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.     

Evaluation of Current Controllers for Distributed Power Generation Systems

This paper discusses the evaluation of different current controllers employed for grid-connected distributed power generation systems having variable input power, such as wind turbines and photovoltaic systems. The focus is mainly set on linear controllers such as proportional-integral, proportional-resonant, and deadbeat (DB) controllers. Additionally, an improved DB controller robust against grid impedance variation is also presented. Since the paper discusses the implementation of these controllers for grid-connected applications, their evaluation is made in three operating conditions. First, in steady-state conditions, the contribution of controllers to the total harmonic distortion of the grid current is pursued. Further on, the behavior of controllers in the case of transient conditions like input power variations and grid voltage faults is also examined. Experimental results in each case are presented in order to evaluate the performance of the controllers.     

Overview of Control and Grid Synchronization for Distributed Power Generation Systems

Renewable energy sources like wind, sun, and hydro are seen as a reliable alternative to the traditional energy sources such as oil, natural gas, or coal. Distributed power generation systems (DPGSs) based on renewable energy sources experience a large development worldwide, with Germany, Denmark, Japan, and USA as leaders in the development in this field. Due to the increasing number of DPGSs connected to the utility network, new and stricter standards in respect to power quality, safe running, and islanding protection are issued. As a consequence, the control of distributed generation systems should be improved to meet the requirements for grid interconnection. This paper gives an overview of the structures for the DPGS based on fuel cell, photovoltaic, and wind turbines. In addition, control structures of the grid-side converter are presented, and the possibility of compensation for low-order harmonics is also discussed. Moreover, control strategies when running on grid faults are treated. This paper ends up with an overview of synchronization methods and a discussion about their importance in the control