A Finite Control Set Model Predictive Control Algorithm With Low Complexity for Neutral-Point Clamped Converters With Switching Constraints

Dimas A. Schuetz; Fernanda de M. Carnielutti; Mokhtar Aly; Margarita Norambuena; Jose Rodriguez; Humberto Pinheiro

doi:10.18618/REP.2005.2.029035

Authors

Dimas A. Schuetz Universidade Federal de Santa Maria https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8853-6579
Fernanda de M. Carnielutti Universidade Federal de Santa Maria https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8257-7580
Mokhtar Aly San Sebastián University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9236-7840
Margarita Norambuena Federico Santa María Technical University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2530-2000
Jose Rodriguez San Sebastián University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1410-4121
Humberto Pinheiro Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18618/REP.2005.2.029035

Keywords:

Computational burden, Finite Control Set Model Predictive Control, grid-tied converters, Neutral-Point Clamped

Abstract

This paper proposes a Finite Control Set Model Predictive Control algorithm with low complexity for three-phase grid-tied Neutral-Point Clamped converters with switching constraints. The system model is represented in the converter output line-to-line voltage coordinates, where the voltage vectors are integer values. First, the unconstrained solution is obtained to control the converter-side currents. Ellipse constraints are inscribed in the Space Vector diagram to ensure the switching transitions between only adjacent levels in the phase voltages. Moreover, the inverter voltage vector to be implemented in the next sampling period is obtained with low complexity by rounding the constrained voltage vector. Afterward, a cost function is calculated for the redundancies of the chosen inverter voltage vector, aiming to balance the DC-link capacitor voltages. The proposed algorithm presents advantages such as low computation burden, fast transient response, and good steady-state performance. Real-time Hardware-in-the-Loop results are presented to demonstrate the good performance of the proposed algorithm compared to other techniques with a reduced computational burden. Moreover, experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in terms of transient response and steady-state performance.

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Author Biographies

Dimas A. Schuetz, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

was born in Salvador das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in 1996. He received his Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Alegrete, Brazil in 2018, and his Master's degree from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Brazil in 2020. He is working toward the Dr. Eng. degree in the Power Electronics and Control Research Group (GEPOC), UFSM. His research interests include modulation and control strategies for multilevel converters and renewable energy applications.

Fernanda de M. Carnielutti, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

received the bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 2010 from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Brazil, where she received the master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering in 2012 and 2015, respectively. From 2016 to 2018, she was a Professor with the Federal University of Santa Maria. She is currently a Professor with the Federal University of Santa Maria, a Researcher with the Power Electronics and Control Research Group (GEPOC), UFSM. Her research interests include modulation of static power converters, multilevel converters power electronics for renewable energies, microgrids, and model predictive control.

Mokhtar Aly, San Sebastián University

received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering from Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt, in 2007, and 2012 respectively and the Ph.D. degree from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Japan in 2017. In 2008, he joined the Department of Electrical Engineering, Aswan University, as an Assistant Lecturer, where he has been an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Engineering, since 2017. He worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher with the Solar Energy Research Center (SERC-Chile), Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria, Chile from March 2019 to June 2021. He is currently an Assistant Professor with Universidad San Sebastian, Santiago, Chile since July 2021. His current research interests include reliability of power electronics systems especially in renewable energy applications, multi-level inverters, fault tolerant control, electric vehicles, and light emitting diode (LED) lamp drivers. He is a member in IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS), IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES), and IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES).

Margarita Norambuena, Federico Santa María Technical University

received the B.S. and M. Sc. degrees in electrical engineering from the Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria (UTFSM), Valparaiso, Chile, in 2013. She received her Ph.D. degree (summa cum laude) in electronics engineering from the UTFSM in 2017. She received the Doktoringenieur (Dr-Ing.) degree (summa cum laude) from the Technische Universitat Berlin (TUB) in 2018. She received the IEEE IES Student Best Paper Award 2019 for her doctoral work. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor at Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria. Her research interest includes multilevel converters, model predictive control of power converters and drives, energy storage systems, renewable energy, and electromobility. Dr. Norambuena serves as an Associate Editor for IEEE JESTPE.

Jose Rodriguez, San Sebastián University

received the Engineer degree in electrical engineering from the Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria, in Valparaiso, Chile, in 1977 and the Dr.-Ing. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany, in 1985. He has been with the Department of Electronics Engineering, Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria, since 1977, where he was full Professor and President. Since 2015 to 2019 he was the President of Universidad Andres Bello in Santiago, Chile. Since 2022 to 2023 he was President of Universidad San Sebastian in Santiago, Chile. Now, he is the Director of the Center for Energy Transition at Universidad San Sebastian. He has coauthored two books, several book chapters and more than 900 journal and conference papers. His main research interests include multilevel inverters, new converter topologies, control of power converters, and adjustable-speed drives. He has received a number of best paper awards from journals of the IEEE. Dr. Rodriguez is member of the Chilean Academy of Engineering. In 2014 he received the National Award of Applied Sciences and Technology from the government of Chile. In 2015 he received the Eugene Mittelmann Award from the Industrial Electronics Society of the IEEE. In years 2014 to 2023 he has been included in the list of Highly Cited Researchers published by Web of Science.

Humberto Pinheiro, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

received the B.S. degree from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Brazil, in 1983, the M.Eng. degree from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil, in 1987, and the Ph.D. degree from Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada, in 1999. From 1987 to 1999, he was a Research Engineer with a Brazilian UPS company and a Professor with the Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Since 1991, he has been with UFSM. His research interests include modulation and control of static converters especially those used to connect DERs to the electrical grid. Dr. Pinheiro has more than one hundred journal papers and has supervised more than ten Ph.D. students. Dr. Pinheiro has been engaged in projects with the industry he is a member of the IEEE Power Electronics and IEEE Industrial Electronics Societies.

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