Modular Multilevel Converter solutions with few Sub-Modules for wind power application

Author

Smirnova, Liudmila ; Pyrhonen, Juha ; Ke Ma ; Blaabjerg, Frede

Author_Institution

Lappeenranta Univ. of Technol., Lappeenranta, Finland

fYear

2014

fDate

26-28 Aug. 2014

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

10

Abstract

Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) is a topology where series connection of Sub-Modules (SM) is used to achieve almost sinusoidal output voltage. The MMC converter with a large number of SMs is actively used in high voltage DC (HVDC) transmission systems where a bulky converter is not a difficult issue. In this paper the possibility to use a MMC with just a few SMs for wind power application with limited space in the nacelle is analysed. The current loading, electrical losses and thermal performance of the power devices in the converter solutions studied are analysed. It is shown that an MMC converter with full-bridge (FB) SMs has a more uniform loss and temperature distribution among the semiconductor devices than an MMC with half-bridge (HB) SMs. The reliability of the MMC converters is also investigated in terms of thermal loading.

Keywords

HVDC power convertors; HVDC power transmission; wind power; HVDC transmission; MMC converter; bulky converter; current loading; electrical loss; high voltage DC transmission; modular multilevel converter; power devices; semiconductor devices; series connection; sinusoidal output voltage; sub-modules; temperature distribution; thermal loading; thermal performance; wind power application; Current distribution; Insulated gate bipolar transistors; Loading; Modulation; Power conversion; Wind power generation; Multilevel converters; Reliability; Thermal stress; Wind energy;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Power Electronics and Applications (EPE'14-ECCE Europe), 2014 16th European Conference on

Conference_Location

Lappeenranta

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/EPE.2014.6910860

Filename

6910860