In virtual synchronous generator (VSG)-related discussions, the inner voltage and current controls are always omitted due to their fast dynamics. However, converters require a lower switching frequency as their power rating increases, which constrains the cascaded controls' bandwidths. Hence, the interactions between the controls at different time-scales should be analyzed. Specifically, the aim is to reveal the effects of inner control loops on the VSG system from the torque perspective. First, this paper derives a linearized model of the internal voltage phase and amplitude, which accurately depicts the VSG system characteristics. Subsequently, based on this linearized model, we derive an equivalent single-input single-output motion-equation-based model. The proposed model can be used to investigate the change in damping and synchronizing torque components under low control bandwidths and weak grid conditions. Finally, simulation results are presented to validate the proposed modeling and effects analysis. Our model is general and can be used for any power ratings, and the study also provides a guide to designing control parameters for VSG systems.

Multifunctional grid-tied inverters (MFGTIs) have been paid much attention to handle the commonly concerned power quality issues of the microgrids. An MFGTI can not only interface the renewable energy resource into the utility grid, but also can compensate the harmonic and reactive current in the microgrid as an auxiliary service. However, the apparent capacity of an MFGTI for power quality compensation is limited. Therefore, how to enhance the power quality of the microgrid by optimal utilization of the limited and valuable capacity becomes a technical challenge. In this paper, two optimal control objectives of MFGTIs are presented based on a comprehensive power quality evaluation algorithm by means of analytic hierarchy process theory. One objective aims to obtain the expected power quality using minimal apparent capacity of the MFGTI. Another objective focuses on enhancing the power quality as well as possible in the given available apparent capacity condition. The two proposed strategies are compared in performance, and the paper also discusses how to use them in practice for the best performance. Experimental results performed on a microgrid in the laboratory confirm the validation and feasibility of the proposed optimal control strategies.

In order to keep a parallel inverter system operating stably, it is important to restrain the circulating current effectively. Based on the theoretical analysis, the limitation of a conventional conclusion about ideal operation status of parallel inverters is studied in detail. And then, the ideal operation status of the parallel inverter system is well investigated in this paper. A new criterion about ideal operation status of parallel inverters is concluded, i.e., there will be no circulating current among parallel inverters only when their output voltages have the same frequency, phase, amplitude and are also uniformly modulated. The concept of ldquouniform modulationrdquo and the corresponding conclusion are verified by simulation and experimental results.

In this paper, a soft-switching dc/dc converter with secondary-side phase-shift control strategy is proposed to improve the conversion efficiency and minimize the primary switch voltage stress in the high input voltage applications. Zero-voltage-switching performance is achieved for both the primary- and secondary-side power devices in a wide load range to reduce the switching losses due to the secondary-side phase-shift control scheme. Furthermore, compared with the conventional phase-shift control mechanism, the circulating current at the freewheeling stage is effectively suppressed as well to minimize the conduction losses. Moreover, the voltage stress of the primary switches is only half of the input voltage by employing the improved three-level structure, which makes the low-voltage rated power devices available to improve the circuit performance. In addition, the converter can work in the buck, balance, and boost modes to achieve a relatively wide input voltage range, which is an expected advantage for the communication power system to minimize the electrolytic capacitors with an acceptable hold-up time. The operation principle is analyzed and experimental results of a 1-kW 100-kHz prototype are provided to verify the effectiveness and the advantages of the proposed converter.