Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-12T20:27:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tiago Lemes.pdf: 2229669 bytes, checksum: 9b9cd44356c6d0002fccf67fe418f52b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-09-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The main subject of this work is the study of a 5 levels T-Type NPC inverter topology, which is applied in photovoltaic energy processing for power generation. The grid power injection is done controlling converter current, which is injected into grid. This work presents equations, component-designs and their validation, which are necessary for the Inverter s power structure implementation. Also inverter modeling and design of implemented controllers are described. Through this study, it was possible to build a 3 kW prototype, which besides the current control, has a system to balance the differential voltage of bus capacitors. Through the prototype, experimental results were acquired. / O objeto de estudo deste trabalho é a topologia inversora NPC T-Type 5 níveis, aplicada no processamento da energia fotovoltaica, sendo o principal objetivo a geração de energia elétrica por meio do controle da corrente aplicada à rede. Este trabalho apresenta o equacionamento, projeto dos componentes e sua validação, que fazem parte da estrutura de potência do inversor, bem como a sua modelagem e projeto dos controladores implementados. Por intermédio deste estudo foi possível construir um protótipo com potência nominal de 3 kW, que além do controle da corrente, apresenta uma malha de equilíbrio da tensão diferencial do barramento. Mediante construção desse protótipo, foram extraídos os resultados experimentais.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This document aims to develop an automated test platform for grid-connected photovoltaic inverters. Therefore, it was conducted a study of European, North American and Brazilian standards related in order to compare the Brazilian standard with respect to the others. A comparison between them with respect to the operating limits is presented. Further, the restrictions are evaluated for each equipment used in the testing of PV inverters certification: CA emulator source emulator PV supply, power analyzer, oscilloscope and flickermeter. Finally, it was developed a software for automation of tests, which is applied for supporting the configuration sources processes, acquisition measures and test report generation. This software is evaluated by obtaining experimental tests, whose results are compared with equivalent obtained through non-automated tests, enabling the validation of the system. / Esse trabalho tem como objetivo desenvolver uma bancada de ensaio automatizado para inversores fotovoltaicos conectados à rede elétrica. Para tanto, se realizou um estudo das normas europeias, norteamericanas e brasileiras relacionadas ao assunto com o propósito de comparar a norma brasileira com relação às demais. Uma comparação entre elas no que tange aos limites de operação é apresentado. Na sequência do trabalho são avaliadas as restrições impostas para cada equipamento utilizado no ensaio de certificação de inversores fotovoltaicos, a destacar: fonte emuladora CA, fonte emuladora FV, analisador de energia, osciloscópio e fliquerímetro. Por fim, é desenvolvido um software para automação dos ensaios que é aplicado para auxílio aos processos de configuração de fontes, aquisição de medidas e geração de relatório. Esse software é avaliado através da obtenção de ensaios experimentais, cujos resultados são comparados com equivalentes obtidos através de ensaios não-automatizados, possibilitando a validação do sistema proposto.

