Showing papers on "AC power published in 2005"

Ridethrough of wind turbines with doubly-fed induction generator during a voltage dip

Abstract: In this paper, a solution is described that makes it possible for wind turbines using doubly-fed induction generators to stay connected to the grid during grid faults. The key of the solution is to limit the high current in the rotor in order to protect the converter and to provide a bypass for this current via a set of resistors that are connected to the rotor windings. With these resistors, it is possible to ride through grid faults without disconnecting the turbine from the grid. Because the generator and converter stay connected, the synchronism of operation remains established during and after the fault and normal operation can be continued immediately after the fault has been cleared. An additional feature is that reactive power can be supplied to the grid during long dips in order to facilitate voltage restoration. A control strategy has been developed that takes care of the transition back to normal operation. Without special control action, large transients would occur.

PWM regenerative rectifiers: state of the art

Abstract: New regulations impose more stringent limits on current harmonics injected by power converters that are achieved with pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) rectifiers. In addition, several applications demand the capability of power regeneration to the power supply. This work presents the state of the art in the field of regenerative rectifiers with reduced input harmonics and improved power factor. Regenerative rectifiers are able to deliver energy back from the dc side to the ac power supply. Topologies for single- and three-phase power supplies are considered with their corresponding control strategies. Special attention is given to the application of voltage- and current-source PWM rectifiers in different processes with a power range from a few kilowatts up to several megawatts. This paper shows that PWM regenerative rectifiers are a highly developed and mature technology with a wide industrial acceptance.

A multiagent-based particle swarm optimization approach for optimal reactive power dispatch

Abstract: Reactive power dispatch in power systems is a complex combinatorial optimization problem involving nonlinear functions having multiple local minima and nonlinear and discontinuous constraints. In this paper, a solution to the reactive power dispatch problem with a novel particle swarm optimization approach based on multiagent systems (MAPSO) is presented. This method integrates the multiagent system (MAS) and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. An agent in MAPSO represents a particle to PSO and a candidate solution to the optimization problem. All agents live in a lattice-like environment, with each agent fixed on a lattice point. In order to obtain optimal solution quickly, each agent competes and cooperates with its neighbors, and it can also learn by using its knowledge. Making use of these agent-agent interactions and evolution mechanism of PSO, MAPSO realizes the purpose of optimizing the value of objective function. MAPSO applied to optimal reactive power dispatch is evaluated on an IEEE 30-bus power system and a practical 118-bus power system. Simulation results show that the proposed approach converges to better solutions much faster than the earlier reported approaches. The optimization strategy is general and can be used to solve other power system optimization problems as well.

Reactive Power Compensation Technologies: State-of-the-Art Review

Abstract: This paper presents an overview of the state of the art in reactive power compensation technologies. The principles of operation, design characteristics and application examples of Var compensators implemented with thyristors and self-commutated converters are presented. Static Var generators are used to improve voltage regulation, stability, and power factor in ac transmission and distribution systems. Examples obtained from relevant applications describing the use of reactive power compensators implemented with new static Var technologies are also described.

A hybrid particle swarm optimization applied to loss power minimization

Abstract: This paper presents a particle swarm optimization (PSO) as a tool for loss reduction study. This issue can be formulated as a nonlinear optimization problem. The proposed application consists of using a developed optimal power flow based on loss minimization function by expanding the original PSO. The study is carried out in two steps. First, by using the tangent vector technique, the critical area of the power system is identified under the point of view of voltage instability. Second, once this area is identified, the PSO technique calculates the amount of shunt reactive power compensation that takes place in each bus. The proposed approach has been examined and tested with promising numerical results using the IEEE 118-bus system.

