Nonlinear intelligent DC grid stabilization for fuel cell vehicle applications with a supercapacitor storage device

This paper presents an intelligent DC link control using a fuzzy logic controller based on the differential flatness control theory for hybrid vehicle applications supplied by a fuel cell (FC) (main source) and a supercapacitor (auxiliary source). The energy in the system is balanced by dc bus energy stabilization (or indirect voltage regulation). A supercapacitor module functions by supplying energy to regulate the dc bus energy. The FC, as a slow dynamic source in this system, supplies energy to the supercapacitor module to maintain its charge. The FC converter combines four-phase parallel boost converters with interleaving, and the supercapacitor converter employs four-phase parallel bidirectional converters with interleaving. These two converters are called a multi-segment converter for high power applications. Because the model of the power switching converters is nonlinear, it is preferable to apply model-based nonlinear control strategies that directly compensate for the nonlinearity of the system without requiring a linear approximation. Using the intelligent fuzzy control law based on the flatness property, we propose straightforward solutions to hybrid energy management and to the dynamic and regulation problems. To validate the proposed method, a hardware system is developed with analogue circuits, and a numerical calculation is generated with a dSPACE controller DS1104. Experimental results for a small-scale power plant (a polymer electrolyte membrane FC (PEMFC) of 1200 W and 46 A with a supercapacitor module of 100 F, 500 A, and 32 V) in the laboratory corroborate the excellent performance of this control scheme during vehicle motor drive cycles.     

Power and energy management of grid/PEMFC/battery/supercapacitor hybrid power sources for UPS applications

This paper presents a hybrid power and energy source supplied by a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) as the main power source in an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system. To prevent the PEMFC from fuel starvation and degradation and realize their seamless linking in the hybrid UPS system, the power and energy are balanced by the battery and/or supercapacitor (SC) as two alternative auxiliary power sources. Based on the modeling and sizing of hybrid power and energy components, the power and energy management strategies and efficiency measurements of four operating modes in UPS system are proposed. To evaluate the proposed strategies, an experimental setup is implemented by a data acquisition system, a PEMFC generating system, and a UPS system including AC/DC rectifier, DC/AC inverter, DC/DC converter, AC/DC recharger and its intelligent control unit. Experimental results with the characteristics of a 300 W self-humidified air-breathing of PEMFC, 3-cell 12 V/5 Ah of batteries, and two 16-cell 120 F/2.7 V of SCs in parallel corroborate the excellent management strategies in the four operating modes of UPS system, which provides the basis for the optimal design of the UPS system with hybrid PEMFC/battery/SC power sources.     

Performance of printable supercapacitors in an RF energy harvesting circuit

We report the fabrication of a supercapacitor on a plastic substrate with mass-production-compatible methods and its characterisation using galvanostatic and voltammetric methods. The supercapacitor is prepared in ambient conditions using activated carbon and an aqueous, non-acidic electrolyte. The obtained capacitances are 0.45 F and 0.21 F for device sizes of 4 cm² and 2 cm², respectively. Additionally, we demonstrate the utilisation of the supercapacitor in an autonomous energy harvesting and storage system. The RF energy harvester comprises a printed loop antenna and a half-wave organic diode rectifier operating at 13.56 MHz frequency. The harvested energy is stored in two supercapacitors connected in series to increase the maximum operating voltage. In order to power a device such as a sensor or a small indicator display, voltage regulation is needed. A voltage regulator, implemented as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), was designed for this purpose, and fabricated commercially. We demonstrate the ability of the harvester storage unit to power the regulator for hours with a constant regulator output voltage and power. The effect of supercapacitor charging time on the actual supercapacitor charging state is also discussed, as a slower charging rate is found to have a significant effect on the output of the supercapacitor.     

Experimental analysis and optimization of key parameters of ZVS mode and its application in the proposed LLC converter designed for distributed power system application

This paper deals with experimental analysis of zero-voltage switching mode targeting high-frequency operation of chosen MOSFET type. After selection of specific type of transistor (IPW60R165CP) the experimental investigation has been made by changing parameters (e.g. dead-time, auxiliary capacitance of MOSFET, transistor current), that are influencing the ZVS commutation process. For these purposes we constructed the universal testing device, which is capable to secure realistic conditions of various types of commutation modes (hard switching, zero-voltage switching, zero-current switching). Afterwards the best settings of commutation mode have been utilized in proposed LLC converter suited for distributed power system application. Prototype is operating in ZVS region with optimized parameters. Switching frequency is from 130 kHz (input voltage 325 Vdc) to 210 kHz (input voltage 415 Vdc) with the output power of 1500 W. It is clear from the results that experimental analysis of the ZVS commutation mode brings expectation of transistor behavior which was totally confirmed also in the case of experimental analysis of LLC resonant converter.     

