Domingo Biel

Energy-Balance Control of PV Cascaded Multilevel Grid-Connected Inverters Under Level-Shifted and Phase-Shifted PWMs

This paper presents an energy-balance control strategy for a cascaded single-phase grid-connected H-bridge multilevel inverter linking n independent photovoltaic (PV) arrays to the grid. The control scheme is based on an energy-sampled data model of the PV system and enables the design of a voltage loop linear discrete controller for each array, ensuring the stability of the system for the whole range of PV array operating conditions. The control design is adapted to phase-shifted and level-shifted carrier pulsewidth modulations to share the control action among the cascade-connected bridges in order to concurrently synthesize a multilevel waveform and to keep each of the PV arrays at its maximum power operating point. Experimental results carried out on a seven-level inverter are included to validate the proposed approach.This paper presents an energy-balance control strategy for a cascaded single-phase grid-connected H-bridge multilevel inverter linking n independent PV arrays to the grid. The control scheme is based on an energy-sampled data model of the PV system and enables the design of a voltage loop linear discrete controller for each array ensuring the stability of the system for the whole range of PV arrays operating conditions. The control design is adapted to Phase-Shifted and Level-Shifted Carrier PWM to share the control action among the cascadeconnected bridges in order to concurrently synthesize a multilevel waveform and to keep each of the PV arrays at its maximum power operating point. Experimental results carried out on a 7-level inverter are included to validate the proposed approach.

A fixed-frequency quasi-sliding control algorithm: application to power inverters design by means of FPGA implementation

In this paper, a fixed-frequency quasi-sliding control algorithm based on switching surface zero averaged dynamics (ZAD) is reported. This algorithm is applied to the design of a buck-based inverter, and implemented in a laboratory prototype by means of a field programmable gate array (FPGA), taking into account processing speed versus computational complexity trade-off. Three control laws, namely sliding control (SC), fixed-frequency quasi-sliding ZAD and PWM-based control have been experimentally tested to highlight the features of the proposed algorithm. According to the experimental results presented in the paper, the ZAD algorithm fulfills the requirement of fixed switching frequency and exhibits similar robustness properties in the presence of perturbations to those of sliding control mode.

Sliding-mode control design of a boost-buck switching converter for AC signal generation

This paper presents a sliding-mode control design of a boost-buck switching converter for a voltage step-up dc-ac conversion without the use of any transformer. This approach combines the step-up/step-down conversion ratio capability of the converter with the robustness properties of sliding-mode control. The proposed control strategy is based on the design of two sliding-control laws, one ensuring the control of a full-bridge buck converter for proper dc-ac conversion, and the other one the control a boost converter for guaranteeing a global dc-to-ac voltage step-up ratio. A set of design criteria and a complete design procedure of the sliding-control laws are derived from small-signal analysis and large-signal considerations. The experimental results presented in the paper evidence both the achievement of step-up dc-ac conversion with good accuracy and robustness in front of input voltage and load perturbations, thus validating the proposed approach.

Boost-buck inverter variable structure control for grid-connected photovoltaic systems

The present work describes the analysis, modeling and control of a transformerless boost-buck power inverter used as a DC-AC power conditioning stage for grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems. The power conditioning systems control scheme includes a variable structure controller to assure output unity power factor and a sensorless maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm to optimize the PV energy extraction. To maximize the steady-state input-output energy transfer ratio a discrete linear controller is designed from a large-signal sampled data model of the system. The achievement of the DC-AC conversion at unity power factor and the efficient PVs energy extraction are validated with simulation results.

Application of sliding-mode control to the design of a buck-based sinusoidal generator

This paper is devoted to the design of a sliding-mode control scheme for a buck-based inverter, with programmable amplitude, frequency, and DC offset, with no external sinusoidal reference required. A general procedure for obtaining an autonomous (time independent) switching surface from a time-dependent one is presented. For this surface, the system exhibits a zeroth-order dynamics in sliding motion. On the other hand, from the sliding-domain analysis, a set of design restrictions is established in terms of the inverter output filter Bode diagram and the output signal parameters (amplitude, frequency and DC offset), facilitating the subsequent design procedure. The control scheme is robust with respect to both power-stage parameter variations and external disturbances and can be implemented by means of conventional electronic circuitry. Simulations and experimental results for both reactive and nonlinear loads are presented.

Energy-Balance Modeling and Discrete Control for Single-Phase Grid-Connected PV Central Inverters

This paper presents a two-control loop design considering the nonlinear time-varying characteristics of a single-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) full-bridge central inverter. The control scheme design is based on the energy-balance modeling of the PV system and enables the design of a voltage loop linear discrete controller ensuring the stability of the system for the whole range of PV array operating conditions. A set of experimental results carried out on a laboratory prototype is provided to validate the proposed approach.

Lyapunov-Based Control Scheme for Single-Phase Grid-Connected PV Central Inverters

A Lyapunov-based control scheme for single-phase single-stage grid-connected photovoltaic central inverters is presented. Besides rendering the closed-loop system globally stable, the designed controller is able to deal with the system uncertainty that depends on the solar irradiance. A laboratory prototype has been built as a proof of concept for the proposed control technique. A nonlinear passive adaptive controller has been programmed in a field-programmable gate array.

Application of sliding mode control to the design of a buck-based sinusoidal generator

This work is devoted to the design of a sliding feedback control scheme for a buck-based AC generator where amplitude, frequency and offset can be externally adjusted. A sliding control law over an autonomous switching surface is proposed. As a result, the control scheme is found to be robust with respect to parameters variations and external disturbances. Simulation and experimental results validating the design are also presented.

Interleaving Quasi-Sliding-Mode Control of Parallel-Connected Buck-Based Inverters

An interleaving fixed-switching-frequency quasi-sliding control algorithm based on the zero average dynamics approach is reported and applied to the design of a modular system of parallel-connected single-phase inverters. This approach is used in a laboratory prototype of three inverters with field-programmable gate array control-based implementation embedding this algorithm, as well as a power management strategy for handling the number of active inverters. Experimental results are provided to illustrate the design features in terms of AC output voltage regulation, balanced current sharing among mismatched modules, interleaved fixed-switching-frequency operation and robustness with respect to load variations, and inverter activation during system operation.

Energy-Sampled Data Modeling of a Cascade H-Bridge Multilevel Converter for Grid-connected PV Systems

This paper presents an energy-sampled data model of a cascade H-bridge multilevel converter for single-phase multi-string grid-connected photovoltaic systems. Based on this model a control scheme for the power converter is obtained. The achievement of the DC-AC conversion with an efficient PV energy extraction, low harmonic distortion and output unity power factor is validated with simulation results