Power Electronics and Control in Grid-Connected PV Systems

ECEN 2060

Grid-Connected PV System
One possible grid-connected PV system architecture DC input
VPV , I PV
PV array IPV + VPV Power electronics converter iac + vac AC utility grid

AC output
v ac (t ) = 2VRMS sin (t ) iac (t ) = 2 I RMS sin (t )

PPV = VPV I PV

Pac = VRMS I RMS

pac (t ) = vac iac = VRMS I RMS (1 cos(2t ))

Functions of the power electronics converter Operate PV array at the maximum power point (MPP) under all conditions Generate AC output current in phase with the AC utility grid voltage Achieve power conversion efficiency close to 100% P V I converter = ac = RMS RMS PPV VPV I PV Provide energy storage to balance the difference between PPV and pac(t) Desirable features Minimum weight, size, cost High reliability
ECEN2060 2

Power Electronics for Grid-Connected PV System

One possible realization:
IPV + PV array VPV Boost DC-DC converter C Energy-storage capacitor + VDC Single-phase DC-AC inverter iac + vac AC utility grid

DC-DC control

DC-AC control

Boost DC-DC converter Set the PV operating point (VPV, IPV) to MPP Efficiently step up VPV to a higher DC voltage VDC Efficiently generate AC output current iac in phase with the AC grid voltage vac

DC-AC inverter Balance the average power delivery from the PV array to the grid, Pac = Ppv * DC-DC * DC-AC Energy storage capacitor C Balance the difference between the instantaneous power pac(t) and the average power
3

The system must be disconnected from the grid if the utility loses power
ECEN2060

DC-AC Inverter Control

One possible realization:
IPV + PV array VPV Boost DC-DC converter C Energy-storage capacitor + VDC Single-phase DC-AC inverter iac + vac AC utility grid

DC-DC control

DC-AC control

= IRMSref

The control variable for the DC-AC inverter is the RMS current reference IRMSref The inverter output current iac(t) is controlled so that it is in phase with the grid voltage vac(t) and so that its RMS value equals the reference:

IRMS = IRMSref
One possible current control approach, based on a comparator with hysteresis, has been discussed in class, see Intro to Power Electronics notes

ECEN2060

Simulation model: pv_boost_dcac_averaged.mdl

ECEN2060 6-module PV Array
Ipv

PV module (I)

199.8
Vpv Ppv

DC-AC scope
v ac Vdc v ac iac iin Duty pin pin, pout pout

1000 Insolation

Insolation

Vout (boost) = VDC

Vpv

PV1

Boost
Vg

Vout

Ipv

PV module (I)

Vpv Ppv

DC-DC (averaged, C) current control D

ef f iciency

Vout

DC-AC inverter

iac iin D pin pout

Duty

Insolation

Set Boost Iref to operate PV array at MPP 4.95

Ipv = Iref

(averaged) Boost scope 492.6 Pout boost 0.9643

Iref

Iout ef f iciency

PV2
Iref Pout

Ipv

PV module (I)

Vpv Ppv

PV current

DC-AC Inverter 3.94 Iref Set DC-AC Iref to balance the power, i,e to keep VDC constant

Boost DC-DC

Insolation

PV3

Vpv Vpv

Ppv

Boost efficiency

IRMSref

Product
Ipv

PV module (I)

Vpv Ppv

Insolation

Average output AC power 1 s PV output power Integrator(pout) 60 fac_out 472.8 Pout 0.9586 Compute efficiency DC-AC Efficiency 493.2 Pin Average input AC power

PV4

Ipv

PV module (I)

Vpv Ppv

510.8 Ppv 103.2 Vpv

Insolation

DC-AC average power and efficiency

PV5

1 s Integrator(pin)

60 fac_in

Ipv

PV module (I)

Vpv Ppv

Insolation

PV6

Add
Ipv = Iref

ECEN2060 PV + Boost DC-DC + DC-AC inverter averaged model

ECEN2060

How to achieve average power balance?

