Online grid measurement and ENS detection for PV inverter running on highly inductive grid

Photovoltaic (PV) and other sources of renewable energy are being used increasingly in grid-connected systems, for which stronger power quality requirements are being issued. Continuous grid monitoring should be considered so as to provide safe connections and disconnections from the grid. This letter gives an overview of the methods used for online grid measurement with PV inverters. Emphasis is placed on a method based on the injection of a noncharacteristic harmonic in the grid. Since this injection is regarded as a disturbance for the grid, different issues, i.e., the influence on total harmonic distortion (THD), the accuracy of line impedance measurement and the ENS (German abbreviation of Main Monitoring units with allocated Switching Devices) detection are studied. Laboratory results conducted on an existing PV inverter are presented to demonstrate the behavior of the PV inverter under different grid conditions. Some of the injection parameters are tuned in order to get an accurate measurement of line impedance.     

Enhanced power quality based single phase photovoltaic distributed generation system

This article presents a novel control strategy for a 1-? 2-level grid-tie photovoltaic (PV) inverter to enhance the power quality (PQ) of a PV distributed generation (PVDG) system. The objective is to obtain the maximum benefits from the grid-tie PV inverter by introducing current harmonics as well as reactive power compensation schemes in its control strategy, thereby controlling the PV inverter to achieve multiple functions in the PVDG system such as: (1) active power flow control between the PV inverter and the grid, (2) reactive power compensation, and (3) grid current harmonics compensation. A PQ enhancement controller (PQEC) has been designed to achieve the aforementioned objectives. The issue of underutilisation of the PV inverter in nighttime has also been addressed in this article and for the optimal use of the system; the PV inverter is used as a shunt active power filter in nighttime. A prototype model of the proposed system is developed in the laboratory, to validate the effectiveness of the control scheme, and is tested with the help of the dSPACE DS1104 platform.     

A Single-Phase Voltage-Controlled Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System With Power Quality Conditioner Functionality

Future ancillary services provided by photovoltaic (PV) systems could facilitate their penetration in power systems. In addition, low-power PV systems can be designed to improve the power quality. This paper presents a single-phase PV system that provides grid voltage support and compensation of harmonic distortion at the point of common coupling thanks to a repetitive controller. The power provided by the PV panels is controlled by a Maximum Power Point Tracking algorithm based on the incremental conductance method specifically modified to control the phase of the PV inverter voltage. Simulation and experimental results validate the presented solution.     

Current waveform quality from grid‐connected photovoltaic inverters and its dependence on operating conditions

The increasing installation of grid‐connected photovoltaics (PV) in the urban environment will lead to a significant penetration into the low voltage electricity supply network of small power electronic generators. Inevitably some disturbance to the electricity supply quality will result from these embedded generators. It is shown that the inverters used to grid connect PV arrays are susceptible to minor distortion of the network waveform and that this can result in higher levels of current waveform distortion, or harmonic disturbance, being sourced into the supply than would be expected from analyses which assume an ideal voltage waveform. The level of current distortion is shown to be very dependent on the type of inverter control used. Inverter operation is also a function of operating point; clearly a device at part load cannot be expected to deliver the same quality of current waveform as when operating under its rated design conditions. The impedance of the grid connection also has an impact on the inverter's operation. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multilevel Inverter For Grid-Connected PV System Employing Digital PI Controller

This paper presents a single-phase five-level photovoltaic (PV) inverter topology for grid-connected PV systems with a novel pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) control scheme. Two reference signals identical to each other with an offset equivalent to the amplitude of the triangular carrier signal were used to generate PWM signals for the switches. A digital proportional-integral current control algorithm is implemented in DSP TMS320F2812 to keep the current injected into the grid sinusoidal and to have high dynamic performance with rapidly changing atmospheric conditions. The inverter offers much less total harmonic distortion and can operate at near-unity power factor. The proposed system is verified through simulation and is implemented in a prototype, and the experimental results are compared with that with the conventional single-phase three-level grid-connected PWM inverter.     

新型Z源光伏并网发电系统

本文提出了一种新型Z源光伏并网发电系统,与传统的Z源光伏并网发电系统相比,具有更高的功率密度,同时光伏电池与逆变桥臂实现了共地,电磁干扰(EMI)也更小。分析了该发电系统的工作原理和调制策略,并提出了一种能够维持直流链峰值电压恒定的并网控制策略,实现了光伏电池的最大功率点跟踪(MPPT)、直流链电压的升压以及网侧电流的单位功率因数运行。仿真和实验结果验证了新型Z源光伏并网发电系统能够适应光伏电池电压的宽范围变化,具有很好的应用前景     

A Single-Stage PV Module Integrated Converter Based on a Low-Power Current-Source Inverter

This paper presents a transformerless three-phase inverter designed for the integration into a special type of a photovoltaic (PV) module, which is capable of providing an output voltage of several hundred volts. The chosen topology, a current-source inverter, features a single-stage power conversion system that directly feeds into the grid. The principle operation and control is described, and a modified modulation strategy is proposed to attenuate common-mode currents. A robust and highly efficient laboratory prototype of a 250-W module integrated converter has been implemented and tested. Its compact and flat design allows the direct attachment to the PV module.     

