A steady-state analysis method for modular multilevel converters connected to permanent magnet synchronous generator-based wind energy conversion systems

Abstract

Modular multilevel converters (MMCs) have shown great potential in the area of multi-megawatt wind energy conversion system (WECS) based on permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs). However, the studies in this area are few, and most of them refer to the MMC used in high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems, and hence the characteristics of the PMSG are not considered. This paper proposes a steady-state analysis method for MMCs connected to a PMSG-based WECS. In the proposed method, only the wind speed (operating condition) is required as input, and all the electrical quantities in the MMC, including the amplitudes, phase angles and their harmonics, can be calculated step by step. The analysis method is built on the proposed d-q frame mathematical model. Interactions of electrical quantities between the MMC and PMSG are comprehensively considered. Moreover, a new way to calculate the average switching functions are adopted in order to improve the accuracy of the analysis method. Applications of the proposed method are also presented, which includes the characteristic analysis of capacitor voltage ripples and the capacitor sizing. Finally, the accuracy of the method and the correctness of the analysis are verified by simulations and experiments.