Simulation example: 6-module (85 W each) PV array with full sun (1,000 W/m2 insolation) PV array operates at MPP: Ppv = 6*85 W = 510 W AC grid RMS voltage: 120 V Run simulations for 3 different values of IRMSref and observe boost output voltage Vout(t) = VDC(t)

IRMSref = 3.4 A

IRMSref is too low Pac < Ppv VDC increases

IRMSref = 4.4 A

IRMSref is too high Pac > Ppv VDC decreases

IRMSref = 3.94 A
ECEN2060

IRMSref is just right Pac Ppv VDC starts at 200 V and returns to 200 V
Tac = AC line period (1/60 seconds)
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Average Power Balance by Automatic Feedback Control

IPV + PV array VPV Boost DC-DC converter + VDC Single-phase DC-AC inverter iac + vac AC utility grid

DC-DC control

+ VDCref compensator

IRMSref

Voltage VDC is sensed and compared to a reference value VDCref (e.g. VDCref = 200 V) The difference VDC VDCref is the error signal for the feedback controller If the error is positive, i.e. if VDC is greater than VDCref, the compensator increses IRMSref If the error is negative, i.e. if VDC is less than VDCref, the compensator decreases IRMSref In steady-state, IRMSref adjusted by the automatic feedback controller is just right so that VDC = VDCref, error signal is zero, and the average power Pac delivered to the AC grid matches the power generated by the PV array Stability, dynamic responses and realizations of feedback controllers are topics beyond the scope of this class. These topics are addressed in Circuits, and more advanced Control and Power Electronics courses
ECEN2060 7

Energy storage
IPV + PV array VPV Boost DC-DC converter Energy-storage capacitor iac + Single-phase DC-AC inverter vac AC utility grid

Pac pac(t)
C VDC

DC-DC control

DC-AC control

Pac p ac (t ) = Pac Pac (1 cos 2t ) = Pac cos 2t

Pac > pac(t), capacitor C is charged up

vDC
Pac < pac(t), capacitor C is discarged Capacitor C provides energy storage necessary to balance instantaneous power delivered to the grid Magnitude of the resulting voltage ripple VDC at twice the line frequency (2 x 60 = 120 Hz) depends on the average power Pac and capacitance C
ECEN2060 8

Energy storage capacitor C

Pac pac (t ) = Pac Pac (1 cos 2t ) = Pac cos 2t
Pac > pac(t), capacitor C is charged up

vDC
Pac < pac(t), capacitor C is discarged

Energy supplied to the capacitor during the time when Pac > pac(t), i.e. when the capacitor is charged from VDCmin to VDCmax

P EC = Pac cos 2t dt = ac 2 T / 8
ac

Tac / 8

/2

cos d =
/ 2

Pac

This energy must match the change in energy stored on the capacitor:

E C =

VDC max + VDC min 1 1 2 2 CV DC CV = C ( V V ) CVDC VDC max DC min DC max DC min 2 2 2
Pac
Pac CV DC
9

Solve for the ripple voltage:

CV DC VDC =
ECEN2060

VDC =

Energy storage analysis example

DC-AC inverter input voltage: VDC = 200 V Average power delivered to the grid: Pac = 600 W Find C so that VDC = 40 V (i.e. +/-10% of the DC voltage at the input of the DC-AC inverter) Solution:

CV DC VDC = C=

Pac

Pac 600 W = = 200 F VDCVDC 40 V * 200 V * 2 60 Hz

Note that the energy supplied (or absorbed) by the capacitor is relatively small:

EC =

Pac

600 = 1.6 J 2 60

The total energy stored on the capacitor is also small

EC =

1 2 CVDC = 4J 2

This example illustrates the need for only relatively small energy storage in a gridconnected system, easily accomplished by a capacitor, in sharp contrast to stand-alone PV systems that require very significant energy storage (e.g. batteries)
ECEN2060 10

Maximum Power Point (MPP) Tracking

IPV + PV array VPV Boost DC-DC converter C Energy-storage capacitor + VDC Single-phase DC-AC inverter iac + vac AC utility grid

DC-DC control

DC-AC control

Choices for the Boost DC-DC control variable:

Duty cycle D Input current reference Iref Input voltage reference Vref

The objective of the MPP tracking algorithm is to adjust the DC-DC control variable so that the PV array operates at the maximum power point In the example discussed here:
It is assumed that the Boost output voltage Vout = VDC is constant Iref is used as the control variable for the Boost DC-DC converter PV array current ideally tracks the Boost input current reference: IPV = Iref
ECEN2060 11

Reminder: PV array characteristic

Example: six 85 W modules in series, full sun
Ipv [A]
6

20

40

60

80

100

120

Vpv [V]

ECEN2060

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Ppv as a function of Vpv

Example: six 85 W modules in series, full sun
Ppv [W]
500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Vpv [V]

ECEN2060

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Ppv as a function of Ipv = Iref

Example: six 85 W modules in series, full sun
MPP Ppv [W]
500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 0

Ipv = Iref [A]

Objective: adjust Ipv = Iref to operate at MPP

ECEN2060 14

Simple perturb and observe MPP tracking algorithm

MPP
500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Initialize Iref, Iref, Pold Ppv Measure Ppv

YES Ppv > Pold ?

