A Novel Asymmetrical 21-Level Inverter for Solar PV Energy System With Reduced Switch Count
TL;DR: In this article, a novel asymmetric 21-level multilevel inverter topology for solar PV application is presented, where the PV voltage is boosted over the DC link voltage using a three-level DC-DC boost converter interfaced in between the solar panels and the inverter.
Abstract: This article presents a novel asymmetrical 21-level multilevel inverter topology for solar PV application. The proposed topology achieves 21-level output voltage without H-bridge using asymmetric DC sources. This reduces the devices, cost and size. The PV standalone system needs a constant DC voltage magnitude from the solar panels, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique used for getting a stable output by using perturb and observe (P&O) algorithm. The PV voltage is boosted over the DC link voltage using a three-level DC-DC boost converter interfaced in between the solar panels and the inverter. The inverter is tested experimentally with various combinational loads and under dynamic load variations with sudden load disturbances. Total standing voltage with a cost function for the proposed MLI is calculated and compared with multiple topologies published recently and found to be cost-effective. A detailed comparison is made in terms of switches count, and sources count, gate driver boards, the number of diodes and capacitor count and component count level factor with the same and other levels of multilevel inverter and found to be the proposed topology is helpful in terms of its less TSV value, devices count, efficient and cost-effective. In both simulation and experimental results, total harmonic distortion (THD) is observed to be the same and is lower than 5% which is under IEEE standards. A hardware prototype is implemented in the laboratory and verified experimentally under dynamic load variations, whereas the simulations are done in MATLAB/Simulink.
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TL;DR: In this paper , a new single-phase asymmetrical multilevel inverter (MLI) that can generate 33 levels at the output with fewer components and lower total standing voltage (TSV) at the switches is presented.
Abstract: Multilevel inverters with a high device count, low boosting and DC voltage imbalance are all common problems exists in the traditional topologies. In this article, a new single-phase asymmetrical multilevel inverter (MLI) that can generate 33 levels at the output with fewer components and lower total standing voltage (TSV) at the switches is presented. The multiple input sources of the proposed inverter make it suited for the use in renewable energy generating systems which have a variety of DC sources. The stress distribution among the switches is investigated that reduces the use of high rated devices with which overall cost of the inverter gets reduced. The topology can be extended by adding the circuits in series for higher levels. The performance of the inverter is calculated considering a variety of critical parameters such as TSV, cost function (CF), power loss, and efficiency calculations. The MLI is tested under dynamic load conditions with sudden load disturbances with a range of combinational loads and it has been determined to be stable throughout its operation. A detailed comparison is made based on stress across the switches, stress distribution, switches count, DC sources count, gate driver circuits, component count factor, TSV, CF, and other existing topologies using graphical representations and shown to be cost-effective and superior in all aspects. The total harmonic distortion (THD) derived from simulation and experiment complies with IEEE standards. The proposed framework has been developed in MATLAB/Simulink and tested in a laboratory environment with hardware.
9 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors proposed two types of FPGA-based digital switching controllers, namely selective harmonic elimination (SHE) and sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM), for a 21-level multilevel inverter.
