This paper proposes a repetitive-based controller for active power filters, which compensates selected current harmonics produced by distorting loads. The approach is based on the measurement of line currents and performs the compensation of selected harmonics using a closed-loop repetitive-based control scheme based on a finite-impulse response digital filter. Compared to conventional solutions based on stationary-frame current control, this approach allows full compensation of selected frequencies, even if the active filter has limited bandwidth. Compared to synchronous-frame harmonic regulations on line currents, the complexity of the proposed algorithm is independent of the number of compensated harmonics. Moreover, it is more appropriate for digital signal processor implementation and less sensitive to rounding and quantization errors when finite word length or fixed-point implementation is considered. Experimental results on a 5-kVA prototype confirm the theoretical expectations.

This paper proposes an effective technique to control the power flow among different phases of a three-phase four-wire distribution power system by means of single-phase converters arbitrarily connected among the phases. The aim is to enhance the power quality at the point-of-common-coupling of a microgrid, improve voltage profile through the lines, and reduce the overall distribution losses. The technique is based on a master/slave organization where the distributed single-phase converters act as slave units driven by a centralized master controller. Active, reactive, and unbalance power terms are processed by the master controller and shared proportionally among distributed energy resources to achieve the compensation target at the point-of-common-coupling. The proposed control technique is evaluated in simulation considering the model of a real urban power distribution grid under non-sinusoidal and asymmetrical voltage conditions. The main results, concerning both steady-state and transient conditions, are finally reported and discussed.

A multifunctional control strategy for a single-phase Asymmetrical Cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel Inverter (ACHMI), suitable for microgrid systems with nonlinear loads, is presented. The primary advantage of ACHMI is to produce a staircase output voltage with low harmonic content utilizing unequal DC voltages on the individual H-bridge cells. In grid-connected mode of operation, the control strategy of the ACHMI is based on the Conservative Power Theory (CPT), providing selective disturbing current compensation besides injecting its available energy. In autonomous mode of operation, two different control methods along with a damping resistor in the filter circuit are developed for regulation of the ACHMI instantaneous output voltage in a variety of load conditions. The first method is a single-loop voltage control scheme without the need of any current measurement. The second one is multi-loop voltage control scheme with a load current feed-forward compensation strategy and preservation of the grid-connected current control scheme. The steady state response and stability of both voltage control schemes are analyzed, and based on the application requirement, the control schemes are implemented individually. The effectiveness of each control strategy is experimentally verified using a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) setup with the control algorithm implemented in the TMSF28335 DSP microcontroller.

Ln recent years, the concept of decentralising power generation through the deployment of distributed generators (DGs) has been widely accepted and applied, driven by the growing market of renewable energy sources. These DGs are normally equipped with a switching power interface, acting as front end with the grid. This paper proposes a multi‐task control strategy for distributed generation systems that simultaneously allows the DG to inject the available energy, as well as to work as a voltage drop compensator or as an active power filter, mitigating load current disturbances and improving power quality of the grid. The main contribution of the proposed system, with respect to other solutions in the literature, is that the proposed control loops are based on the Conservative Power Theory decompositions. This choice provides decoupled power and current references for the inverter control, offering a very flexible, selective and powerful control strategy for the DG. The paper also discusses the choice of the current waveform for injecting/absorbing active power into/from the grid, and both sinusoidal and resistive references have been compared in terms of damping capability. Finally, simulation and experimental results are provided in order to validate the proposed functionalities of the DG control system.

This paper discusses the use of a cascaded multilevel converter for flexible power conditioning in smart-grid applications. The main feature of the proposed scheme is the use of independent DC links, with reduced voltages, which makes such a topology an ideal candidate for medium and high power applications with increased reliability. The developed control strategy regulates independent DC-link voltages in each H-bridge cell and allows selective and flexible compensation of disturbing currents under a variety of voltage conditions without requiring any reference frame transformation. The selective control strategies are based on the decompositions proposed in the Conservative Power Theory (CPT), which result in several current-related terms associated with specific load characteristics. These current components are independent of each other and may be used to define different compensation strategies, which can be selective in minimizing particular effects of disturbing loads. Experimental results are provided to validate the possibilities and performance of the proposed control strategies, considering ideal and deteriorated voltage conditions.

The presence of single-phase distributed generators unevenly injecting active power in three-phase microgrids may create undesired upstream current unbalance. Consequently, voltage asymmetry and even active power curtailment may occur in such networks with negative economic impact. Thus, this paper proposes an optimal multiobjective approach to regulate the active and reactive power delivered by distributed generators driven by a three-layer hierarchical control technique in low-voltage microgrids. This method does not require previous knowledge of network parameters. The multiobjective algorithm is implemented in the secondary level achieving optimal dispatch in terms of maximizing the active power generation, as well as minimizing the reactive power circulation and current unbalance. By the existence of a utility interface three-phase converter placed at the point-ofcommon-coupling, the proposed control can regulate the power circulating among the microgrid phases, and the microgrid structure can withstand grid-connected and islanded operating modes. The path for interphase power circulation through the DClink of the utility interface allows the multiobjective algorithm to achieve better results in terms of generation and compensation compared to the system without utility interface. The proposed method is assessed herein by computational simulations in a threephase four-wire microgrid under realistic operational conditions.