A Modified Voltage Balancing Algorithm for the Modular Multilevel Converter: Evaluation for Staircase and Phase-Disposition PWM

This paper introduces a low complexity implementation of the voltage balancing algorithm aiming to reduce the switching frequency of the power devices in modular multilevel converters (MMCs). The proposed algorithm features a relatively simple implementation without any conditional execution require...

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Published in:IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics
Main Author: Darus R.; Pou J.; Konstantinou G.; Ceballos S.; Picas R.; Agelidis V.G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. 2015
Online Access:https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84924874157&doi=10.1109%2fTPEL.2014.2359005&partnerID=40&md5=278cc7af9920a2012405027ad8ed2578
id 2-s2.0-84924874157
spelling 2-s2.0-84924874157
Darus R.; Pou J.; Konstantinou G.; Ceballos S.; Picas R.; Agelidis V.G.
A Modified Voltage Balancing Algorithm for the Modular Multilevel Converter: Evaluation for Staircase and Phase-Disposition PWM
2015
IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics
30
8
10.1109/TPEL.2014.2359005
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84924874157&doi=10.1109%2fTPEL.2014.2359005&partnerID=40&md5=278cc7af9920a2012405027ad8ed2578
This paper introduces a low complexity implementation of the voltage balancing algorithm aiming to reduce the switching frequency of the power devices in modular multilevel converters (MMCs). The proposed algorithm features a relatively simple implementation without any conditional execution requirements and is easily expandable regardless of the number of submodules (SMs). Two modulation techniques are evaluated, namely the staircase modulation and the phase-disposition pulse width modulation (PD-PWM) under the conventional and the proposed algorithm. Using a circulating current controller in an MMC with 12 SMs per arm, PD-PWM yields better results compared to the staircase modulation technique. The test condition for this comparison is such that the power devices operate at a similar switching frequency and produce similar amplitudes to the capacitor voltage ripples in both modulation techniques. The results are verified through extensive simulations and experiments on a low power phase-leg MMC laboratory prototype. © 1986-2012 IEEE.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
08858993
English
Article
All Open Access; Green Open Access
author Darus R.; Pou J.; Konstantinou G.; Ceballos S.; Picas R.; Agelidis V.G.
spellingShingle Darus R.; Pou J.; Konstantinou G.; Ceballos S.; Picas R.; Agelidis V.G.
A Modified Voltage Balancing Algorithm for the Modular Multilevel Converter: Evaluation for Staircase and Phase-Disposition PWM
author_facet Darus R.; Pou J.; Konstantinou G.; Ceballos S.; Picas R.; Agelidis V.G.
author_sort Darus R.; Pou J.; Konstantinou G.; Ceballos S.; Picas R.; Agelidis V.G.
title A Modified Voltage Balancing Algorithm for the Modular Multilevel Converter: Evaluation for Staircase and Phase-Disposition PWM
title_short A Modified Voltage Balancing Algorithm for the Modular Multilevel Converter: Evaluation for Staircase and Phase-Disposition PWM
title_full A Modified Voltage Balancing Algorithm for the Modular Multilevel Converter: Evaluation for Staircase and Phase-Disposition PWM
title_fullStr A Modified Voltage Balancing Algorithm for the Modular Multilevel Converter: Evaluation for Staircase and Phase-Disposition PWM
title_full_unstemmed A Modified Voltage Balancing Algorithm for the Modular Multilevel Converter: Evaluation for Staircase and Phase-Disposition PWM
title_sort A Modified Voltage Balancing Algorithm for the Modular Multilevel Converter: Evaluation for Staircase and Phase-Disposition PWM
publishDate 2015
container_title IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics
container_volume 30
container_issue 8
doi_str_mv 10.1109/TPEL.2014.2359005
url https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84924874157&doi=10.1109%2fTPEL.2014.2359005&partnerID=40&md5=278cc7af9920a2012405027ad8ed2578
description This paper introduces a low complexity implementation of the voltage balancing algorithm aiming to reduce the switching frequency of the power devices in modular multilevel converters (MMCs). The proposed algorithm features a relatively simple implementation without any conditional execution requirements and is easily expandable regardless of the number of submodules (SMs). Two modulation techniques are evaluated, namely the staircase modulation and the phase-disposition pulse width modulation (PD-PWM) under the conventional and the proposed algorithm. Using a circulating current controller in an MMC with 12 SMs per arm, PD-PWM yields better results compared to the staircase modulation technique. The test condition for this comparison is such that the power devices operate at a similar switching frequency and produce similar amplitudes to the capacitor voltage ripples in both modulation techniques. The results are verified through extensive simulations and experiments on a low power phase-leg MMC laboratory prototype. © 1986-2012 IEEE.
publisher Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
issn 08858993
language English
format Article
accesstype All Open Access; Green Open Access
record_format scopus
collection Scopus
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