A New Multilevel Conversion Structure for Grid-Connected PV Applications

A novel scheme for three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) generation systems is presented in this paper. The scheme is based on two insulated strings of PV panels, each one feeding the dc bus of a standard two-level three-phase voltage-source inverter (VSI). The inverters are connected to the grid by a three-phase transformer having open-end windings on the inverter side. The resulting conversion structure performs as a multilevel power active filter (equivalent to a three-level inverter), doubling the power capability of a single VSI with given voltage and current ratings. The multilevel voltage waveforms are generated by an improved space-vector-modulation algorithm, suitable for the implementation in industrial digital signal processors. An original control method has been introduced to regulate the dc-link voltages of each VSI, according to the voltage reference given by a single maximum power point tracking controller. The proposed regulation system has been verified by numerical simulations and experimental tests with reference to different operating conditions.     

Voltage Support Provided by a Droop-Controlled Multifunctional Inverter

This paper presents a single-phase multifunctional inverter for photovoltaic (PV) systems application. The converter provides active power to local loads and injects reactive power into the grid providing voltage support at fundamental frequency. The proposed topology is controlled by means of the droop-control technique. Hence, it allows the obtaining of voltage-sag-compensation capability, endowing voltage ride-through to the system. A model and analysis of the whole system is given to properly choose the control parameters. Simulation and experimental results validate the proposed control using a 5-kVA PV converter.     

多台小功率逆变器光伏并网设计与仿真

文中设计了一种高性能的光伏并网群控系统装置.此装置包括光伏阵列板,多台并网逆变器和中央控制器.基于最大效率问题,光伏阵列板的设计为分布式连接,多台逆变器以链状控制法作为控制策略.在系统中各逆变器模决不完全相同情况下,此方法避免了环流的产生.最后通过仿真实验验证了上述方法的有效性,实验结果表明系统具有较高的发电效率.     

On‐site characterisation and energy efficiency of grid‐connected PV inverters

The size of inverters in large grid‐connected photovoltaic (PV) systems is increasing. At present, the largest installed inverters have nominal powers of several hundreds of kW, which makes their characterisation in the laboratory difficult. As an alternative, on‐site characterisation requires only measurement equipment and has the advantage that the inverter is tested in its own PV system under real operating conditions. This paper describes an on‐site testing procedure for assessing the power efficiency of an inverter and the results obtained for 13 inverters with nominal powers between 3.3 and 350 kW. The inverters were tested in PV grid‐connected systems whose aggregate power capacity is nearly 150 MW. The energy efficiency of the inverters tested was also calculated yearly, and the results were compared with both European and Californian energy efficiency parameters, which are widely used in the current PV market. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sensitivity Study of the Dynamics of Three-Phase Photovoltaic Inverters With an LCL Grid Filter

An accurate small-signal model of three-phase photovoltaic (PV) inverters with a high-order grid filter is derived in this paper. The proposed model takes into account the influence of both the inverter operating point and the PV panel characteristics on the inverter dynamic response. A sensitivity study of the control loops to variations of the dc voltage, PV panel transconductance, supplied power, and grid inductance is performed using the proposed small-signal model. Analytical and experimental results carried out on a 100-kW PV inverter are presented.      

Flyback Inverter Controlled by Sensorless Current MPPT for Photovoltaic Power System

This paper presents a flyback inverter controlled by sensorless current maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for a small photovoltaic (PV) power system. Although the proposed system has small output power such as 300 W, a few sets of small PV power systems can be easily connected in parallel to yield higher output power. When a PV power system is constructed with a number of small power systems, the total system cost will increase and will be a matter of concern. To overcome this difficulty, this paper proposes a PV system that uses no expensive dc current sensor but utilizes the method of estimating the PV current from the PV voltage. The paper shows that the application of this novel sensorless current flyback inverter to an MPPT-operated PV system exhibits satisfactory MPPT performance similar to the one exhibited by the system with a dc current sensor as well. This paper also deals with the design method and the operation of the unique flyback inverter with center-tapped secondary winding.     