Security-constrained unit commitment with AC constraints

Abstract: In a restructured power market, the independent system operator (ISO) executes the security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC) program to plan a secure and economical hourly generation schedule for the day-ahead market. This paper introduces an efficient SCUC approach with ac constraints that obtains the minimum system operating cost while maintaining the security of power systems. The proposed approach applies the Benders decomposition for separating the unit commitment (UC) in the master problem from the network security check in subproblems. The master problem applies the augmented Lagrangian relaxation (LR) method and dynamic programming (DP) to solve UC. The subproblem checks ac network security constraints for the UC solution to determine whether a converged and secure ac power flow can be obtained. If any network violations arise, corresponding Benders cuts will be formed and added to the master problem for solving the next iteration of UC. The iterative process will continue until ac violations are eliminated and a converged optimal solution is found. In this paper, a six-bus system and the IEEE 118-bus system with 54 units are analyzed to exhibit the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Usefulness of DC power flow for active power flow analysis

Abstract: In recent days almost every study concerning the analyses of power systems for market related purposes uses DC power flow. DC power flow is a simplification of a full power flow looking only at active power flows. Aspects as voltage support and reactive power management are not considered. However, such simplifications cannot always be justified and might sometimes be unrealistic. In this paper authors analyze the assumptions of DC power flow, and make an attempt at quantifying these using indexes. Among other, the paper answers the question of how low the X/R ratio of line parameters can be, and what is the maximal deviation from the perfect flat voltage which still allows DC power flow to be acceptably accurate.

Autonomous load sharing of voltage source converters

Abstract: An autonomous load-sharing technique for parallel connected three-phase voltage source converters is presented. An improved power-frequency droop scheme computes and sets the phase angle of the voltage source converter (VSC) directly to yield more rapid real power sharing without sacrificing frequency regulation. Reactive power sharing in the presence of a mismatch between the VSC output interface inductors is achieved by having each VSC regulate the high side voltage with a drooped voltage reference. Dynamics of the reactive power control can be tuned without interfering with steady-state reactive power sharing. Simulation results that validate the proposed technique are also provided.

Single-stage digital power converter for driving LEDs

Abstract: This invention presents a single-stage power converter for driving many number of Light-Emitting-Diode (LED). The power converter converts an AC input voltage into DC current source and regulates the current flowing into the LED. In addition, the AC input current is controlled to have a sinusoidal waveform synchronized with the AC input voltage so that AC input Power Factor is corrected. Hence, both of Power Factor Correction (PFC) and LED current regulation are obtained simultaneously by using a single power conversion stage. So higher efficiency with low cost can be obtained.

A Modified Direct Power Control Strategy Allowing the Connection of Three-Phase Inverters to the Grid Through $LCL$ Filters

Abstract: This paper proposes a novel approach to adapt a conventional direct power control (DPC) for high-power applications, where a third-order LCL filter is frequently required. The LCL filter can cause a strong resonance and requires additional effort for system control. The application of a DPC for the control of a three-phase voltage source inverter that is connected to the grid through an filter has not yet been considered. The addition of an active damping strategy, together with a harmonic rejection control loop, to the conventional DPC is proposed and analyzed in this paper. The steady-state, as well as the dynamic performance of the proposed system, is verified with simulation results and experimental measurements.

Hybrid filters for power quality improvement

Abstract: Solid-state controllers are widely used to convert AC power for feeding number of electrical loads such as adjustable speed drives, furnaces, power supplies etc. Some of these controllers behave as nonlinear loads because they draw nonsinusoidal current from the AC mains. Filter technology for improving power quality of such loads has matured to a reasonable level. Moreover, hybrid filters are considered one of best options for improving power quality for a number of considerations. A comprehensive review of hybrid filters configurations is given: their control approaches, state of art, design considerations, selection criteria, potential applications, latest trends, future developments and their comparative features. A broad review of the status of hybrid filters to researchers, design and practice engineers dealing with power quality improvements is presented. A classified list of more than 150 research publications on the hybrid filters is also given for quick reference.

Control techniques for active power filters

Abstract: There have been many variants of the active power filter proposed and these variations cover both the circuit topology and the control system employed. Some of the control variants reflect different control objectives but there are still many variants within similar objectives. The available control techniques are described and contrasted in a structured way to identify their performance strengths. Objectives are classified by the supply current components to be corrected and by the response required to distorted grid voltage. The various signal transformations are described in terms of their impact on the distortion identification problem. Time-domain, frequency-domain, instantaneous power and impedance synthesis methods are examined. Additional control functions such as DC-bus voltage and current reference following are also discussed. It is found that a key difference between control methods is the way in which current distortion is treated in the presence of distorted grid voltage.