A high efficiency input/output magnetically coupled interleaved buck–boost converter with low internal oscillation for fuel-cell applications: Small signal modeling and dynamic analysis

Dynamic behavior of DC–DC converters plays a crucial role in stability of renewable energy exploitation systems. This paper presents small signal modeling of an input/output magnetically coupled interleaved buck–boost converter for fuel-cell applications to help the designers with the better understanding of converter dynamics. Aiming to have a continuous converter transfer function for a smooth transition between the operation modes and an improved inner dynamics, a damping network and an input/output coupling have been added to the interleaved structure of well-known cascaded buck–boost converter. Having the same step-up/step-down voltage transfer ratio, smooth transition and improved inner dynamics make this converter quite suitable for renewable energy applications. The paper presents a small signal ac equivalent circuit model of the proposed converter based on state space averaging (SSA) method. Simulation results show remarkable improvements in converter dynamic behavior in both time and frequency domains. Prototype setup of 360 W and 36 V output voltage for a fuel cell with a brand of “FCgen 1020ACS” Ballard Power Systems, Inc. was implemented. Experimental results are presented to verify the theoretical model and its expected merits.     

Switching Power Supplies with Ferrite Inductors in Sustainable Saturation Operation

This paper investigates the Sustainable Saturation Operation (SSO) of Ferrite Core Power Inductors (FCPIs) in Switch Mode Power Supplies (SMPSs). A ferrite inductor is considered in SSO if its current ripple, power losses and temperature rise are acceptable and reliable for both the device and the SMPS, despite the inductance drop determined by the core saturation. An algorithm is discussed, which identifies SSO-compliant FCPIs with minimum size and volume, given the SMPS specifications about the allowed power losses, temperature rise and peak-to-peak current ripple of the inductor. The experimental results relevant to a 465 kHz/3.3 V/1.5 A buck converter show that SSO-compliant inductors allow to increase the SMPS power density, while preserving the overall converter efficiency. Despite the proposed low power application, the findings relevant to the utilization of power inductors in partial saturation have general conceptual valence and similar investigations can be prospectively re-assessed for few kW output power DC/DC converters.     

A lossless switching technique for smart grid applications

Smart grid is an upgrade of the existing electricity infrastructure in which integration of non conventional energy sources are an integral part. This leads to the introduction of harmonics and increased switching losses in the system. Thus there is a need of loss less switching techniques for smart grid applications. Switched mode power supplies (SMPSs) are being extensively used in most power processes [1]. Developments were carried out centered on hard switched converters, where switching frequency is limited to 10 s of kHz [2]. The uses of soft switching techniques, [3], [4], [5], [6] zero voltage switching (ZVS) or zero current switching (ZCS), is an attempt to substantially reduce the switching losses and hence attain high efficiency at increased switching frequency. The soft-switching topologies belong to families namely resonant load converters [3], resonant switch converters [2], [4], resonant transition converters [5], [6], and most recently active clamped PWM converters [7], [8], [9]. The active clamp topology adds an active clamp network, consisting of a small auxiliary switch in series with a capacitance plus the associated drive circuitry to the traditional hard switch converters. The proposed paper basically deals with the design, modeling and simulation of a ZVS–PWM active clamp/reset forward converter having features like zero switching power losses, constant frequency and PWM operation, Soft-switching for all devices and Low voltage stresses on active devices due to clamping action.     

The effect of converter configurations of HVDC links on sub- and super-synchronous disturbances to turbine units

In this paper, the rotor torque disturbances to turbine–generator units arising from harmonic interactions between converters of a HVDC system are studied. It is shown that a distinct-pulse converter configuration will be a better choice for avoiding sub- or super-synchronous resonance. For an asynchronous HVDC link, the risk of electromechanical resonance could be completely got rid of on either side of the link, no matter what directions the powers flow, if an 18-pulse converter were used on the 60 Hz side and a 12-pulse converter on the 50 Hz side. Such a configuration could still perform well even under the large frequency deviations. Furthermore, it shows that power system type plays a significant role on the possible excitation of resonance and on the probably damaging sections of a turbine–generator unit. Good match of the converter configuration and power system type is significant for a HVDC link to exempt from sub- and super-synchronous resonance.     

