A matrix converter utility interface for grid resources with a high-frequency bus

Many proposed improvements to the electric power grid utilize a common bus to aggregate many sources that are connected to the grid via an inverter. A dc bus configuration is commonly used for these systems, but in some cases, a matrix converter is an interesting alternative which can eliminate the dc-bus capacitors and reduce the number of conversion stages, though this is at the cost of a more complex control scheme. This paper presents a modified matrix converter topology which uses an active clamp to guarantee a high-frequency (HF) square-wave input in order to simplify the control strategy while still achieving reductions in the size of the bus capacitors and the number of conversion steps.