Novel controllers for the 48-pulse VSC STATCOM and SSSC for voltage regulation and reactive power compensation

Abstract: The paper investigates the dynamic operation of novel control scheme for both Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) and Static Synchronous Series Compensator (SSSC) based on a new full model comprising a 48-pulse Gate Turn-Off thyristor voltage source converter for combined reactive power compensation and voltage stabilization of the electric grid network. 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. 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.

IEEE PSS2B versus PSS4B: the limits of performance of modern power system stabilizers

Abstract: IEEE Std 421.5 as revised by the IEEE excitation system subcommittee will introduce a new type of power system stabilizer model, the multiband power system stabilizers (PSSs). Although it requires two inputs, like the widely used IEEE PSS2B, an integral of accelerating power PSS introduced at the beginning of the nineties as the first practical implementation of a digital PSS, the underlying principle of the new IEEE PSS4B makes it sharply different. The present paper aims at assessing the two families of PSS's from the point of view of their relative performance in tackling a wide range of system problems, using a single set of so-called robust/universal settings. Conclusions are drawn from a large number of small- and large-signal analyzes performed on several test systems and on an actual Hydro-Que/spl acute/bec system, paying due account to the load models and governor response. Since either of the candidate PSSs can easily be tuned to perform acceptably in a standard local and/or inter-area oscillation scenario, emphasis will be put on comparing them at the inherent limits of the PSS concept, i.e., considering excessive VAR modulation during large generation rejection, fast load pickup on hydro units, and excessive torsional interactions during faults on large turbine-generators.

AC light emitting diode and AC LED drive methods and apparatus

Abstract: An AC LED package and circuits are disclosed along with an AC LED driver. The AC LED circuit may include as few as one LED or an array of anti-parallel LEDs driven with AC power sources and AC LED drivers at various voltages and frequencies. The AC LEDs are pre-packaged in various forms and materials and designed for mains or high frequency coupling in various forms to AC power sources, inverter type drivers or packages. The AC LED driver is a fixed frequency driver that provides a relatively constant voltage output to different size loads within the wattage limitation of the driver and in some cases is a direct mains power source.

Voltage and frequency control of inverter based weak LV network microgrid

Abstract: In this paper voltage and frequency control of islanded microgrid after intentional and unintentional switching events are investigated. The weak low voltage (LV) network based microgrid consists of two inverter based distributed generation (DG) units. One unit is a storage (battery) unit and the other is a photovoltaic (PV) cell. In this case the battery inverter with rapid response is considered to act as a master and it has the main responsibility to control the voltage and frequency in microgrid when islanded from the main distribution network. The studies are performed on a PSCAD simulation software package. Simulation studies show the voltage - active power and frequency - reactive power dependency in weak LV network. The studies also show that in order to maintain frequency balance in islanded microgrid, there is need for a reference sine wave generator inside master unit which imitates the main network phase voltages and gives the input for master units' (battery storage) PLL (phase locked loop) during islanding

Modeling and experimental verification of grid interaction of a DFIG wind turbine

Abstract: The response of the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) wind turbine system to grid disturbances is simulated and verified experimentally. The results are compared to the response that a fixed-speed wind turbine would have given. A voltage sag to 80% (80% remaining voltage) is handled very well, which is not the case for a fixed-speed wind turbine. A second-order model for prediction of the response of DFIG wind turbines is derived, and its simulated performance is successfully verified experimentally. The power quality impact by the DFIG wind turbine system is measured and evaluated. Steady-state impact, such as flicker emission, reactive power, and harmonic emission, is measured and analyzed. It is found that the flicker emission is very low, the reactive power is close to zero in the whole operating range, and the current THD is always lower than 5%.

Light emitting diodes for high AC voltage operation and general lighting

Abstract: A single-chip integrated LED particularly adapted for direct use with a high voltage AC power comprises a plurality of series-connected LEDs arranged in two arrays. The opposite polarities of the arrays are connected together and then connected to the AC power source. During the positive half of the AC cycle, one array of LEDs is forward biased and energized, while the other array is reverse biased. During the negative half of the AC cycle, the other array of LEDs is forward biased and thus energized, while the first array is reverse biased and thus not energized. The arrays are alternately energized and de-energized at the frequency of the AC power source, and thus the single-chip integrated LED always appears to be energized.