Continue in the same direction

NO
Change direction

Ipv = Iref

Iref = Iref

Always step Iref in the direction of increasing Ppv

Iref = Iref +Iref Pold = Ppv

ECEN2060

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MATLAB code: MPP tracking algorithm initialization

Initialize Iref, Iref, Pold

Measure Ppv

YES

NO

Ppv > Pold ?

Continue in the same direction Change direction

Iref = Iref

Iref = Iref +Iref Pold = Ppv

ECEN2060

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MATLAB code: MPP tracking algorithm

Initialize Iref, Iref, Pold

Measure Ppv

YES

NO

Ppv > Pold ?

Continue in the same direction Change direction

Iref = Iref

Iref = Iref +Iref Pold = Ppv

ECEN2060

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Simulation model: pv_boost_mpp_Iref.mdl

Insolation 1-5 ECEN2060 6-module PV Array 85 x 6 = 510 W DC system
Ipv

PV voltage 103.4 Vpv 4.94 Ipv

ECEN 2060 PV array with MPP tracking Boost DC-DC converter 1 time unit = 1 minute 0.9644 200 Vout
Vout Iout Boost DC-DC (averaged) Pout Iref control ef f iciency Iref D

PV module (I)

S1 (time varying) 1000 S1-5 (constant) Select insolation for modules 1-5

Vpv Ppv

Insolation

PV1

Boost efficiency
Pout ef f iciency

Ipv

PV module (I)

Vpv Ppv

Vpv Vpv

Vg

Insolation

PV2

Duty Vpv Iref

Boost DC-DC
Ipv

PV module (I)

Vpv Ppv

Insolation

MPP tracking controller MPPtrackIref.m

Vpv Ppv P

PV3

MPPT Iref

Iref 1 Iref

Ipv

PV module (I)

Vpv Ppv

Compute Ppv 4 Iref (constant) Select controller

PV MPP scope

Insolation

PV4

Ipv

PV module (I)

Vpv Ppv

PV power 510.8 Ppv PV energy [kWh]

Insolation

Insolation 6

PV5

S6 (time varying) 1000 S6 (constant) Select insolation for module 6

Ipv

PV module (I)

Vpv Ppv

1 s Integrate Ppv

-KkWh (pv)

4.081 Epv

Insolation

PV6
Ipv

Add 1 Ipv = Iref

Iref Ppv ideal

Ppv Pout, Ppv , Pideal

5 5 modules 1 1 module -K85/1000

Ppv ideal

Ideal PV energy [kWh] 1 s Integrate Pideal -KConvert to kWh 4.087 Eideal

Integrate Pout 1 s

kWh (out) -K-

Output energy [kWh] 3.936 Eout

ECEN2060

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MPP tracking operation

Boost DC-DC converter duty cycle D

PV array voltage Vpv

Boost DC-DC converter input current reference, Iref = Ipv

PV array output power Ppv compared to ideal Ppv @ MPP

ECEN2060

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The Future of

Grid-Connected PV Systems
Ipv, Vpv PV Converter PV Ipv, Vpv Converter

Ipv, Vpv

Controller

Ipv, Vpv

Controller

Ipv, Vpv PV Converter PV

Ipv, Vpv Converter Inverter 60 Hz AC Utility

Ipv, Vpv

Controller

Ipv, Vpv

Controller

Ipv, Vpv PV Converter PV

Ipv, Vpv Converter

Ipv, Vpv

Controller

Ipv, Vpv

Controller

Innovations in system architecture, control, and power electronics circuit design

Scalable modular power electronics: distributed DC-DC conversion Much improved performance in the presence of module mismatches or partial shading Ongoing projects in the Colorado Power Electronics Lab (CoPEC) at CU ECE Dept led by Prof. Erickson
ECEN2060 20

Module-Integrated DC-DC Converter (MIC) for the Smart PV Roofs

ECEN2060

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