Energy management strategy for fuel cell/battery/ultracapacitor hybrid vehicle based on fuzzy logic

In order to enhance the fuel economy of hybrid vehicle and increase the mileage of continuation of journey, a fuzzy logic control is utilized to design energy management strategies for fuel cell/battery (FC + B) hybrid vehicle and fuel cell/battery/ultra-capacitor (FC + B + UC) hybrid vehicle. The models of hybrid vehicle for FC + B and FC + B + UC structure are developed by electric vehicle simulation software ADVISOR which uses a hybrid backward/forward approach. The results demonstrate that the proposed control strategy can satisfy the power requirement for four standard driving cycles and achieve the power distribution among various power sources. The comprehensive comparisons with the power tracking control strategy which is wide adopted in ADVISOR verify that the proposed control strategy has better rationality and validity in terms of fuel economy and dynamic property in four standard driving cycles. Therefore, the proposed strategy will provide a novel approach for the advanced energy management system of hybrid vehicle.     

Grid capacity and efficiency enhancement by operating medium voltage AC cables as DC links with modular multilevel converters

It is anticipated that with the thrust towards use of clean energy resources such as electric vehicles, future distribution grids will face a steep increase in power demand, forcing the utility operators to invest in enhancing the power delivering capacity of the grid infrastructure. It is identified that the critical 5–20 km medium voltage (MV) underground ac distribution cable link, responsible for bulk power delivery to the inner urban city substation, can benefit the most with capacity and efficiency enhancement, if the existing infrastructure is reused and operated under dc. Quantification of the same is offered in this paper by incorporating all influencing factors like voltage regulation, dc voltage rating enhancement, capacitive leakage currents, skin and magnetic proximity effect, thermal proximity effect and load power factor. Results are presented for three different ac and dc system topologies for varying cable lengths and conductor cross-sections. The computed system efficiency is enhanced with use of modular multilevel converters that have lower losses due to lower switching frequency. A justified expectation of 50–60% capacity gains is proved along with a generalized insight on its variations that can be extrapolated for different network parameters and configurations. Conditions for achieving payback time of 5 years or lower due to energy savings are identified, while the socio-economic benefits of avoiding digging and installing new cable infrastructure are highlighted. The technical implications of refurbishing cables designed for ac to operate under dc conditions is discussed in terms of imposed electric fields, thermal profile and lifetime. A novel opportunity of temperature dependent dynamic dc voltage rating to achieve additional capacity and efficiency gains is presented.     

A performance comparison of a nonlinear and a linear control for grid connected PMSG wind energy conversion system

With the increased penetration of wind energy on modern power systems all over the world, the Wind Farm Systems (WFS) are today required to participate actively in electric network operation by an appropriate generation control strategy. This paper presents a comparative study of two control strategies for wind farm based on Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) and interconnected to the distribution network. The 4 MW wind farm consists of 2 PMSGs based on 2 MW generators connected to a common DC-bus system. Each PMSG of the WFS is connected to the DC-bus through a rectifier, but the DC-bus is connected to the grid through only one inverter system. The proposed control laws are based on a sliding mode algorithm and classical Proportional Integral (PI) controllers to regulate both generator and grid-side converters. The control strategy combines a pitch control scheme and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) to maximize the total generated power of WFS. Furthermore, the aim of the control strategy is to maximize the extracted power with the lowest possible impact in the power network voltage and frequency for fault conditions as well as for normal working conditions. Finally, simulation results with Matlab/Simulink environment confirm that the proposed strategy has excellent performance.     

Analysis and comparison of current control methods on bridgeless converter to improve power quality

In this paper, the performance analysis of power factor correction (PFC) current control methods is presented for a bridgeless converter operating under continuous conduction mode (CCM). The bridgeless converter has been proposed using proportional-integral control (PIC), average sliding control (ASC) and predictive current control (PCC) methods to obtain unity power factor (PF) and lower total harmonic distortion (THD) of input current. Several PFC methods have been developed to satisfy the international standards such as IEC 61000-3-2 and IEEE 519-1992. The detailed steady-state theoretical analysis of the bridgeless converter is presented, which is verified by simulations and experiments carried out on 600 W and 50 kHz. The performance of the current control methods for the bridgeless converter is investigated by a Matlab/Simulink program. The experiments performed in the laboratory under input voltage and load variation ranges verify the theoretical and simulation studies. The control methods are programmed by the TMS320F2812 DSP microprocessor.     