An adaptive dead-time compensation strategy for voltage source inverter fed motor drives

Abstract: This paper presents an adaptive dead-time compensation strategy to obtain fundamental phase voltage for inverter fed vector controlled permanent magnet synchronous motor drives. The amplitude of phase dead-time compensation voltage (DTCV) to compensate disturbance voltage due to undesirable characteristics of inverter, such as dead-time, turn-on/off time of switching devices, and on-voltages of switching devices and diodes is adaptively determined according to a dead-time compensation time (DTCT). DTCT is identified on-line with using a /spl delta/-axis disturbance voltage in the current reference frame that is synchronized with current vector. The /spl delta/-axis disturbance voltage is estimated by a disturbance observer. The accuracy of identified DTCT is experimentally confirmed by calculating the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) between a calculated active power and a measured one. MAPE for adaptive DTCT is almost within 5% at any operating point.

Micropower circuits for bidirectional wireless telemetry in neural recording applications

Abstract: State-of-the art neural recording systems require electronics allowing for transcutaneous, bidirectional data transfer. As these circuits will be implanted near the brain, they must be small and low power. We have developed micropower integrated circuits for recovering clock and data signals over a transcutaneous power link. The data recovery circuit produces a digital data signal from an ac power waveform that has been amplitude modulated. We have also developed an FM transmitter with the lowest power dissipation reported for biosignal telemetry. The FM transmitter consists of a low-noise biopotential amplifier and a voltage controlled oscillator used to transmit amplified neural signals at a frequency near 433 MHz. All circuits were fabricated in a standard 0.5-/spl mu/m CMOS VLSI process. The resulting chip is powered through a wireless inductive link. The power consumption of the clock and data recovery circuits is measured to be 129 /spl mu/W; the power consumption of the transmitter is measured to be 465 /spl mu/W when using an external surface mount inductor. Using a parasitic antenna less than 2 mm long, a received power level was measured to be -59.73 dBm at a distance of one meter.

A single-phase inverter system for PV power injection and active power filtering with nonlinear inductor consideration

Abstract: This paper proposes a single-phase two-wire inverter system for photovoltaic (PV) power injection and active power filtering (APF) with nonlinear inductor consideration. The proposed system can fully or partially perform APF, process PV power, eliminate harmonic currents, improve power factor, and take into account the nonlinear effect of its output filter inductor. In the system, even though only the utility current is sensed, both APF and maximum power point tracking features can be still achieved, reducing the number of current sensors and cost significantly. To prevent output current from exceeding switch ratings, inverter current is properly controlled through a current estimator and a defined limit circle. A self-learning algorithm is also proposed to determine nonlinear inductance, which can increase the accuracy of the estimated current. Simulations and experimental results have verified the feasibility of the proposed PV inverter system and the algorithm.

Improving voltage stability by reactive power reserve management

Abstract: The amount of reactive reserves at generating stations is a measure of the degree of voltage stability. With this perspective, an optimized reactive reserve management scheme based on the optimal power flow is proposed. Detailed models of generator limiters, such as those for armature and field current limiting must be considered in order to utilize the maximum reactive power capability of generators, so as to meet reactive power demands during voltage emergencies. Participation factors for each generator in the management scheme are predetermined based on the voltage-var (V-Q) curve methodology. The Bender's decomposition methodology is applied to the reactive reserve management problem. The resulting effective reserves and the impact on voltage stability are studied on a reduced Western Electric Coordinating Council system. Results prove that the proposed method can improve both static and dynamic voltage stability.