With worldwide growing demand for electric energy, there has been a great interest in exploring photovoltaic (PV) sources. For the PV generation system, the power converter is the most essential part for the efficiency and function performance. In recent years, there have been quite a few new transformerless PV inverters topologies, which eliminate the traditional line frequency transformers to achieve lower cost and higher efficiency, and maintain lower leakage current as well. With an overview of the state-of-the-art transformerless PV inverters, a new inverter technology is summarized in the Chapter 2, which is named V-NPC inverter technology. Based this V-NPC technology, a family of high efficiency transformerless inverters are proposed and detailly analyzed. The experimental results demonstrate the validity of V-NPC technology and high performance of the transformerless inverters. For the lower power level transformerless inverters, most of the innovative topologies try to use super junction metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor(MOSFET) to boost efficiency, but these MOSFET based inverter topologies suffer from one or more of these drawbacks: MOSFET failure risk from body diode reverse recovery, increased conduction losses due to more devices, or low magnetics utilization. By splitting the conventional MOSFET based phase leg with an optimized inductor, Chapter 3 proposes a novel MOSFET based phase leg configuration to minimize these drawbacks. Based on the proposed phase leg configuration, a high efficiency single-phase MOSFET transformerless inverter is presented for the PV micro-inverter applications. The PWM modulation and circuit operation principle are then described. The common mode and differential mode voltage model is then presented and analyzed for circuit design. Experimental results of a 250 W hardware prototype are shown to demonstrate the merits of the proposed MOSFET based phase-le and the proposed transformerless inverter. New codes require PV inverters to provide system regulation and service to improve the distribution system stabilization. One obvious impact on PV inverters is that they now need to have reactive power generation capability. The Chapter 4 improves the MOFET based transformerless inverter in the Chapter 3 and proposed a novel pulse width modulation (PWM) method for reactive power generation. The ground loop voltage of this inverter under the proposed PWM method is also derived with common mode and differential mode circuit analyses, which indicate that high-frequency voltage component can be minimized with symmetrical design of inductors. A 250-W inverter hardware prototype has been designed and fabricated. Steady state and transient operating conditions are tested to demonstrate the validity of improved inverter and proposed PWM method for reactive power generation, high efficiency of the inverter circuit, and the high-frequency-free ground loop voltage. Besides the high efficiency inverter circuit, the grid connection function is also the essential part of the PV system. The Chapter 5 present the overall function blocks for a grid-connected PV inverter system. The current control and voltage control loop is then analyzed, modeled, and designed. The dynamic reactive power generation is also realized in the control system. The new PLL method for the grid frequency/voltage disturbance is also realized and demonstrate the validity of the detection and protection capability for the voltage/frequency disturbance. At last, a brief conclusion is given in the Chapter 6 about each work. After that, future works on device packaging, system integration, innovation on inverter circuit, and standard compliance are discussed. / Ph. D.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In photovoltaic systems, the lowest energy cost is not always achieved by an inverter with minimized cost or maximized efficiency. It is important to adopt methodologies that optimize the balance between system losses and costs. The Levelized Cost of Electricity minimization methodology, presented in literature, obtains an optimized inverter design, but needs variables like discount rate and maintenance costs. This study proposes a methodology for design and comparison of photovoltaic inverters that is simpler and is based on the adoption of a cost per Watt reference. It minimizes the energy cost considering the photovoltaic initial system cost and design specifications. This methodology is presented in detail, including an inverter design example that analyses losses and cost of all components, and also the irradiance of the photovoltaic installation place. Experimental results are presented to validate the proposed methodology. / Em sistemas fotovoltaicos, o menor custo da energia gerada nem sempre é obtido com inversores de custo minimizado ou eficiência maximizada. Para o custo da energia seja minimizado, é importante empregar metodologias de projeto que otimizem o compromisso entre perdas e custos. A metodologia de minimização do custo nivelado da eletricidade, a mais difundida na literatura, permite obter um projeto otimizado do inversor, mas necessita de variáveis como taxa de desconto e custos de manutenção do sistema fotovoltaico. Este trabalho propõe uma metodologia para projeto e comparação de inversores fotovoltaicos mais simples, baseada na adoção de um custo por Watt de referência. Essa metodologia objetiva reduzir o custo da energia produzida considerando apenas o custo inicial do sistema fotovoltaico e as restrições associadas às especificações de projeto. A metodologia proposta é apresentada em detalhes, incluindo um exemplo de projeto de inversor que analisa as perdas e custos dos componentes, além do perfil de irradiação do local de instalação do sistema fotovoltaico. Resultados experimentais são apresentados para validação da metodologia proposta.