Abstract: Multilevel inverters are a type of power electronic circuit that converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) for use in high-voltage and high-power applications. Many recent studies on multilevel inverters have used field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) as a switching controller device to overcome the limitations of microcontrollers or DSPs, such as limited sampling rate, low execution speed, and a limited number of IO pins. However, the design techniques of most existing FPGA-based switching controllers require large amounts of memory (RAM) for storage of sampled data points as well as complex controller architectures to generate the output gating pulses. Therefore, in this paper, we propose two types of FPGA-based digital switching controllers, namely selective harmonic elimination (SHE) and sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM), for a 21-level multilevel inverter. Both switching controllers were designed with minimal hardware complexity and logic utilisation. The designed SHE switching controller mainly consists of a four-bit finite state machine (FSM) and a 13-bit counter, while the SPWM switching controller employs a simple iterative CORDIC algorithm with a small amount of data storage requirement, a six-bit up-down counter, and a few adders. Initially, both digital switching controllers (SHE and SPWM) were designed using the hardware description language (HDL) in Verilog codes and functionally verified using the developed testbenches. The designed digital switching controllers were then synthesised and downloaded to the Intel FPGA (DE2-115) board for real-time verification purposes. For system-level verification, both switching controllers were tested on five cascaded H-Bridge circuits for a 21-level multilevel inverter model using the HDL co-simulation method in MATLAB Simulink. From the synthesised logic gates, it was found that the designed SHE and SPWM switching controllers require only 186 and 369 logic elements (LEs), respectively, which is less than 1% of the total LEs in an FPGA (Cyclone IV E) chip. The execution speed of the SHE switching controller implemented in the FPGA (Cyclone IV E) chip was found to be a maximum of 99.97% faster when compared with the microcontroller (PIC16F877A). The THD percentage of the 21-level SHE digital switching controller (3.91%) was found to be 37% less than that of the SPWM digital switching controller (6.17%). In conclusion, the proposed simplified design architectures of SHE and SPWM digital switching controllers have been proven to not only require minimal logic resources, achieve high processing speeds, and function correctly when tested on a real-time FPGA board, but also generate the desired 21-level stepped sine-wave output voltage (±360 VPP) at a frequency of 50 Hz with low THD percentages when tested on a 21-level cascaded H-Bridge multilevel inverter model.
8 citations
TL;DR: A comprehensive overview of recently developed multilevel inverters and a solution for developing the MLIs for future research on renewable energy applications is provided in this article , where the design and functioning of each topology as well as each group are examined in this study.
8 citations
21 May 2021
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyze the multilevel inverters (MLI) topologies into two categories which are symmetric and asymmetric configuration which contain the reduced number of switches.
Abstract: Multilevel inverters (MLIs) are extremely influential in renewable energy systems, are used to convert DC power into AC. MLIs are more beneficial in comparison to the two-level conventional inverter in terms of lower total harmonic distortion (THD), lesser electromagnetic interference (EMI), increases the capability of fault tolerance, and are more efficient. The major aspect of this review article is to analyze the recent (MLI) topologies into two categories which are symmetric and asymmetric configuration which contains the reduced number of switches $(\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{S}\mathrm{W}})$. currently, Researchers have an eye on the using reduced number of components in MLI topologies for lesser voltage stress and high efficiency. Performance parameters such as total standing voltage (TSV), THD, and modulation techniques are briefly discussed in this article. furthermore, the general comparison of these topologies is depicted in tabular & graphical representation based on the required number of switches, number of the gate drivers $(\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{G}\mathrm{D}})$, Number of dc voltage sources $(\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}\mathrm{C}})$, THD, and the number of level $(\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{L}})$ that are obtained through the multilevel inverter topologies.
7 citations
References
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TL;DR: In this paper, a classification scheme for MPPT methods based on three categories: offline, online and hybrid methods is introduced, which can provide a convenient reference for future work in PV power generation, is based on the manner in which the control signal is generated and the PV power system behavior as it approaches steady state conditions.
Abstract: In recent years there has been a growing attention towards use of solar energy. The main advantages of photovoltaic (PV) systems employed for harnessing solar energy are lack of greenhouse gas emission, low maintenance costs, fewer limitations with regard to site of installation and absence of mechanical noise arising from moving parts. However, PV systems suffer from relatively low conversion efficiency. Therefore, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for the solar array is essential in a PV system. The nonlinear behavior of PV systems as well as variations of the maximum power point with solar irradiance level and temperature complicates the tracking of the maximum power point. A variety of MPPT methods have been proposed and implemented. This review paper introduces a classification scheme for MPPT methods based on three categories: offline, online and hybrid methods. This classification, which can provide a convenient reference for future work in PV power generation, is based on the manner in which the control signal is generated and the PV power system behavior as it approaches steady state conditions. Some of the methods from each class are simulated in Matlab/Simulink environment in order to compare their performance. Furthermore, different MPPT methods are discussed in terms of the dynamic response of the PV system to variations in temperature and irradiance, attainable efficiency, and implementation considerations.
