Solid-state switch-mode rectification converters have reached a matured level for improving power quality in terms of power-factor correction (PFC), reduced total harmonic distortion at input AC mains and precisely regulated DC output in buck, boost, buck-boost and multilevel modes with unidirectional and bidirectional power flow. This paper deals with a comprehensive review of improved power quality converters (IPQCs) configurations, control approaches, design features, selection of components, other related considerations, and their suitability and selection for specific applications. It is targeted to provide a wide spectrum on the status of IPQC technology to researchers, designers and application engineers working on switched-mode AC-DC converters. A classified list of more than 450 research publications on the state of art of IPQC is also given for a quick reference.

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A review of single-phase improved power quality AC-DC converters

The increasing penetration of distributed power generation into the power system leads to a continuous evolution of grid interconnection requirements. In particular, active power control will play an important role both during grid faults (low-voltage ride-through capability and controlled current injection) and in normal conditions (reserve function and frequency regulation). The aim of this paper is to propose a flexible active power control based on a fast current controller and a reconfigurable reference current selector. Several strategies to select the current reference are studied and compared using experimental results that are obtained during an unsymmetrical voltage fault. The results of the analysis allow selection of the best reference current in every condition. The proposed methods facilitate multiple choices for fault ride through by simply changing the reference selection criteria.

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Flexible Active Power Control of Distributed Power Generation Systems During Grid Faults

Although mesoporous materials have well-defined pore structures, these fine materials can surprisingly be produced by employing a set of conventional and simple procedures such as mixing, heating, filtration, and washing, using low-cost materials. They can be regarded as easy-to-make bulk nanostructured materials. Mesoporous materials have great potential for use in both macroscopic applications and nanotechnology. In this account, we introduce examples of recent developments in mesoporous materials involving innovations in their components and structural designs and concentrating on our own recent progress. These examples include syntheses of mesoporous silica, metal oxides, semiconductive materials, metals, alloys, organic composites, biomaterial composites, carbon, carbon nitride, and boron nitride, as innovative components. As structural innovations for mesoporous materials, various film preparations, pore alignments, and hierarchic structures are described together with their related functions including sensing and controlled release of target molecules.

Nanoarchitectonics for mesoporous materials

Short synthetic peptide amphiphiles have recently been explored as effective nanobiomaterials in applications ranging from controlled gene and drug release, skin care, nanofabrication, biomineralization, membrane protein stabilization to 3D cell culture and tissue engineering. This range of applications is heavily linked to their unique nanostructures, remarkable simplicity and biocompatibility. Some peptide amphiphiles also possess antimicrobial activities whilst remaining benign to mammalian cells. These attractive features are inherently related to their selective affinity to different membrane interfaces, high capacity for interfacial adsorption, nanostructuring and spontaneous formation of nano-assemblies. Apart from sizes, the primary sequences of short peptides are very diverse as they can be either biomimetic or de novo designed. Thus, their self-assembling mechanistic processes and the nanostructures also vary enormously. This critical review highlights recent advances in studying peptide amphiphiles, focusing on the formation of different nanostructures and their applications in diverse fields. Many interesting features learned from peptide self-organisation and hierarchical templating will serve as useful guidance for functional materials design and nanobiotechnology (123 references).

Molecular self-assembly and applications of designer peptide amphiphiles

This paper presents first an overview of the well-known voltage and current dc-link converter topologies used to implement a three-phase PWM ac-ac converter system. Starting from the voltage source inverter and the current source rectifier, the basics of space vector modulation are summarized. Based on that, the topology of the indirect matrix converter (IMC) and its modulation are gradually developed from a voltage dc-link back-to-back converter by omitting the dc-link capacitor. In the next step, the topology of the conventional (direct) matrix converter (CMC) is introduced, and the relationship between the IMC and the CMCs is discussed in a figurative manner by investigating the switching states. Subsequently, three-phase ac-ac buck-type chopper circuits are considered as a special case of matrix converters (MCs), and a summary of extended MC topologies is provided, including three-level and hybrid MCs. Therewith, a common knowledge basis of the individual converter topologies is established.

Review of Three-Phase PWM AC–AC Converter Topologies

A novel three-phase AC-DC-AC sparse matrix converter (SMC) having no energy storage elements in the DC link and employing only 15 IGBTs as opposed to 18 IGBTs of a functionally equivalent conventional AC-AC matrix converter (CMC) is proposed. It is shown that the realization effort could be further reduced to only 9 IGBTs (ultra sparse matrix converter, USMC) in case the phase displacement of the fundamentals of voltage and current at the input and at the output is limited to /spl plusmn//spl pi//6. The dependency of the voltage and current transfer ratios of the systems on the operating parameters is analyzed and a space vector modulation scheme is described in combination with a zero current commutation procedure. Furthermore, a safe multi-step current commutation concept is treated briefly. Conduction and switching losses of the SMC and USMC are calculated in analytically closed form. Finally, the theoretical results are verified in Part II of the paper by digital simulations and results of a first experimental investigation of a 10 kW/400 V SMC prototype are given.

