Showing papers in "IEEE Power Electronics Letters in 2004"

Power Electronics as Efficient Interface in Dispersed Power Generation Systems

Abstract: The global electrical energy consumption is rising and there is a steady increase of the demand on the power capacity, efficient production, distribution and utilization of energy. The traditional power systems are changing globally, a large number of dispersed generation (DG) units, including both renewable and nonrenewable energy sources such as wind turbines, photovoltaic (PV) generators, fuel cells, small hydro, wave generators, and gas/steam powered combined heat and power stations, are being integrated into power systems at the distribution level. Power electronics, the technology of efficiently processing electric power, play an essential part in the integration of the dispersed generation units for good efficiency and high performance of the power systems. This paper reviews the applications of power electronics in the integration of DG units, in particular, wind power, fuel cells and PV generators.

The nearest three virtual space vector PWM - a modulation for the comprehensive neutral-point balancing in the three-level NPC inverter

Abstract: This letter presents a new modulation approach for the complete control of the neutral-point voltage in the three-level three-phase neutral-point-clamped voltage source inverter. The new modulation approach, based on the virtual space vector concept, guarantees the balancing of the neutral-point voltage for any load (linear or nonlinear) over the full range of converter output voltage and for all load power factors, the only requirement being that the addition of the output three-phase currents equals zero. The implementation of the proposed modulation is simple according to the phase duty-ratio expressions presented. These expressions are only dependent on the modulation index and reference vector angle. The performance of this modulation approach and its benefits over other previously proposed solutions are verified experimentally.

A new algorithm for rapid tracking of approximate maximum power point in photovoltaic systems

Abstract: This paper presents a new algorithm for tracking maximum power point in photovoltaic systems. This is a fast tracking algorithm, where an initial approximation of maximum power point is (MPP) quickly achieved using a variable step-size. Subsequently, the exact maximum power point can be targeted using any conventional method like the hill-climbing or incremental conductance method. Thus, the drawback of a fixed small step-size over the entire tracking range is removed, resulting in reduced number of iterations and much faster tracking compared to conventional methods. The strength of the algorithm comes from the fact that instead of tracking power, which does not have a one-to-one relationship with duty cycle, it tracks an intermediate variable /spl beta/, which has a monotonically increasing, one-to-one relationship. The algorithm has been verified on a photovoltaic system modeled in Matlab-Simulink software. The algorithm significantly improves the efficiency during the tracking phase as compared to a conventional algorithm. It is especially suitable for fast changing environmental conditions. The proposed algorithm can be implemented on any fast controller such as the digital signal processor. All the details of this study are presented.

Derivation of a second-order switching surface in the boundary control of buck converters

Abstract: A second-order switching surface in the boundary control of buck converters is derived in this letter. The formulated switching surface can make the overall converter exhibit better steady-state and transient behaviors than the one with a first-order switching surface. The switching surface is derived by estimating the state trajectory movement after a switching action, resulting in a high state trajectory velocity along the switching surface. This phenomenon accelerates the trajectory moving toward the target operating point. The proposed control scheme has been successfully applied to a 120-W buck converter. The large-signal performance and a comparison with the first-order switching surface have been studied.

Buck or boost tracking power converter

Abstract: A cascade of buck and boost converter is presented here. The control operates in a manner that the converter is either in buck or boost (BOB) mode on a cycle by cycle basis. It transitions between the modes seamlessly to provide a tracking power conversion function for modulating the power supply of a variable envelope radio frequency (RF) power amplifier. The control algorithm and its implementation using switched capacitor circuits is described. Simulation and measured experimental results including converter efficiency, tracking accuracy, and spectrum at the output of the RF power amplifier are provided. This control technique allows seamless transition between the buck and boost modes while tracking RF envelopes with bandwidth greater than 100 kHz, and maintaining extreme accuracy and extremely low ripple. The efficiency of this converter operating at 1.68 MHz is close to 90% over a wide range of conversion ratios. The area of the power converter is extremely small allowing this to be integrated into a cellular telephone. The controller was integrated as part of a larger power management IC as well as a discrete IC.

