have been applied to develop a novel dc/dc power converter for feeding small loads (under 5 MW) with low cost and high reliability, from HVDC transmission lines. This dc/dc converter is connected in series with a pole of the HVDC transmission line. It drains energy to a dc capacitor through an air-core transformer. From this dc capacitor, a voltage-source converter may be directly connected to supply ac loads. This HVDC tap can supply high quality ac power to isolated areas, with or without ac power generation. The controller of the HVDC tap is independent from the master control of the HVDC link. It does not need any communication channel to the control of the main HVDC converter stations. Simulation results have revealed that the proposed HVDC tap can be a very good option for feeding small loads along the HVDC transmission line. It generates high quality ac voltage and is extremely robust. Received: 26 July 2000     

Internally Self‐Sustaining Electric Power Generation

The electrical double layer capacitor‐electrostatic induction electric power generation system (EDLC‐ESIG) undergoes an electric cycle consisting of three steps: energy storage by electrostatic induction, power generation, and initialization by electromechanical coupling. An internally self‐sustaining electric power can be generated by repetition of cycles with periods of the order of seconds. The objective of this paper is to show the design of EDLC‐cell configuration for practical use to produce constant power output. On the basis of energy densities of the conventional EDLCs for energy storage, the volumetric power density has been estimated to be 450 W/L for the discharge time of 10 s. Possibilities of commercial applications of the EDLC‐ESIG system to vehicles and high power generations in central station have been considered with respect to the power densities of the EDLC‐cells consolidated into a generation system.     

A novel induction generator system using bi‐directional PWM converter for small‐scale power applications

This paper presents a deadbeat current control structure for a bidirectional power flow pulse‐width modulation (PWM) converter connected to a stand‐alone induction generator (IG), which works with variable speed and different types of loads. Sensorless control of the IG, meaning stator voltage vector control without a mechanical shaft sensor, is considered to regulate both the IG line‐to‐line voltage and the DC‐bus voltage of the PWM converter. In the proposed system, a newly designed phase locked loop (PLL) circuit is used to determine the stator voltage vector position of the IG. A 2.2 kW laboratory prototype has been built to confirm the feasibility of the proposed method. The proposed cost‐effective IG system with a deadbeat current‐controlled PWM converter and capacitor bank requires only three sensors. Moreover, the required rating of the PWM converter becomes smaller due to the existence of the capacitor bank. © 2006 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Quasi‐active power factor correction on flyback‐based dc/dc converter

This paper presents a novel input current shaper based on a quasi‐active power factor correction (PFC) scheme. In this method, high power factor and low harmonic content are achieved by providing an auxiliary PFC circuit with a driving voltage which is derived from a third winding of the transformer of a cascaded dc/dc flyback converter. It eliminates the use of active switch and control circuit for PFC. The auxiliary winding provides a controlled voltage‐boost function for bulk capacitor without inducing a dead angle in the line current. Since the dc/dc converter operates at high switching frequency, the driving voltage is also of high switching frequency, which results in reducing the size of the magnetic components. Operating principles, analysis and experimental results of the proposed method are presented. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development and design of DC‐GIS

In order to realize a reliable, compact, and economical converter station for HVDC transmission, applications of gas insulated switchgear (GIS) for dc transmission lines are considered. The characteristics of dc gas insulation differ from those of ac. The behavior of metallic particles left in the enclosure is one of the largest differences. The accumulation of electrical charges on solid insulators is another essential factor in designing a DC‐GIS. Also, degradation of metal oxide arrester blocks under dc stress must be deliberated. Based on the fundamental studies, we developed the components of ± 500‐kV DC‐GIS. Electrical and mechanical performances of these components have been tested and proven to be satisfactory. Finally these components have been assembled into a full DC‐GIS and subjected to a long‐term voltage endurance test. In this paper, the design philosophy of ± 500‐kV DC‐GIS, details of the components, and the test results are described. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 129(2): 51–61, 1999     

A non‐isolated high step‐up DC‐DC converter with integrated 3 winding coupled inductor and reduced switch voltage stress

In this paper, a non‐isolated high step‐up dc‐dc converter based on coupled inductor is proposed. The proposed converter can be used in renewable energy applications. In suggested converter, the high voltage is achieved using 3‐winding coupled inductor, which leads to low voltage rate of the switch. A clamp circuit is used to recycle the leakage inductance energy. Also, the clamp circuit prevents the creation of voltage spikes on semiconductor devices and causes the voltage stress of elements are limited to less than the output voltage. The presented theoretical analyses show that the operation of suggested converter in continuous conduction mode needs to small magnetic inductor. Therefore, the size of coupled inductor's core is reduced, and so the size and cost of presented converter will be decreased. Analysis of the proposed converter is provided with laboratory results to verify its performance.     

