Performance investigation of a current-controlled voltage-regulated PWM rectifier in rotating and stationary frames

Active front-end rectifiers with reduced input current harmonics and high input power factor are becoming a must in utility interfaced applications. With forced-commutated switches, the voltage source inverter approach is superior to the conventional current source approach, in terms of number of components and control options. However, the straight-forward delta control of the rectifier is characterized by a slow response and potential stability problems. This paper proposes a current-controlled PWM rectifier as an alternative. It provides near sinusoidal input currents with unity power factor and a low output voltage ripple. Moreover, it produces a well-defined input current harmonic spectrum, exhibits fast transient response to load voltage variations and is capable of regenerative operation. PWM pattern generation is based on a carrier technique and the current controller is implemented in the: (a) stationary (abc) frame; and (b) rotating (dqo) frame. The design and the performance of the two controller options are investigated and compared