A quasi-Z-source inverter (qZSI) could achieve buck/boost conversion as well as dc to ac inversion in a single-stage topology, which reduces the structure cost when compared to a traditional two-stage inverter. Specifically, the buck/boost conversion was accomplished via shoot-through state which took place across all phase legs of the inverter. In this paper, instead of using traditional dual-loop-based proportional integral (PI)-P controller, a type 2 based closed-loop voltage controller with novel dc-link voltage reference algorithm was proposed to fulfill the dc-link voltage tracking control of a single-phase qZSI regardless of any loading conditions, without the need of inner inductor current loop. A dc-ac boost inverter with similar circuit parameters as a qZSI was used to verify the flexibility of the proposed controller. The dynamic and transient performances of the proposed controller were investigated to evaluate its superiority against the aforementioned conventional controller. The integrated proposed controller and qZSI topology was then employed in static synchronous compensator application to perform reactive power compensation at the point of common coupling. The effectiveness of the proposed approach was verified through both simulation and experimental studies.
In this paper, the performance of an active neutral point clamped (ANPC) inverter is evaluated, which is developed utilizing both silicon (Si) and gallium trioxide (Ga2O3) devices. The hybridization of semiconductor devices is performed since the production volume and fabrication of ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors are still in the early-stage, and they are highly expensive. In the proposed ANPC topology, the Si devices are operated at a low switching frequency, while the Ga2O3 switches are operated at a higher switching frequency. The proposed ANPC mitigates the fault current in the switching devices which are prevalent in conventional ANPCs. The proposed ANPC is developed by applying a specified modulation technique and an intelligent switching arrangement, which has further improved its performance by optimizing the loss distribution among the Si/Ga2O3 devices and thus effectively increases the overall efficiency of the inverter. It profoundly reduces the common mode current stress on the switches and thus generates a lower common-mode voltage on the output. It can also operate at a broad range of power factors. The paper extensively analyzed the switching performance of UWBG semiconductor (Ga2O3) devices using double pulse testing (DPT) and proper simulation results. The proposed inverter reduced the fault current to 52 A and achieved a maximum efficiency of 99.1%.
This paper investigates the performance of Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) with the new variation of multilevel selective harmonic elimination pulse width modulation (MSHE-PWM). The proposed MSHE-PWM optimizes both the dc-voltage levels and the switching angles, enabling more harmonics to be eliminated without affecting the structure of the inverter circuit. The method also provides constant switching angles and linear pattern of dc voltage levels over the modulation index range. This in turns eliminates the required tedious steps for manipulating the off-line calculated switching angles and therefore, easing the implementation of the MSHE-PWM for dynamic systems. The required variable dc voltage levels are obtained from simple dc-dc boost converter. Current and voltage closed loop controllers are implemented for both the STATCOM and the boost converter to meet the reactive power (VAR) demand for different loading conditions. The proposed approach is validated through both simulation and experimental results.
Transformerless inverters (TIs) are becoming increasingly popular in solar photovoltaic (PV) applications due to their enhanced efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Unlike transformer-based inverters, TIs, which lack transformers and additional components, offer significant advantages in terms of reduced weight, compactness, and lower costs. Research studies have demonstrated that multilevel TIs can achieve lower total harmonic distortion (THD), reduced switching stresses, and higher AC output voltage levels suitable for high voltage applications. However, achieving these outcomes simultaneously with maximum power ratings and the lowest switching frequencies poses a challenge for TI topologies. In light of these challenges, this research proposes the implementation of a 13-level single-source switched-capacitor boost multilevel inverter (SSCBMLI) designed for solar PV systems. The SSCBMLI consists of a single DC power source, switched-capacitor (SC) units, and a full H-bridge. Compared to other existing 13-level multilevel inverter (MLI) configurations, the proposed SSCBMLI utilizes the fewest components to minimize development costs. Moreover, the SSCBMLI offers voltage boosting and can drive high inductive loads, self-voltage-balanced capacitors, an adaptable topology structure, and reliable system performance. Simulations and experimental tests are conducted using PLECS 4.5 and SIMULINK to assess the performance of the proposed SSCBMLI under varying modulation indices, source powers, and loads. A comparative analysis is then conducted to evaluate the SSCBMLI against existing inverter topologies.
In classical power systems, frequency measurements are transferred via a specialised communication channel, resulting in time delay. The time delay plays a major role in a power system, which can reduce the dynamic performance of the load–frequency control (LFC) system and can destabilise the system. The research to date has tended to focus on developing a new algorithm to determine the delay margin (DM) rather than looking into a hybrid algorithm which includes a nature-inspired metaheuristic optimisation technique. This paper introduces a novel method for computing the DM based on grey wolf optimisation (GWO), specifically for the constant time delay. In the proposed method, GWO is employed to optimise the minimum error of the spectral radius and to determine the best design variable of the crossing frequency. With the help of the proposed method, the sweeping range is no longer required, which improves the accuracy of the result. To evaluate the proposed method, a two-area network power system is considered as a case study. Furthermore, the effect of the PI controller gains on the DM is taken into account. The proposed method efficacy is demonstrated by comparing it with the most recently published methods. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is remarkably better than the existing methods found in the literature, where the smallest percentage inaccuracy using the simulation-based DM based on GWO is found to be 0.000%.