Model predictive control for single-phase active neutral point clamped converter

Abstract

The growing incorporation of renewable energy sources (RES), such as solar and wind power, into the power grid poses difficulties in maintaining grid stability and electricity quality due to their inherent fluctuations. Electricity converters serve the purpose of converting DC electricity from RES into AC power that is compatible with the electrical grid. Nevertheless, traditional control techniques used with these converters have constraints, such as elevated harmonic distortion and amplified switching losses, which may have an adverse effect on power quality and converter efficiency. This project investigates the effectiveness of MPC as a potential solution for controlling a SNPC converter, a type commonly used in RES integration. The objective of the project is to create and simulate an MPC algorithm in MATLAB/Simulink. This algorithm has three main goals: to ensure that the converter provides a stable and clean current to the grid, to maintain balanced voltages across the converter's DC-link capacitors for optimal functioning, and to minimise switching events within the converter to enhance overall efficiency and thermal performance.