On applying a minimization technique to the harmonic elimination PWM control: the bipolar waveform

Abstract: The well-known harmonic elimination pulse-width modulation (HE-PWM) method for inverter control is revisited. The HE-PWM waveform presents many challenges. It has multiple solutions that not only need to be found as easily and as fast as possible, but must also be evaluated in order to identify the best technique when overall harmonic performance is concerned. Algorithms presented so far rely on starting values that are close to the exact solutions to ensure convergence. A new method based on resultant theory promises limited success since it can only work when a small number of harmonics is to be eliminated. In this paper, it is shown that a minimization technique in combination with a random search results in a relatively simple approach that finds all possible sets of solutions. It is confirmed that numerous independent sets of solutions exist and the ones that offer better harmonic performance are identified. Three cases are reported in detail, including when two, four and six nontriplen odd harmonics are to be eliminated.

Improved power flow control for contactless moving sensor applications

Abstract: An improved power flow control method for contactless moving sensor applications is proposed. The method allows the design of a system where sensors with different power ratings or a wide range of load variations can be implemented. A phase-controlled variable inductor is used to tune the resonant circuit of the power pickups of an inductively coupled power transfer (ICPT) system according to the actual power requirements of the sensors, thereby, helping to reduce the power losses without affecting the maximum power transfer capacity. Soft switching is achieved in the variable inductor control, and the effect of the equivalent tuning parameters on the power flow is analyzed theoretically. Simulation results show that a significant improvement of the existing controllers is achieved at no load or very lightly loaded conditions.

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

Abstract: 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.

Multilevel dynamic voltage restorer

Abstract: This letter presents the implementation and control of a high voltage dynamic voltage restorer (HVDVR) for use in power distribution network to compensate for sags in utility voltages. The proposed HVDVR is implemented using a multilevel inverter topology with isolated DC energy storage, allowing the direct connection of the HVDVR to the distribution network without using a bulky and costly series injection transformer. A control algorithm, incorporating P+resonant and Posicast compensators, is also presented for controlling the HVDVR with perfect reference voltage tracking and effective damping of transient voltage oscillations at the instant of sag compensation. Finally, simulation results are presented to verify the performance of the proposed multilevel HVDVR.

Variable-frequency predictive digital current mode control

Abstract: A variable-frequency predictive digital control method for the inductor current in switched-mode converters is introduced in this letter. This method is predictive in nature because the transistor off-time required for achieving the target current is calculated ahead of time. The transistor on-time is kept constant, which results in variable switching frequency. The control laws for continuous and discontinuous modes of operation of the three basic converters are derived. Stability and robustness criteria are presented. The variable-frequency predictive control obviates the need for current-loop compensation and has the advantages of single-cycle response and relatively simple implementation. The control method is demonstrated in a digital signal processor (DSP) for a boost power factor corrector (PFC), which shows excellent current tracking and a very low harmonic distortion of the line current.

Using magnetic coupling to eliminate right half-plane zeros in boost converters

Abstract: A dynamic analysis of the boost converter with an output filter reveals that magnetic coupling between inductors allows transfer of the zeros to the left half-plane of the control-to-output transfer function. Similar results requiring smaller magnetic components are obtained by combining magnetic coupling with damping of the output filter. The analysis is based on the application of the Routh-Hurtwitz's criterion to the numerator of the transfer function in order to derive the design conditions for the converter parameters. A design example illustrates the procedure, and experimental results verify the theoretical predictions. The application of these techniques will allow the design of high efficiency voltage boost-based regulators with dynamic behavior similar to buck-derived structures.

Low-input-voltage, low-power boost converter design issues

Abstract: Issues associated with boost converter design and performance are investigated when a low input voltage is used. Low-input-voltage sources include single fuel cells, single solar cells, and thermoelectric devices. The primary context is interfacing single micro fuel cells to portable electronic loads, such as mobile phones. Efficiency and circuit startup are the two most difficult issues for a low-cost design. It is shown in theory and experiment that the boost converter has a voltage collapse point. A simple startup technique is proposed that is appropriate for some applications.

