Control Performance Assessment of a Zero Harmonic Distortion Grid-Forming Converter for Medium Voltage Islanded Microgrids

Gabriel V. Ramos; Thiago M. Parreiras; Braz J. Cardoso Filho

doi:10.18618/REP.e202441

Authors

Gabriel V. Ramos Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1411-0636
Thiago M. Parreiras Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2300-5667
Braz J. Cardoso Filho Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3470-4570

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18618/REP.e202441

Keywords:

Distributed generation, grid-forming converters, AC microgrids, power systems, selective harmonic elimination, power converters

Abstract

The world is currently witnessing a rapid transformation in the production and utilization of electrical energy. The traditional centralized generation model for electric power is swiftly evolving into a more decentralized system, known as Distributed Generation (DG), which incorporates renewable energy sources situated closer to end-users. This shift towards DG has paved the way for the emergence of grid-forming converters, which play a pivotal role in enhancing voltage and frequency stability within microgrids (MGs) and isolated applications. This study focuses on assessing the performance of the Zero Harmonic Distortion (ZHD) in both stand-alone and parallel operation modes. The distinctive feature of this converter lies in its inherent ability to generate a sinusoidal voltage source without the need for capacitive filtering components, which can adversely affect cost, efficiency, and size while potentially contributing to resonance problems. This is achieved through a judicious combination of harmonic cancellation within a three-winding transformer and the utilization of Selective Harmonic Elimination Pulse Width Modulation (SHE PWM) dismissing a closed-loop control structure. Simulation and hardware-in-the-loop results presented in this work demonstrate the satisfactory performance of the ZHD grid-forming converter.

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Author Biographies

Gabriel V. Ramos, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in 1995. He received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering (with a silver medal) and the M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil in 2018 and 2021, respectively. Currently he is a doctoral student at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. He has lectured in the Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte (2022 - 2024). He was a Guest Ph.D. Student with the Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, in 2024. His current research interests include power electronics, high-power converters, power quality, renewable energy and microgrids.

Thiago M. Parreiras, Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais

was born in Contagem, Brazil, in 1984. He received the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2007, the M.S. degree and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2014 and 2020, respectively. From 2011 to 2016, he was with GE Power Conversion, Betim, Brazil. From 2022 to 2023, he was with the Universidade Federal de Itajubá, Itabira, Brazil. He has lectured also in the Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Minas Gerais (2016 -- 2018) and in the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (2021 -- 2022). He is currently an Assistant Professor with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where he is a member of the Reliability Engineering Research Laboratory. His current research interests include high-power converters and drives, transportation electrification and renewable energy.

Braz J. Cardoso Filho, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA, in 1998. Since 1989, he has been a Faculty Member with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where he is currently a Full Professor, and the Founder and the Head of the TESLA Power Engineering Laboratory. He has authored/coauthored about 300 technical papers on the topics of power electronics and electrical drives and holds 15 patents and patent applications. His research interests include utility applications of power electronics, renewable energy sources, semiconductor power devices, electrical machines and drives, and vehicle electrification.

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