Electromagnetic transient study on flexible control processes of ferroresonance

Ferroresonance, which is a common phenomenon in power systems, have threatened the security of power systems for a long time. Although several ferroresonance suppression measures have been applied in power systems, ferroresonance still occurs occasionally. In this study, a flexible control strategy to control different ferroresonant modes is proposed. The behavior of a typical ferroresonant circuit acquired from a ferroresonance testing system to obtain the electromagnetic transient and control details of the control method is also investigated. The key parameters in the control module are determined, including the switching frequency and the coefficients of the proportional–integral (PI) controller. Then, six typical ferroresonant overvoltages are selected as control systems using the proposed method. Given the effect of a damping resistor and fully controllable power electronic switches with a gate signal controlled by a proportional–integral (PI) control system, these six typical ferroresonant overvoltages can all be suppressed in 0.12 s to the non-ferroresonant state after the controller is activated. The electromagnetic transients, including the essential system state quantity transients in the control process, are also investigated. At last, a laboratory prototype is implemented, and the experimental results show that the proposed method is useful for ferroresonant overvoltage control.     

Grid integration of single stage SPV-STATCOM using cascaded 7-level VSC

A multi-functional single-stage grid-tied solar photovoltaic (SPV) system with STATCOM (Static Compensator) capabilities using a cascaded three phase seven level voltage source converter (VSC) is presented in this paper. PS-PWM (Phase Shifted Pulse Width Modulation) technique with a low switching frequency (450 Hz) is used to operate the VSC. The proposed SPV-STATCOM system works in three modes i.e. in Mode-1, only active power is supplied to the grid; in Mode-2, both active and reactive powers are supplied to the grid and in Mode-3, only reactive power is supplied to the grid thereby utilizing the proposed system to its fullest capacity in 24 h of a day. To extract the maximum power from the SPV array, the incremental conductance maximum power point tracking scheme is utilized. To synchronize the SPV-STATCOM power to the grid and to maintain power factor close to unity, a decoupled current controller, feed-forward term and positive sequence detector dq phase locked loop (PSD-dqPLL) control approach are used. Lower switching losses, harmonic distortions, high output voltage and power are some of the advantages of using a single-stage 7-level cascaded H-bridges. The design and the control scheme performances in all modes are simulated in MATLAB and validated through real time hardware in loop (HIL) system.     

Automatic generation control of a multi-area system using ant lion optimizer algorithm based PID plus second order derivative controller

This article presents the automatic generation control of an unequal three area thermal system. Single stage reheat turbines and generation rate constraints of 3%/min are considered in each control area. Controllers such as Integral (I), Proportional – Integral (PI), Proportional – Integral – Derivative (PID), and Proportional – Integral – Derivative Plus Second Order Derivative (PID + DD) are treated as secondary controllers separately. A nature inspired optimization technique called Ant Lion Optimizer (ALO) algorithm is used for simultaneous optimization of the controller gains. Comparison of dynamic responses of frequencies and tie line powers corresponding to ALO optimized I, PI, PID and PID + DD controller reveal the better performance of PID + DD controller in terms of lesser settling time, peak overshoots as well as reduced oscillations. Robustness of the optimum gains of best controller obtained at nominal conditions is evaluated using sensitivity analysis. Analysis exposed that the optimum PID + DD controller gains obtained at nominal are robust and not necessary to reset again for changes in loading, parameter like inertia constant (H), size and position of disturbance. Furthermore, the performance of PID + DD controller is found better as compared to PID controller against random loading pattern condition.     

Design and control of LCL filter interfaced grid connected solar photovoltaic (SPV) system using power balance theory

In this paper solar photovoltaic (SPV) system connected to the utility grid is designed and simulated. The utility grid and SPV system are coupled with current controlled voltage source converter (VSC) and LCL filter. The design of LCL filter, MPPT algorithm and power quality improvements are discussed and simulation results are shown for the performance analysis of grid-coupled PV system under different load condition. The system is controlled through power balance theory method. The principle behind the control implementation is to evacuate the solar power generated during the daytime and the reactive power demand for the load should be supplied by the PV. The grid coupled system consists of SPV system, dc–dc boost converter, maximum power point tracking (MPPT), voltage source converter (VSC), LCL filter, different loads and three phase utility grid. This system is capable of eliminating harmonic and load balancing by supplying unbalanced current from the PV as a compensator. The system is simulated with 10 kW SPV array using indirect current control scheme.     