Novel three-phase AC-DC-AC sparse matrix converter

A three-phase three-switch buck-type pulsewidth modulation rectifier is designed for telecom applications in this paper. The rectifier features a constant 400-V output voltage and 5-kW output power at the three-phase 400-V mains. The principle of operation and the calculation of the relative on-times of the power transistors are described. Based on analytical relationships the stresses of the active and passive components are determined and the accuracy of the given calculations is verified by digital simulations. Exemplarily, a 5-kW power converter is then designed based on the analytical expressions and on switching loss measurements from a hardware prototype constructed with insulated gate bipolar transistor/diode power modules. The loss distribution of the components, the total efficiency, and the junction temperatures of the semiconductors are then evaluated in dependency on the operating point. Finally, the trade-off between the selected switching frequency and the admissible power range for the realized design is shown and a total efficiency of 95.0% is measured on the hardware prototype, where an excellent agreement with the theoretically evaluated efficiency is shown

Comprehensive Design of a Three-Phase Three-Switch Buck-Type PWM Rectifier

Connecting three-phase rectifier systems in parallel shows many advantages as compared to a single rectifier system with higher output power, such as higher reliability, smaller current and voltage ripple components, lower filtering effort, or higher system bandwidth. However, current unbalance or circulating currents can occur for modular design. In this paper, the parallel connection of two three-phase three-switch buck-type unity-power-factor pulsewidth-modulation rectifier systems is experimentally investigated for a 10-kW digital-signal-processor-controlled prototype. A space vector modulation scheme is employed showing all the advantages of an interleaved operation. Three control schemes for active dc-link current balancing are described employing an additional free-wheeling state that allows to influence the rate of change of the dc-link currents and can therefore be used for dc-link current balancing. The control schemes differ concerning control action and additional switching losses. Simulation and experimental results confirm the theoretical considerations: The dc-link current-balancing capability of the different control methods is compared, and the influence of the additional free-wheeling state on switching losses and operation behavior is investigated. The most advantageous control method, which employs a hysteresis controller and shows limited switching losses, is selected. The analysis of the mains behavior shows an improvement as compared to a single rectifier operation.

Parallel Connection of Two Three-Phase Three-Switch Buck-Type Unity-Power-Factor Rectifier Systems With DC-Link Current Balancing

A novel three-phase AC-DC-AC Sparse Matrix Converter (SMC) having no energy storage elements in the DC link and employing only 15 IGBTs as opposed to 18 IGBTs of a functionally equivalent conventional AC-AC matrix converter (CMC) is pro- posed. It is shown that the realization effort could be further reduced to only 9 IGBTs (Ultra Sparse Matrix Converter, USMC) in case the phase displacement of the fundamentals of voltage and current at the input and at the output is limited to ±π/6. The dependency of the voltage and current transfer ratios of the systems on the operating parameters is analyzed and a space vector modulation scheme is described in combination with a zero current commutation proce- dure. Furthermore, a safe multi-step current commutation concept is treated briefly. Conduction and switching losses of the SMC and USMC are calculated in analytically closed form. Finally, the theoretical results are verified in Part II of the paper by digital simulations and results of a first experimental investigation of a 10kW/400V SMC prototype are given.

Novel Three-Phase AC-DC-AC Sparse Matrix Converter Part I: Derivation, Basic Principle of Operation, Space Vector Modulation, Dimensioning

In this paper the reliable operation of a three-phase three-switch buck-type pulsewidth-modulation unity-power-factor rectifier with integrated boost output stage under heavily unbalanced mains, i.e., mains voltage unbalance, loss of one phase, short circuit of two phases, or earth fault of one phase is investigated theoretically and experimentally. A brief description of the principle of operation and the most advantageous modulation method are given. The analytical calculation of the relative on-times of the active switching states and of the dc-link current reference value is treated in detail for active and deactivated boost output stage. Based on the theoretical considerations a control scheme which allows for controlling the system for any mains condition without changeover of the control structure is described. Furthermore, digital simulations as well as experimental results are shown which confirm the proposed control concept for different mains failure conditions and for the transition from balanced mains to a failure condition and vice versa. The experimental results are derived from a 5-kW prototype (input voltage range (280...480) V/sub rms/ line-to-line, output voltage 400 V/sub DC/) of the rectifier system, where the control is realized by a 32-bit digital signal processor.

A novel control concept for reliable operation of a three-phase three-switch buck-type unity-power-factor rectifier with integrated boost output stage under heavily unbalanced mains condition

M. Baumann

Papers

Novel three-phase AC-DC-AC sparse matrix converter

Comprehensive Design of a Three-Phase Three-Switch Buck-Type PWM Rectifier

Parallel Connection of Two Three-Phase Three-Switch Buck-Type Unity-Power-Factor Rectifier Systems With DC-Link Current Balancing

Novel Three-Phase AC-DC-AC Sparse Matrix Converter Part I: Derivation, Basic Principle of Operation, Space Vector Modulation, Dimensioning

A novel control concept for reliable operation of a three-phase three-switch buck-type unity-power-factor rectifier with integrated boost output stage under heavily unbalanced mains condition