Online calibration of MOSFET on-state resistance for precise current sensing

Abstract: An approach for online current sensing calibration is presented where an auxiliary switch and a precision sense resistor are connected in parallel with a main power switch to achieve accuracy comparable to the sense resistor method, together with the advantage of essentially no additional power loss. The proposed current-sensing circuit and the calibration methods are particularly well suited for digital controller implementations where the required control and calibration functions can be easily accomplished. Experimental results with a digitally controlled 1.5-V 15-A synchronous buck converter demonstrate functionality of the online calibration approach, showing a significant improvement in accuracy over voltage sensing across the power MOSFET on-resistance.

Identification of grid impedance for purposes of voltage feedback active filtering

Abstract: A voltage feedback active filter is vulnerable to unknown grid impedance. To overcome this problem we propose an identification method, which uses the control system of a frequency selective active filter to measure the grid impedance at selected frequencies. The usefulness of the method is experimentally demonstrated with a 19 kVA active rectifier with a voltage feedback active filtering function. The voltage feedback active filtering is performed in a case in which the active filter control is not stable before the impedance is identified with the method proposed. It is shown that the use of the measured grid impedance in the control system greatly enhances the dynamic stability of the system. Also, the grid impedance measurements are provided in two cases.

Estimative current mode control technique for DC-DC converters operating in discontinuous conduction mode

Abstract: A new control technique for DC-DC converters is introduced and applied to a boost converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). In contrast to conventional control methods, the principal idea of the proposed control scheme is to obtain samples of the required signals and estimate the required switch-on time. The proposed technique is applicable to any converter operating in DCM, including power factor correctors (PFC), however, this letter mainly focuses on boost topology. In this letter, the main mathematical concept of a new control algorithm is introduced, as well as the robustness investigation of the proposed method with simulation and experimental results.

An active ripple filtering technique for improving common-mode inductor performance

Abstract: Active ripple filtering is the replacement of large passive components in power filter circuits with smaller passive components and active control circuitry. This letter focuses on common-mode filters, where a large common-mode inductor (choke) is replaced by two smaller chokes and active op-amp control. The technique is appropriate when improved attenuation is required at relatively low frequencies and the high-frequency filtering requirements are easily met. Smaller chokes save significantly in material and winding costs. The technique is more advantageous if wire-wound chokes can be replaced by planar printed circuit board chokes. The use of the technique in an automotive electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter application is explored in detail.

Digital correction of PWM switching amplifiers

Abstract: Pulsewidth modulated (PWM) signals for driving a switching audio amplifier can be synthesized in the digital domain with extremely high linearity and precision. However, nonidealities associated with the power stage degrade output performance. A method to digitally correct for these nonidealities, resulting in very low total harmonic distortion (THD) and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) performance, is presented. This method also provides excellent rejection of power supply noise which is otherwise absent in digital PWM amplifiers. To meet noise requirements for hi-fi audio, the feedback structure is a fourth-order structure which shapes the noise beyond the audio band. The method has been implemented on a bread board, and state-of-the-art performance was achieved. Total harmonic distortion of 85 dB and dynamic range of 100 dB was measured using Audio Precision test equipment.

Use of system oscillation to locate the MPP of PV panels

Abstract: This letter proposes the use of system oscillation in a perturbation-based maximum power point (MPP) tracker to locate the MPP of photovoltaic (PV) panels. Instead of using an explicit perturbation source, the tracker controller is designed to make the overall system self-oscillate, so that the duty cycle of the main switch in the power conversion stage (PCS) is inherently modulated with a small-amplitude variation at a predefined frequency around the required steady-state value. The tracking mechanism is based on comparing the ac component (due to the variation of the duty cycle) and the average value of the input voltage of the PCS to determine the quiescent duty cycle. The proposed technique does not approximate the panel characteristics and can globally locate the MPP under wide insolation conditions. The tracking capability has been verified experimentally with a 10-W PV panel in a controlled setup. Performances at the steady state and during the large-signal change of the insolation level have been studied.