549 citations
TL;DR: Reduction in the number of power switches, driver circuits, and dc voltage sources is the advantage of the developed single-phase cascaded multilevel inverter, and the installation space and cost of the inverter are reduced.
Abstract: In this paper, a new single-phase cascaded multilevel inverter is proposed. This inverter is comprised of a series connection of the proposed basic unit and is able to only generate positive levels at the output. Therefore, an H-bridge is added to the proposed inverter. This inverter is called the developed cascaded multilevel inverter. In order to generate all voltage levels (even and odd) at the output, four different algorithms are proposed to determine the magnitude of dc voltage sources. Reduction in the number of power switches, driver circuits, and dc voltage sources is the advantage of the developed single-phase cascaded multilevel inverter. As a result, the installation space and cost of the inverter are reduced. These features are obtained by the comparison of the conventional cascaded multilevel inverters with the proposed cascaded topology. The ability of the proposed inverter to generate all voltage levels (even and odd) is reconfirmed by using the experimental results of a 15-level inverter.
444 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a survey of MPPT methods in order to analyze, simulate, and evaluate a PV power supply system under varying meteorological conditions and show that static and dynamic performances of fuzzy MPPT controller are better than those of conventional techniques based controller.
Abstract: Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) methods are used in photovoltaic (PV) systems to continually maximize the PV array output power which generally depends on solar radiation and cell temperature. MPPT methods can be roughly classified into two categories: there are conventional methods, like the Perturbation and Observation (P&O) method and the Incremental Conductance (IncCond) method and advanced methods, such as, fuzzy logic (FL) based MPPT method. This paper presents a survey of these methods in order to analyze, simulate, and evaluate a PV power supply system under varying meteorological conditions. Simulation results, obtained using MATLAB/Simulink, show that static and dynamic performances of fuzzy MPPT controller are better than those of conventional techniques based controller.
372 citations
TL;DR: A multilevel inverter that has been conceptualized to reduce component count, particularly for a large number of output levels, is presented, which results in reduced number of power switches as compared to classical topologies.
Abstract: This paper presents a multilevel inverter that has been conceptualized to reduce component count, particularly for a large number of output levels. It comprises floating input dc sources alternately connected in opposite polarities with one another through power switches. Each input dc level appears in the stepped load voltage either individually or in additive combinations with other input levels. This approach results in reduced number of power switches as compared to classical topologies. The working principle of the proposed topology is demonstrated with the help of a single-phase five-level inverter. The topology is investigated through simulations and validated experimentally on a laboratory prototype. An exhaustive comparison of the proposed topology is made against the classical cascaded H-bridge topology.
353 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a compendium of MPPT techniques for an appropriate selection, based on application requirements and system constraints, is presented and compared against each other in terms of some critical parameters like: number of variables used, complexity, accuracy, speed, hardware implementation, cost, tracking efficiency and so on.
Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) array has non-linear I–V (current–voltage) characteristics and its output power varies with solar insolation level and ambient temperature. There exists only one point, called maximum power point (MPP), on the P–V (power–voltage) curve, where power is maximum and this point varies with the changing atmospheric conditions. Moreover, energy conversion efficiency of PV module is very low and mismatch between source and load characteristics causes significant power losses. Consequently, maximization of power output with greater efficiency is extremely important. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is a technique employed to extract maximum power available from the PV module. It traces the PV operating voltage corresponding to the MPP and locks the operating point at MPP and extract maximum power from the array. Till date, many algorithms for MPPT have been reported, each with its own features. In this paper, a comprehensive presentation of working principle of these techniques is made and they are compared against each other in terms of some critical parameters like: number of variables used, complexity, accuracy, speed, hardware implementation, cost, tracking efficiency and so on. This study is aimed at providing a compendium on MPPT techniques for an appropriate selection, based on application requirements and system constraints.
309 citations