https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0335-1116
ABSTRACT
This paper presents the modelling of the DC–DC multilevel modular converter (DC–DC MMC) with half-bridge sub-modules and the control based on the inversion of its model. The DC–DC MMC presents many advantages such as its modularity, the absence of capacitors on the DC-bus voltage and a low switching frequency. This topology also preserves the intrinsic disadvantages of the MMC as the complexity controlling due to the large number of semiconductors and state variables to control. The control of this converter cannot be symmetrical due to the interconnection of the two parts by an internal AC grid. The control strategy of one part of the DC–DC MMC uses the conventional control scheme with current controls and stored energy control. The second one uses the energy control and produces the waveform of the three-phase internal AC bus voltage linking the two parts of the converter. The explicit control for the generation of internal AC voltages guarantees the correct operation of the converter even in a critical DC-voltage dip on DC buses. Thus, it avoids the need of a DC circuit breaker or the use of full-bridge MMC sub-modules. The validity of the proposed control is verified by simulation.
Acknowledgments
The results presented in this paper are part of ESPESA project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 692224.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
François Gruson
François Gruson (M’14) received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Ecole Centrale de Lille, Lille, in 2010. Since 2011, he has been working as Associate Professor at Arts and Metiers ParisTech in the Laboratoire d’Electrotechnique et d’Electronique de Puissance of Lille (L2EP), Lille, France. His research interests include power electronic converter and power quality for distribution and transmission grid applications and especially for HVDC transmission grid.
Amine Tlemcani
Amine Tlemcani received the M.S in electrical engineering from the University of Sciences and Technologies of Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France, in 2017. He made research on HVDC DC/DC power converter during his master internship. Since 2018, he has been working as an engineer in HIL Validation at Valeo, Créteil, France.
Yafang Li
Yafang Li received the M.S. (2015) in electrical engineering from Grenoble Institute of Technology, France and the Ph.D. (2019) in electrical engineering from Ecole Centrale de Lille, France. Her research interests include High Voltage and DC/DC power converter.
Philippe Delarue
Philippe Delarue received the Ph.D. degree from the University of Sciences and Technologies of Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France, in 1989. Since 1991, he has been an Assistant Professor with the Polytech’Lille and the Laboratory of Electrotechnics and Power Electronics, Ecole Polytechnique, Universitaire de Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq. His main research interests include power electronics and multimachine systems.
Philippe Le Moigne
Philippe Le Moigne (M’93) received the engineering degree from the Institut Industriel du Nord, Lille, France, in 1986, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Lille, Lille, in 1990. He is currently a Professor with Centrale Lille, Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. He is the Leader with the Power Electronic Research Group, Laboratoire d’Electrotechnique et d’Electronique de Puissance de Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq. His current research interests include hard-switched power converters, especially the control of multilevel topologies for medium- and high-power applications with the aim of high power quality and high efficiency, supercapacitor, and battery behaviour associated with specific power converters for electrical applications.
Xavier Guillaud
Xavier Guillaud (M’04) has been professor in L2EP - Lille since 2002. First, he worked on the modelling and control of power electronic systems. Then, he studied the integration of distributed generation and especially renewable energy in power systems. Nowadays, he is studying the high voltage power electronic converters in transmission system. He is leading the development of an experimental facility composed of actual power electronic converters interacting with virtual grids modelled in real-time simulator. He is involved on several projects about power electronic on the grid within European projects and different projects with French companies. He is member of the Technical Program Committee of Power System Computation Conference (PSCC) and associated editor of Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks (SEGAN).