Modular Multilevel Converter for Low-Voltage Ride-Through Support in AC Networks

Victor Ramon França Bezerra de Souza, Luciano Sales Barros and Flavio Bezerra Costa
Additional contact information
Victor Ramon França Bezerra de Souza: Graduate Program in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59064-720, Brazil
Luciano Sales Barros: Computer System Department, Federal University of Paraíba, Coronel João Pessoa 58051-900, Brazil
Flavio Bezerra Costa: Graduate Program in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59064-720, Brazil

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 17, 1-12

Abstract: New grid-connected systems have imposed additional requirements regarding reliability, power quality, high levels of power processing capacity, and fault support, where power converters have a crucial role in fulfilling these requirements. Overcoming one of these challenges, this paper proposes a new alternative application to improve the low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) support based on the arm impedance employment of the modular multilevel converter (MMC) by attenuating the fault impacts, avoiding overcurrents and overvoltages. This proposal does not require additional hardware or control loops for LVRT support, only using PI controllers. This paper evaluates symmetrical and asymmetrical grid fault impacts on the converter DC side of four converter topologies: two-level voltage source converter topology (2L-VSC), neutral point clamped (NPC), MMC, and 2L-VSC equipped with a DC-chopper, employing the same control structure for the four topologies, highlighting that the MMC contributed better to LVRT improvement under severe grid conditions.

Keywords: modular multilevel converter (MMC); fault support; low-voltage ride-through (LVRT); multilevel converters; grid-connected systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/17/5314/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/17/5314/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:17:p:5314-:d:622966

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().