Digital phase control for resonant inverters

Abstract: This letter presents an approach for direct digital phase control of resonant inverters that is based on inductor current or voltage sensing. Compared to frequency control, phase control provides the advantages of self-tuning to the tank resonant frequency, reduced sensitivity for improved control near resonance, and inherent protection against operation below resonance to avoid hard switching. The digital control algorithm suitable for implementation using standard CMOS logic is derived. The design details of an experimental test platform based on a Xilinx field programmable gate array (FPGA) and experimental results for a typical resonant inverter are provided.

A low-cost digital controller for a switching DC converter with improved voltage regulation

Abstract: A new control algorithm with improved regulation is presented for a switching dc buck converter. The controller is realized with hardware description language (HDL) and can be implemented in any process. The controller uses four decision levels, combines pulse frequency modulation (PFM), pulse width modulation (PWM), and uses dithering for improved regulation. The controller is prototyped on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and experimental results show good performance over input and load disturbances. Importantly, the controller does not require high resolution analog-to-digital conversion for signal processing, and also does not require fast digital clocking. This controller has significant potential to be widely used in industrial applications where cost and design time are of great concern.

Avalanche behavior of low-voltage power MOSFETs

Abstract: This letter addresses the behavior of low voltage power MOSFETs under avalanche, with a paralleling point of view. It is shown that during avalanche, up-to-date technology MOSFET transistors exhibit a resistance far in excess of their on-state resistance (R/sub DSon/). A novel test setup is proposed to measure "avalanche" resistance. A simple model of breakdown voltage is then proposed. It becomes possible to perform fast simulations using this model to study current balance between paralleled transistors under avalanche operation. It is shown that considering avalanche resistance reduces the influence of breakdown voltage mismatches and allows for better current sharing.

Fault interrupting methods and topologies for interior PM machine drives

Abstract: This work investigates methods to interrupt the phase currents induced when interior permanent magnet (IPM) machine drives suffer short-circuit or uncontrolled generator mode faults. A fault-tolerant silicon switch is proposed in which the antiparallel diode in a reverse-blocking inverter switch is replaced by a thyristor. A reduced-parts-count fault-interrupting topology is also proposed which consists of delta-connected thyristors inserted at the center star point of wye-connected IPM machine stator windings. Control of the proposed reduced-parts-count fault-tolerant drive is discussed and simulation results are presented to verify operation of the proposed topology.

Self-oscillating dimmable electronic ballast for fluorescent lamps

Abstract: This letter presents a low-cost solution for converting the popularly adopted nondimmable electronic ballast circuit for fluorescent lamps with self-oscillating series resonant inverter into a dimmable one. The dimming function is achieved by increasing the switching frequency of the inverter from the natural frequency of the resonant tank, so that less energy is coupled to the lamp. Control of the switching frequency is based on deriving an adjustable dc current source from the inductor in the resonant tank to control the operating point of the saturable chokes for driving the switches in the inverter. The overall circuit does not require any integrated circuit. A 17-W prototype has been built and tested. Theoretical predictions have been verified with experimental results. The lamp can be dimmed to 10% of the full brightness.

A simple model for flux weakening in surface PM synchronous machines using back-to-back thyristors

Abstract: Flux weakening in surface permanent magnet (PM) synchronous machines is revisited in this letter. The condition for achieving infinite constant power speed ratio (CPSR) is explained from the machine equivalent circuit and phasor diagram point of view. Back-to-back thyristors, or triac, switches feeding the three phases of a surface PM synchronous machine will be shown to be equivalent to a simple series reactance with respect to fundamental component behavior. Using such switches is equivalent to adding a series inductance to the machine. This additional inductance helps extend the CPSR of surface PM synchronous machines. This is significant because extending the CPSR of surface PM machines is usually a challenging task due to the presence of low-permeability surface magnets and the resulting low machine inductance.