Ground currents in single‐phase transformerless photovoltaic systems

The relative weight of the energy generated by means of renewable sources is constantly increasing. Among all these sources, the photovoltaic (PV) systems present the higher and more stable relative growth. However, the PV system is still too expensive and a significant effort is being done to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost. Concerning the PV inverters, this has lead to the elimination of the low frequency (LF) transformer that has been traditionally included. The LF transformer provides isolation from the grid but reduces the PV inverter efficiency and increases its size and cost. However, the elimination of the transformer might generate strong ground currents, which become now an important design parameter for the PV inverter. The ground currents are a function of the system stray elements. However, there is no simple model and procedure to study the common mode behavior of a PV system, which is required to analyze the ground currents. In this paper, a comprehensible model is proposed which provides a better understanding of the common mode issue in single‐phase transformerless PV systems. In addition, a procedure is developed to analyze the global performance, efficiency, grid current quality, and common mode behavior of a PV inverter as a function of its particular structure and modulation technique. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design and analysis of different PLLs as load compensation techniques in 1-∅ grid-tied PV system

This paper discusses the design, modelling and analysis of a single-phase grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) system feeding a variety of loads. Normally, the phase-locked loop (PLL) circuits are used for synchronisation purposes and generation of in-phase and quadrature templates. However, this paper presents an interesting application of PLLs for achieving load compensation for power quality improvement as well as estimation of phase and frequency. Three PLL algorithms are considered which include the conventional Delay PLL, Enhanced PLL and Second-Order Generalised Integrator Frequency-Locked Loop (SOGI-FLL). Design and modelling of controllers using these PLLs for achieving power quality improvement is also presented in the paper. Suitable comparisons are drawn to investigate the performance of different PLLs for two purposes viz. grid synchronisation and achieving compensation in a single-phase grid-tied PV system. Finally, the application of SOGI-FLL for control of a 5 kW PV interfaced single-phase compensator for power quality improvement is presented. Appropriate experimental results are shown along with simulation results for suitable comparison.     

Low order harmonic cancellation in a grid connected multiple inverter system via current control parameter randomization

In grid connected multiple inverter systems, it is normal to synchronize the output current of each inverter to the common network voltage. Any current controller deficiencies, which result in low order harmonics, are also synchronized to the common network voltage. As a result the harmonics produced by individual converters show a high degree of correlation and tend to be additive. Each controller can be tuned to achieve a different harmonic profile so that harmonic cancellation can take place in the overall system, thus reducing the net current total harmonic distortion level. However, inter-inverter communication is required. This paper presents experimental results demonstrating an alternative approach, which is to arrange for the tuning within each inverter to be adjusted automatically with a random component. This results in a harmonic output spectrum that varies with time, but is uncorrelated with the harmonic spectrum of any other inverter in the system. The net harmonics from all the inverters undergo a degree of cancellation and the overall system yields a net improvement in power quality.     

Performance of household grid‐connected PV system in Thailand

This paper presents the performance of a 2·88 kW_p household grid‐connected PV system installed in a house at Bangkok. This was one of the 10 houses identified for a household rooftop PV grid‐connected demonstration project by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand in 1997. Data measured over 12 months was used to estimate the PV array output, inverter output, inverter efficiency, system efficiency, yields (reference yield, array yield, final yield) performance ratio (PR) and the losses. The variations of these parameters over time indicate that the yields are high during June and July in Bangkok. The annual final yield and the average performance ratio were found to be 1166 kW h/kW_p and 0ċ73 respectively. The monthly highest final yield was 129 kW h/kW_p during June and July. The inverter efficiency was greater than 80% throughout the study period and the maximum system efficiency was 5·4%. The result of the study indicates that the system installed in Bangkok worked satisfactorily. Following the success of the demonstration project, a second phase of 50 households has recently been initiated. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two-stage single-phase grid-connected photovoltaic system with reduced complexity

This article presents a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system using the classical DC–DC buck converter, which is responsible for stepping down the resulting voltage from several series-connected panels. Besides, the structure provides high power factor operation by injecting a quasi-sinusoidal current into the grid, with near no displacement in relation to the line voltage at the point of common coupling among the PV system and the loads. A CSI employing thyristors is cascaded with the DC–DC stage so that AC voltage results. The inverter output voltage level is adjusted by using a low-frequency transformer, which also provides galvanic isolation. The proposed system is described as mathematical approach and design guidelines are presented, providing an overview of the topology. An experimental prototype is also implemented, and relevant results to validate the proposal are discussed.     

单相光伏并网逆变器无差拍控制的研究与仿真

光伏并网逆变器是光伏发电系统的主要部件,为了达到更好的效率输出更高质量的电能,对逆变器电流进行快速有效的控制尤为关键。该文简单介绍了当前光伏并网逆变器的几种常用控制方法及其基本思想,分析了并网逆变器的工作原理和无差拍控制方法的原理,给出了逆变器脉冲宽度的计算和参考电流的获取方法,通过MATLAB/Simulink软件仿真表明,无差拍控制在单相光伏并网逆变器控制中动态响应特性好,控制方便,电流跟踪电网电压波形好。     

Design tools for the electrical configuration of architecturally-integrated PV in buildings

PV in buildings has to meet aesthetic, energy and economic criteria and it also must deal with spatial constraints in the planning of new installations. In some cases, PV designers use surfaces different from the optimal one, whilst in others the PV field is divided into two or more differently oriented subsections. This paper presents some time-saving tables and charts for predicting the energy behaviour and to help size the inverter of such PV systems. These easy-to-use tools have been analysed and validated by four real case studies, taking into account some non-ideal operation conditions. An orientative economic analysis completes this work. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.