Direct power control of a multilevel inverter based active power filter

A cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter based active power filter with a novel direct power control is proposed in this paper. It can be directly connected to medium/high voltage power line without using the bulky transformer or passive filter. Due to the limited switching frequency (typically below 1 kHz) of high-power solid-state devices (GTO/IGCT), multiple synchronous/stationary reference frame current controllers are reviewed and derived. Based on this, a novel current controller is proposed for harmonic current elimination and system power factor compensation. Furthermore, a synchronous/stationary hybrid structure can be derived with fundamental de-coupling control. The instantaneous reactive power theory and synchronous reference frame based control are compared based on mathematical models. A direct power control concept is then derived and proposed. It is equivalent as the hybrid synchronous/stationary frame current controller, but has a simpler implementation. It has clear physical meaning and can be considered as a simplified version of the hybrid frame current controller. Simulations on a 4160 V/1.2 MVA system and experimental results on a 208 V/6 kVA laboratory prototype are presented to validate the proposed active power filter design.     

Control of cyclic fluctuations in an independent microgrid by an SOFC triple combined cycle inertia system

Technology was investigated to control cyclic fluctuations in an independent microgrid powered with unstable renewable energy by use of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC, 1 MW) in a triple combined cycle (SOFC-TCC) that included a gas turbine (G/T, 0.8 MW) and a steam turbine (S/T, 0.2 MW). A large-scale solar power system (0.8 MW) and a wind farm (0.8 MW) were interconnected with the electrical power network through an inverter. The cyclic fluctuations ingredient of the network was controlled by a suitably designed inertia system and by governor-free control of the G/T and S/T. The SOFC-TCC’s control block diagram was submitted to MATLAB/Simulink R 2013a, and the deviation of electrical power and frequency in the independent microgrid caused by the SOFC-TCC and renewable energy interconnection was clarified. As a result, a range of suitable inertial constants for G/T and S/T and the electrical output characteristics were determined. Selecting a small inertial constant for the simulation resulted in a large frequency deviation of G/T and S/T, with frequency stabilized for a short time. On the other hand, selecting a large inertial constant resulted in a controlled frequency deviation, although the unstable frequency of the power grid continued for a long time.     

Robust predictive dual-loop control method based on Lyapunov function stability and energy equilibrium though double-core processors for active power filter

In this paper, a robust predictive dual-loop control method based on Lyapunov function stability and energy equilibrium for active power filter (APF) is proposed to improve the anti-interference performance and self-adaptive capability of system. The proposed control method mainly includes robust predictive current control based on Lyapunov function stability (RPCC-LFS) in the inner current loop and energy equilibrium proportional-integrator (PI) control in the outer dc-link voltage loop. The RPCC-LFS is proposed to enhance self-adaptive capability when the output filter inductors vary, speed up the dynamic response, and improve the tracking accuracy when the loads fluctuate. The energy equilibrium PI controller is proposed to maintain the dc-link voltage stable and suppress the transient impulse. The stability and dynamic response of the proposed control system are analyzed in detail, and the proper control parameters are selected. A specific hardware and software design program based on double-core processors DSP + FPGA is thoroughly given out. Finally, the comparative simulations and experiments verified the validity of the proposed method.     

Novel reactive power controllers for the STATCOM and SSSC

The paper investigates the dynamic operation of both static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) and static synchronous series compensator (SSSC) based on a new model comprising full 48-pulse GTO voltage source converter for combined reactive power compensation and voltage stabilization of the electric grid network. These key FACTS devices are power electronic GTO converters connected in parallel or series with the power system grid and are controlled by novel decoupled controllers. The complete digital simulation of the STATCOM and SSSC within the power system is performed in the MATLAB/Simulink environment using the power system blockset (PSB). The STATCOM scheme and the electric grid network are modeled by specific electric blocks from the power system blockset while the control system is modeled using Simulink. Two novel controllers for the STATCOM and SSSC are presented in this paper based on a decoupled current control strategy to ensure stable operation of the STATCOM under various load excursions. A novel control scheme for the static synchronous series compensator (SSSC) is also implemented to provide a full controllable series compensating (buck/boost) injected voltage over a specified capacitive and inductive range, independently of the magnitude of the transmission line current. The series reactive compensation scheme with an external dc power supply can also compensate for any voltage drops across resistive component of the transmission line impedance. The novel decoupled controller uses a phase locked loop (PLL) with a novel reduced inherent time delay to improve the transient performance of the SSSC. The performance of both STATCOM and SSSC schemes connected to the 230 kV grid are evaluated. The proposed novel control schemes for the STATCOM and SSSC are fully validated by digital simulation.