Optimal allocation of FACTS devices to enhance total transfer capability using evolutionary programming

Abstract: Evolutionary programming (EP) is proposed to determine the optimal allocation of FACTS devices for maximizing the total transfer capability (TTC) of power transactions between source and sink areas in deregulated power systems. EP simultaneously searches for FACTS locations, FACTS parameters, real power generation (except slack bus) in source area, real power loads in sink area, and generation bus voltages. Multi-objective optimal power flow (OPF) with FACTS devices, including TTC and penalty functions, is used to evaluate the feasible TTC value within real and reactive power generation limits, voltage limits, line flow limits, and FACTS devices operation limits. Four types of FACTS devices are included: thyristor-controlled series capacitor (TCSC), thyristor-controlled phase shifter (TCPS), unified power flow controller (UPFC), and static Var compensator (SVC). Test results on an IEEE 30-bus system indicate that optimally placed OPF with FACTS devices by EP could enhance the TTC value far more than OPF without FACTS devices.

Evaluation of harmonic detection methods for active power filter applications

Abstract: In the attempt to minimize the harmonic disturbances created by the non-linear loads the choice of the active power filters comes out to improve the filtering efficiency and to solve many issues existing with classical passive filters. One of the key points for a proper implementation of an active filter is to use a good method for current/voltage reference generation. There exist many implementations supported by different theories (either in time- or frequency-domain), which continuously debate their performances proposing ever better solutions. This paper gives a survey of the common used theories. Then, the work here proposes a simulation setup that decouples the harmonic reference generator from the active filter model and its controller. In this way the selected methods can be equally analyzed and compared with respect to their performance, which helps anticipating possible implementation issues. The conclusions are collected and a comparison is given at the end, which is useful in deciding the future hardware setup implementation. The comparison shows that the choice of numerical filtering is a key factor for obtaining good accuracies and dynamics for an active filter.

Photovoltaic DC-to-AC power converter and control method

Abstract: An apparatus and method of control for converting DC (direct current) power from a solar photovoltaic source to AC (alternating current) power. A novel DC-to-AC power converter topology and a novel control method are disclosed. This combination of topology and control are very well suited for photovoltaic microinverter applications. Also, a novel variant of this control method is illustrated with a number of known photovoltaic DC-to-AC power converter topologies. The primary function of both control methods is to seek the maximum power point (MPP) of the photovoltaic source with novel, iterative, perturb and observe control algorithms. The control portion of this invention discloses two related control methods, both an improvement over prior art by having greatly improved stability, dynamic response and accuracy.

Reactive compensation techniques to improve the ride-through capability of wind turbine during disturbance

Abstract: World wind energy capacity expanded at an annual rate of 25% during the 1990s. The total world wind turbine installation capacity was approximately 40 000 MW at the end of 2003. Germany has the highest installed capacity of over 10 000 MW, while Denmark, where the wind energy accounts for more than 13% of electricity consumed, has the highest wind energy level per capita. The United States is catching up in the development of wind farms, with several large-scale wind generation projects currently being materialized. Even though there is significant progress in the wind generation technology, most of the currently installed wind turbines utilize induction generators to produce the electricity. Since the induction generators do not perform voltage regulation and absorb reactive power from the utility grid, they are often the source of voltage fluctuations. It is necessary to examine their responses during the faults and possible impacts on the system stability when the percentage of the wind generation increases. This paper compares the steady-state voltage profile and the voltage ride-through capabilities of the induction-generator-based wind farms with different reactive compensation techniques.

Multiple distributed Generators for Distribution feeder Voltage support

Abstract: Inclusion of voltage support distributed generation (VSDG) can reinforce the feeder voltage of distribution networks, especially in rural/remote areas where voltage dip and frequent blackouts are significant concerns for power utilities. However, installation of multiple distributed generators within a distribution grid system may introduce technical problems in network operation and control, including control interaction and/or voltage instability. This paper addresses the network issues that may occur during multiple VSDG inclusion in the network and presents analytical models and solutions to develop design criteria of VSDG installation in the networks. Voltage sensitivity of lines is investigated and the effect of DG real (P) and reactive (Q) power injections with Q priority is developed for optimal use of VSDG in correcting the network voltage. Interaction among VSDG controllers has been explored and a generalized model is presented to analyze this interaction between any number of VSDGs in the network. The model is tested on a sample VSDG system and test results are presented. The issue of which VSDG must be started recognizing the costs of starting is addressed using an inverse definite minimum time (IDMT) model. A prioritization and coordination scheme for start discrimination of multiple VSDGs is proposed which avoids hunting between multiple generators.