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This Master Thesis presents the development of a grid-connected transformerless three-phase photovoltaic inverter. The Neutral Point Clamped (NPC) three-level inverter was chosen for implementation. The grid connection is made with a modified LCL filter (MLCL), where the common point of the output filter capacitors is connected directly to the dc bus central point (neutral point). The MLCL filter reduces the leakage current of photovoltaic system and attenuates the current harmonics injected in the grid. A passive damping of MLCL filter resonance peak was employed in order to avoid instability in the grid connection. In this sense, this Master Thesis contributes proposing a passive damping design method which is based not only on the stability requirement, but also considers the leakage current of photovoltaic system, once that passive damping impacts on the high frequency components of voltage on parasitic capacitance. Therefore, based on leakage current limit and current loop stability, a range for the damping resistance was obtained. The control system of the threephase inverter was developed in a synchronous reference frame (dq0), where the proper alignment with the grid voltage reference vector allows the independent control of active and reactive power inject in the grid. Simulation and experimental results are shown to evaluate the inverter performance and to validate the theoretical analysis. / Esta Dissertação de Mestrado apresenta o desenvolvimento de um inversor fotovoltaico trifásico não isolado conectado à rede. A topologia desenvolvida foi a de um inversor trifásico três níveis com ponto neutro grampeado (NPC Neutral Point Clamped). A conexão com a rede é feita através de um filtro LCL modificado (LCLM), que possui o ponto comum dos seus capacitores conectado ao ponto central do barramento CC do inversor. O filtro LCLM possui a finalidade de reduzir a corrente de fuga do sistema fotovoltaico ao mesmo tempo em que atenua os harmônicos de corrente injetados na rede. De modo a evitar problemas de instabilidade da malha de corrente do inversor, um sistema de amortecimento passivo do pico de ressonância do filtro LCLM foi empregado. Neste sentido, esta Dissertação de Mestrado contribui propondo um método de projeto do amortecimento passivo que se baseia não somente no critério de estabilidade, mas que também considera a corrente de fuga do sistema fotovoltaico, uma vez que o amortecimento impacta na atenuação das componentes de alta frequência da tensão sobre a capacitância parasita dos módulos fotovoltaicos. Com isso, uma faixa de valores para a resistência de amortecimento foi obtida a partir do limite permitido para a corrente de fuga e da estabilidade da malha de corrente. O sistema de controle do inversor trifásico foi desenvolvido com base no sistema de coordenadas síncronas dq0, cujo correto alinhamento com o vetor de referência das tensões da rede permite o controle independente das potências ativa e reativa injetadas na rede. Resultados experimentais e de simulação são apresentados de modo a comprovar o desempenho do inversor trifásico.

Dans le cas des installations photovoltaïques, l’onduleur est le premier élément défaillant dont il est difficile d’anticiper la panne, et peu d’études ont été faites sur la fiabilité de ce type de convertisseur. L'objectif de cette thèse est de proposer des outils et méthodes en vue d'étudier le vieillissement des modules de puissance dans ce type d'application en se focalisant sur les phénomènes de dégradation liés à des aspects thermomécaniques. En règle générale, le vieillissement accéléré des modules de puissance est effectué dans des conditions aggravées de courant (Cyclage Actif) ou de température (Cyclage Passif) pour accélérer les processus de vieillissement. Malheureusement, en appliquant ce type de vieillissement accéléré, des mécanismes de défaillances qui ne se produisent pas dans la vraie application peuvent être observés et, inversement, d'autres mécanismes qui se produisent habituellement peuvent ne pas apparaître. La première partie de la thèse se focalise donc sur la mise en place d'une méthode de vieillissement accéléré des composants semi-conducteurs des onduleurs photovoltaïques. Cela est fait en s’appuyant sur l’analyse des profils de mission du courant efficace de sortie des onduleurs et de la température ambiante, extraits des centrales photovoltaïques situées au sud de la France sur plusieurs années. Ces profils sont utilisés pour étudier les dynamiques du courant