一种新型高效电动汽车双向DC-DC变换器

电动汽车与电网端的能量传递过程受到广泛研究。以电动汽车用CLLC式双向DC-DC变换器为基础,在电动汽车端增加了超级电容交错并联倍流储能放能回路,提出一种新型高效双向DC-DC变换器。对新型高效双向DC-DC变换器的正向和反向工作过程进行分析,研究了增益特性,提出了开关管实现零电压开关（ZVS）的条件,对开关管电应力进行分析。制作了800 W试验样机,样机测试结果验证了新型双向DC-DC变换器中开关管能实现ZVS,开关管峰值电流小,与传统双向DC-DC变换器相比,效率得到提升。     

Single‐Stage ZVS‐PWM AC‐AC Power Converter Using All SiC Power Module for High‐Frequency Induction Heating Applications

This paper presents a novel prototype of a single‐stage zero voltage soft‐switching pulse‐width modulation ‐controlled ac‐ac converter with a silicon carbide (SiC)‐MOSFET/SiC‐SBD power module for high‐frequency (HF) induction heating (IH) applications. The newly developed ac‐ac converter can achieve higher efficiency than a Si‐IGBT/Si‐PN diode power module‐based prototype due to a low ON‐resistance of SiC‐MOSFET and a low forward voltage of SiC‐SBD under the condition of HF switching. The performances of the new prototype converter are evaluated by experiment with a single‐phase IH utensil of ferromagnetic stainless metal, after which the high‐efficiency and low switching noise characteristics due to the all SiC power module are actually demonstrated.     

A single‐switch cascaded high step‐up voltage converter with 95% maximum efficiency for renewable energy systems

This paper proposes a novel nonisolated single‐switch cascaded high step‐up converter. The converter consists of coupled inductors, a clamp circuit, and cascaded capacitors to achieve high step‐up voltage output. Only one switch is used in the proposed converter; the switch can reduce cost efficiently and simplify the control of the proposed converter. The converter also possesses an energy‐recycle mechanism for recycling the spike energy of a leakage inductor. In addition, a clamp circuit is used to reduce voltage‐stress across the switch, and a cascaded design is used to reduce voltage‐stress across diodes and output capacitor. Thus, the proposed converter can select a low‐voltage stress switch for reducing circuit loss and improving the efficiency of the converter. Finally, in this study, a 400‐W nonisolated cascaded high step‐up converter was implemented, of which the input and output voltages are 48 and 400 V, respectively. A microcontroller dsPIC30F4011 was used to control the converter and verify system effects and feasibility. The maximum efficiency of the proposed converter is 95% and the efficiency under a full load is 93%. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isolated Ac/Dc Converter Using Soft Switching Technique

This paper presents a high‐frequency isolated ac/dc converter using the soft switching technique. The ac/dc converter consists of a matrix converter for transforming three‐phase ac voltage to high‐frequency ac voltage, a high‐frequency transformer, and an ac/dc rectifier. In order to reduce the switching loss, soft switching at every commutation of the matrix converter and ac/dc converter is achieved. The effectiveness of the proposed converter and the control scheme was verified by experiments.     

Experimental verification of a dynamic voltage restorer capable of significantly reducing energy‐storage element requirements

This paper deals with a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) characterized by installing the shunt converter at the load side. The DVR can compensate for the load voltage when a voltage sag appears in the supply voltage. An existing DVR requires a large capacitor bank or other energy‐storage elements such as double‐layer capacitors or batteries. The DVR presented in this paper requires only a small DC capacitor intended for smoothing the DC‐link voltage. Moreover, three control methods for the series converter are compared and discussed to reduce the series‐converter rating, paying attention to the zero‐sequence voltages included in the supply voltage and the compensating voltage. Experimental results obtained from a 200‐V, 5‐kW laboratory system are shown to verify the viability of the system configuration and the control methods. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 165(3): 73–82, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20460     

Advanced control of PWM converter with variable-speed induction generator

This paper describes simple control structures for the vector-controlled stand-alone induction generator (IG) used to operate under variable speeds. Different control principles, indirect vector control and deadbeat current control, are developed for a voltage source pulsewidth-modulation (PWM) converter and the three-phase variable-speed squirrel-cage IG to regulate dc link and generator voltages with the newly designed phase-locked loop circuit. The required reactive power for the variable-speed IG is supplied by means of the PWM converter and a capacitor bank to buildup the voltage of the IG without the need for a battery, to reduce the rating of the PWM converter with the need for only three sensors, and to eliminate the harmonics generated by the PWM converter. These proposed schemes can be used efficiently for variable-speed wind energy conversion systems. The measurements of the IG systems at various speeds and loads are given and show that these systems are capable of good ac and dc voltage regulations.     

A single‐phase buck‐boost PFC converter with output‐voltage,ripple‐reducing operation

This paper describes a new single‐phase buck‐boost power‐factor‐correction (PFC) converter with output‐voltage, ripple reducing operation. The converter consists of a conventional buck‐boost PFC converter and an additional switch to obtain a freewheeling mode of the dc inductor current, and is operated by two modulators. The first modulator controls the buck‐boost switch to obtain PFC. The other modulator controls the square value of the instantaneous dc inductor current to perform the output‐voltage‐ripple‐reducing operation. In the two modulations, the time integral value of the input and output currents in each modulation period are controlled directly and indirectly, respectively. Thus, modulation errors or undesirable distortions of the input current and output voltage ripple are eliminated even if the dc inductor current produces large ripple in a low‐frequency range. The theories and combination techniques for the two modulators, implementation, and experimental results are described. © 1998 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 126(2): 56–70, 1999