Output voltage distortion characterization in multilevel PWM converters

Abstract: One of the main features to consider in the development of new pulsewidth modulations (PWM) for multilevel converters is the high-frequency output-voltage distortion. In this letter, a novel per-switching-cycle figure, the harmonic distortion of order n for switching cycle k(HD/sub n,k/), is introduced to quantitatively characterize the output three-phase voltage harmonic distortion of multilevel converters around all the integer multiples of the switching frequency. This figure allows for the decomposing of the modulation design problem within an output voltage fundamental cycle into an independent set of smaller problems for every switching cycle. The expression of HD/sub n,k/ as a function of the switching states' duty-ratio is presented for the three-level three-phase neutral-point-clamped voltage source inverter and it can be easily obtained for any other multilevel converter. From the evaluation of HD/sub n,k/ over 1/6th of the output-voltage fundamental-period the value of HD/sub n/ is obtained, providing a measure of the output voltage distortion in a fundamental period. This information is obtained at a lower computational cost than conventional fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis. The accuracy of the HD/sub n/ distortion predictions is verified by comparing it to FFT-based results obtained from simulation and experiments. The expression to compute the total harmonic distortion (THD) as a function of HD/sub n/ is also derived.

A high-performance, integrated magnetics scheme for buck-cascaded push-pull converter

Abstract: This letter proposes a new integrated magnetics scheme for the buck cascaded current-fed push-pull converter. While integrating the transformer and inductor into a common structure, the proposed scheme also alters the operating characteristics of the basic converter. This leads to several advantages such as, continuous output current, zero voltage switching (ZVS), and zero current switching (ZCS) for the switches of the push-pull stage, and reduced conduction losses. The principle of operation of the proposed scheme is analyzed using the gyrator-capacitor model. Experimental results from a 12 V/5 A proof-of-concept prototype are presented demonstrating the advantages of the proposed scheme.

A lossless active clamping circuit for current doubler topologies

Abstract: This letter presents a new lossless clamping circuit on the secondary side for DC-DC converters with a current-doubler structure. This circuit reduces ringing on secondary-side rectifiers due to leakage inductance. The ringing loss is recovered to the load. As a result, efficiency is improved, and the voltage stress on secondary-side rectifiers is reduced significantly. These improvements allow DC-DC topologies with a current doubler to operate efficiently at high switching frequencies. The operating principle of the clamping circuit is detailed. Simulations and experimental results validate the proposed technique.

Secondary control for a series reactive compensator based on a voltage-source PWM inverter

Abstract: This work describes a secondary control scheme of a series reactive compensator for a power system based on a single voltage-source pulse-width-modulated (PWM) inverter. The controllable capacitive reactance can be used as a supplementary control variable for the secondary (external) controller (SC) of a series capacitive reactance compensator to improve the dynamic transient and damping performances of the power system. From the viewpoint of agent-based global dynamic optimization of a system, the selection and use of suitable input signals for the SC are investigated. Detailed simulation results show that the SC with local feedback loop (LFL) has a powerful control performance; however, it requires the controllable compensation for a reference change due to different operating conditions. On the other hand, the SC with global feedback loop (GFL) avoids the need of reference compensation; moreover, its dynamic control performance is improved when the dual inputs (frequency and active power signal) are used, compared to when only the frequency is used as an input signal.

Generalized analysis of current ripple in a pulsewidth modulation H-bridge converter with unipolar-bipolar switching

Abstract: The aim of this letter is to describe a generalized analysis of the current ripple occurring in an H-bridge with pulsewidth modulation (PWM) technique. The general equation of the current ripple is obtained. By means of this equation, it is shown that the two strategies commonly used for the bridge control (unipolar and bipolar) are two limit cases of a general method. The control condition with minimum ripple is found. Finally, experimental results of a typical example are shown (applied to a DC drive) in different conditions, thus confirming the theoretical results.