photovoltaïque, et sont introduites dans des modèles numériques pour estimer les pertes et les variations de la température de jonction des semi-conducteurs utilisés dans les onduleurs, en utilisant l’algorithme de comptage de cycles "Rainflow". Cette méthode est ensuite mise en œuvre dans deux bancs expérimentaux. Dans le premier, les composants sous test sont des modules IGBT. Les composants sont mis en œuvre dans un banc de cyclage utilisant la méthode d'opposition et mettant en œuvre le profil de vieillissement défini précédemment. Un dispositif in-situ de suivi d'indicateurs de vieillissement (impédance thermique et résistance dynamique) est également proposé et évalué. Le deuxième banc est consacré à l'étude de modules de puissance à base de MOSFET SiC. Le vieillissement est effectué dans les mêmes conditions que pour les modules IGBT et de nombreux indicateurs électriques sont monitorés mais, cette fois ci, en extrayant les composants de l'onduleur de cyclage. Les résultats obtenus ont permis de déterminer des indicateurs de vieillissement d’IGBT et de MOSFET SiC utilisés dans un onduleur photovoltaïque / In the case of photovoltaic installations, the DC/AC inverter has the highest failure rate, and the anticipation of its breakdowns is still difficult, while few studies have been done on the reliability of this type of inverter. The aim of this PhD is to propose tools and methods to study the ageing of power modules in this type of application, by focusing on ageing phenomena related to thermo-mechanical aspects. As a general rule, the accelerated ageing of power modules is carried out under aggravated conditions of current (Active Cycling) or temperature (Passive Cycling) in order to accelerate the ageing process. Unfortunately, when applying this type of accelerated ageing tests, some failure mechanisms that do not occur in the real application could be observed, while inversely, other mechanisms that usually occur could not be recreated. The first part of the PhD focuses on the implementation of an accelerated ageing method of the semiconductor devices inside photovoltaic inverters. This is accomplished by analyzing the mission profiles of the inverter’s output current and ambient temperature, extracted over several years from photovoltaic power plants located in the south of France. These profiles are used to study photovoltaic current dynamics, and are introduced into numerical models to estimate losses and junction temperature variations of semiconductors used in inverters, using the cycle counting algorithm “Rainflow”. This method is then performed in two experimental test benches. In the first one, the devices under test are IGBT modules, where the accelerated ageing profile designed is implemented using the opposition method. Moreover, an in-situ setup for monitoring ageing indicators (thermal impedance and dynamic resistance) is also proposed and evaluated. The second bench is devoted to study the ageing of SiC MOSFET power modules. The accelerated ageing test is carried out under the same conditions as for the IGBT modules with more monitored electrical indicators, but this time by disconnecting the semiconductor devices from the inverter. The results obtained allowed to determine several potential ageing indicators of IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs used in a photovoltaic inverter

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The substantial increase demand for electrical energy requires high efficient apparatus dealing with energy conversion. Several technologies have been suggested to implement power supplies with higher efficiency, such as multilevel and interleaved converters. This thesis proposes an energy conversion unit with an optimized number of output voltage levels per number of switches nL=nS. The proposed five-level four-switch per phase converter has nL=nS=5/4 which is by far the best relationship among the converters presented in technical literature. A comprehensive literature review on existing five-level converter topologies is done to compare the proposed topology with conventional multilevel converters. The most important characteristics of the proposed configuration are: (i) reduced number of semiconductor devices, while keeping a high number of levels at the output converter side, (ii) only one DC source without any need to balance capacitor voltages, (iii) high efficiency, (iv) there is no dead-time requirement for the converters operation, (v) leg isolation procedure with lower stress for the DC-link capacitor. Single-phase and three-phase version of the proposed converter is presented in this thesis. Details regarding the operation of the configuration and modulation strategy are presented, as well as the comparison between the proposed converter and the conventional ones. Simulated results are presented to validate the theoretical expectations. In addition a fault tolerant converter based on proposed topology for micro-grid systems is presented. A hybrid pulse-width-modulation for the pre-fault operation and transition from the pre-fault to post-fault operation will be discussed. Selected steady-state and transient results are demonstrated to validate the theoretical modeling.