A New Hybrid Multilevel DC–AC Converter With Reduced Energy Storage Requirement and Power Losses for HVDC Applications

A dc–ac converter for voltage-source converter (VSC)-HVdc technology has a significant influence on the performance of the entire power transmission system. This paper introduces a new dc–ac converter composed of submodules and series insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) switches. The basic idea of this hybrid solution is to shape the ac voltage by submodules but, per half cycle, reconnect them to different electrical points by IGBT switches. This concept can help to reduce the quantities of submodules, thereby reducing the energy storage requirement significantly. Another advantage is that the IGBT switches can be soft switched by utilizing the high controllability of the submodules. This brings extra benefit of power losses reduction. In this paper, the operating principle of this hybrid converter is explained. Its performances are also presented in detail and compared with those popular VSC dc–ac converters. The feasibility of the new concept is also verified by simulation and experimental results.

[1]  Barry W. Williams,et al.  Hybrid Multilevel Converter With Cascaded H-bridge Cells for HVDC Applications: Operating Principle and Scalability , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[2]  Alireza Nami,et al.  Modular Multilevel Converters for HVDC Applications: Review on Converter Cells and Functionalities , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[3]  John E. Fletcher,et al.  Hybrid Cascaded Modular Multilevel Converter With DC Fault Ride-Through Capability for the HVDC Transmission System , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery.

[4]  Subramanyam,et al.  The Alternate Arm Converter: A New Hybrid Multilevel Converter with DC-Fault Blocking Capability , 2016 .

[5]  Anshuman Shukla,et al.  Modulation, control and capacitor voltage balancing of alternate arm modular multilevel converter with DC fault blocking capability , 2014, 2014 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition - APEC 2014.

[6]  Jon C. Clare,et al.  A Hybrid Modular Multilevel Voltage Source Converter for HVDC Power Transmission , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[7]  Zheng Xu,et al.  Modulation and control for a new hybrid cascaded multilevel converter with DC blocking capability , 2012, 2013 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting.

[8]  R. Marquardt,et al.  Modular Multilevel Converter: An universal concept for HVDC-Networks and extended DC-Bus-applications , 2010, The 2010 International Power Electronics Conference - ECCE ASIA -.

[9]  Rong Zeng,et al.  Design and Operation of a Hybrid Modular Multilevel Converter , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[10]  Zhiyuan He,et al.  Improved Design and Control of FBSM MMC With Boosted AC Voltage and Reduced DC Capacitance , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[11]  Jiabing Hu,et al.  Zero DC voltage ride through of a hybrid modular multilevel converter in HVDC systems , 2017 .

[12]  Geraint Chaffey,et al.  The Extended Overlap Alternate Arm Converter: A Voltage-Source Converter With DC Fault Ride-Through Capability and a Compact Design , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[13]  P. Wheeler,et al.  Experimental validation of a parallel hybrid modular multilevel voltage source converter for HVDC transmission , 2013, 2013 Twenty-Eighth Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC).

[14]  Rainer Marquardt,et al.  Future HVDC-grids employing modular multilevel converters and hybrid DC-breakers , 2013, 2013 15th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications (EPE).

[15]  John E. Fletcher,et al.  A Hybrid Modular Multilevel Converter With Novel Three-Level Cells for DC Fault Blocking Capability , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery.

[16]  Dushan Boroyevich,et al.  Alternate Arm Converter (AAC) operation under faulted AC-grid conditions , 2014 .

[17]  Timothy C. Green,et al.  Cell capacitor sizing in multilevel converters: Cases of the modular multilevel converter and alternate arm converter , 2015 .

[18]  Stephen J. Finney,et al.  Hybrid converter with ac side cascaded H-bridge cells against H-bridge alternative arm modular multilevel converter: steady-state and dynamic performance , 2013 .

[19]  Patrick Wheeler,et al.  DC fault ride-through capability and STATCOM operation of a HVDC hybrid voltage source converter , 2014 .

[20]  Rong Zeng,et al.  An improved modular multilevel converter with DC fault blocking capability , 2014, 2014 IEEE PES General Meeting | Conference & Exposition.

[21]  Rainer Marquardt,et al.  An innovative modular multilevel converter topology suitable for a wide power range , 2003, 2003 IEEE Bologna Power Tech Conference Proceedings,.

[22]  S. Allebrod,et al.  New transformerless, scalable Modular Multilevel Converters for HVDC-transmission , 2008, 2008 IEEE Power Electronics Specialists Conference.

[23]  Rainer Marquardt,et al.  Modular Multilevel Converter topologies with DC-Short circuit current limitation , 2011, 8th International Conference on Power Electronics - ECCE Asia.

[24]  Staffan Norrga,et al.  On Energy Storage Requirements in Modular Multilevel Converters , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[25]  Maryam Saeedifard,et al.  A Zero-Sequence Voltage Injection-Based Control Strategy for a Parallel Hybrid Modular Multilevel HVDC Converter System , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery.

[26]  Rik W. De Doncker,et al.  Comparison of the Modular Multilevel DC Converter and the Dual-Active Bridge Converter for Power Conversion in HVDC and MVDC Grids , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[27]  T. Jonsson,et al.  Converter Technologies and Functional Requirements for Reliable and Economical HVDC Grid Design , 2013 .

[28]  D. R. Critchley,et al.  A ew Hybrid Multi-Level Voltage-Source Converter with DC Fault Blocking Capability , 2010 .

[29]  D. Retzmann,et al.  A new Multilevel Voltage-Sourced Converter Topology for HVDC Applications , 2008 .

[30]  Peter Lundberg,et al.  Analysis of modular multilevel converters with DC short circuit fault blocking capability in bipolar HVDC transmission systems , 2015, 2015 17th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications (EPE'15 ECCE-Europe).