Comparison of Different Discontinuous PWM Technique for Switching Losses Reduction in Modular Multilevel Converters

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) is one of the advanced topologies for medium and high-voltage applications. In high-power, high-voltage MMC, a large number of switching power devices are required. These switching power devices (IGBT) considerable switching losses. This paper analyzes the performance of different discontinuous pulse width modulation (DPWM) techniques and compares the results against a conventional carrier based pulse width modulation method, in order to reduce the switching losses of an MMC. The DPWM reference wave can be generated by adding the zero-sequence component to the original (sine) reference modulation signal. The result of the addition gives the reference signal of DPWM techniques. To minimize the switching losses of the MMC, the clamping period is controlled according to the absolute value of the output load current. No switching is generated in the clamping period so overall switching of the power device is reduced. The simulation result of the different DPWM techniques is compared with conventional carrier-based pulse-width modulation technique.




References:
[1] Allebrod S, Hamerski R, Marquardt R. New Transformer less, Scalable Modular Multilevel Converters for HVDC-Transmission. In Proc. IEEE Power Electronics Specialists Conf. 2008; 174–179p.
[2] Dorn J, Huang H, Retzmann D. A New Multilevel Voltage-Sourced Converter Topology for HVDC Applications. In Proc. Cigre Session.B4–304, Paris, 2008.
[3] Marquardt R. Modular multilevel converter: An universal concept for HVDC-networks and extended DC-bus-applications. In Proc. International Power Electronics Conf. Jun 2010; 502–507p.
[4] Hagiwara M, Nishimura K, Akagi H. A medium-voltage motor drive with a modular multilevel PWM inverter. IEEE Trans. Power Electron. Jul 2010; 25(7): 1786–1799p.
[5] Mohammadi H, Bina M. A transformer less medium-voltage STATCOM topology based on extended modular multilevel converters. IEEE Trans. Power Electron. May 2011; 26(5): 1534–1545p
[6] Adam GP, Anaya-Lara O, Burt G, McDonald J. Transformer less STATCOM based on a Five-level Modular Multilevel Converter. In Proc. European Conf. Power Electronics and Applications (EPE). 2009; 1–10p.
[7] M.A. Perez, S. Bernet, J. Rodriguez, S. Kouro, and R. Lizana, ”Circuit topologies, modelling, control schemes and applications of modular multilevel converters,” IEEE Trans. Power Electron., vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 4-17, Mar. 2014.
[8] S. Debnath, J. Qin, B. Bahrani, M. Saeedifard, and P. Barbosa, ”Operation, control, and applications of the modular multilevel converter: a review,” IEEE Trans. Power Electron., vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 37-53, Mar. 2014.
[9] Binbin Li, Rongfeng Yang, Dandan Xu, Gaolin Wang, Wei Wang, Dianguo Xu. Analysis of the Phase-Shifted Carrier Modulation for Modular Multilevel Converters. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. Jan 2015; 30(1): 297–310p.
[10] Konstantinou G, Agelidis V., Performance Evaluation of Half- Bridge Cascaded Multilevel Converters Operated with Multicarrier Sinusoidal PWM Techniques. In Proc. IEEE Conf. Industrial Electronics and Applications. 2009; 3399–3404p.
[11] Sixing Du, Jinjun Liu, and Teng Liu , A PDPWM Based DC Capacitor Voltage Control Method for Modular Multilevel Converters, Journal of Power Electronics, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 660-669, May 2015
[12] Ke Shen, Jianze Wang, Dan Zhao, Mingfei Ban, Yanchao Ji, and Xingguo Cai, Investigation of Capacitor Voltage Regulation in Modular Multilevel Converters with Staircase Modulation, Journal of Power Electronics, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 282-291, March 2014
[13] J. N. Chiasson, L. M. Tolbert, K. J. Mckenzie, and Z. Du, A unified approach to solving the harmonic elimination equations in multilevel converters, IEEE Trans. Power Electron., Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 478-490, Mar. 2004.
[14] D. Wu and L. Peng, Characteristics of nearest level modulation method with circulating current control for modular multilevel converter, IET Power Electron., Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 155-164, Feb. 2016.
[15] Yong-Hee Park, Do-Hyun Kim, Jae-Hyuk Kim, and Byung-Moon Han , A New Scheme for Nearest Level Control with Average Switching Frequency Reduction for Modular Multilevel Converters, Journal of Power Electronics, Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 522-531, March 2016
[16] Dharmavarapu Sreenivasarao, Pramod Agarwal, Biswarup Das, Performance evaluation of carrier rotation strategy in level-shifted pulse-width modulation technique, IET Power Electronics., 2014, Vol. 7, Iss. 3, pp. 667–680
[17] Ke Shen, Bailu Xiao, Jun Mei, Leon M. Tolbert, Jianze Wang, Xingguo Cai, Yanchao Ji, A Modulation Reconfiguration Based Fault-Tolerant Control Scheme for Modular Multilevel Converters, 2013 Twenty-Eighth Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC), pp. 3251-3255
[18] Binbin Li, Rongfeng Yang, Dandan Xu, Gaolin Wang, Wei Wang, Dianguo Xu. Analysis of the Phase-Shifted Carrier Modulation for Modular Multilevel Converters. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. Jan 2015; 30(1): 297–310p.
[19] G. Konstantinou, M. Ciobotaru, and V. Agelidis, Selective harmonic elimination pulse-width modulation of modular multilevel converters, Power Electronics, IET, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. –, 2013.
[20] Dharmavarapu Sreenivasarao, Pramod Agarwal, Biswarup Das, Performance evaluation of carrier rotation strategy in level-shifted pulse-width modulation technique, IET Power Electron., 2014, Vol. 7, Iss. 3, pp. 667–680
[21] A.M. Hava, R.J. Kerkman, and T.A. Lipo, ”A high-performance generalized discontinuous PWM algorithm,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Applications, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 1059-1071, Sep./Oct. 1998.
[22] Sangshin Kwak; Jun-Cheol Park, Predictive Control Method with Future Zero Sequence Voltage to Reduce Switching Losses in Three-Phase Voltage Source Inverters” IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, Year: 2015, Volume: 30, Issue: 3 Pages: 1558 - 1566
[23] Min-Gyo Jeong, Seok-Min Kim, June-Seok Lee, and Kyo-Beum Lee, “Discontinuous PWM Scheme for Switching Losses Reduction in Modular Multilevel Converters” Journal of Power Electronics, Vol. 17, No. 6, pp. 1490-1499, November 2017
[24] O. Ojo, “The generalized discontinuous PWM scheme for three-phase voltage source inverters “IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics Year: 2004, Volume: 51, Issue: 6 Pages: 1280 – 1289.
[25] T. Brahmananda Reddy; J. Amarnath; D. Subbarayudu; Md. Haseeb Khan, “Generalized Discontinuous PWM Based Direct Torque Controlled Induction Motor Drive with a Sliding Mode Speed Controller” International Conference on Power Electronic, Drives and Energy Systems Year: 2006 Pages: 1 – 6
[26] A. M. Hava; R. J. Kerkman; T. A. Lipo, “A high-performance generalized discontinuous PWM algorithm” IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications Year: 1998, Volume: 34, Issue: 5 Pages: 1059 – 1071.
[27] Joel Prieto, Martin Jones, Federico Barrero, Emil Levi and Sergio Toral, “Comparative Analysis of Discontinuous and Continuous PWM Techniques in VSI-Fed Five-Phase Induction Motor” IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, Vol. 58, No. 12, December 2011.