Power Electronics in

Renewable Energy Systems

by

Prof. Frede Blaabjerg, IEEE Fellow

Aalborg University

Institute of Energy Technology

Denmark

fbl@iet.aau.dk
www.iet.aau.dk

Power Electronics in
Renewable Energy Systems

Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Aalborg University
Energy Demand
Energy Technology
Wind Power
Solar Power
Conclusions

1.Aalborg University
Denmark

Aalborg University - Denmark

Aalborg University

Where are we from?

Aalborg University - Denmark

Engineering, Science and Medicine

Revenue : 180 mio Euro

Employees : 1500
Brutto area 140.000 m2

Research 73.744 m2

Education 53.188 m2

Administration 1.731 m2

Other 11.439 m2

Ph.D. : 570
Departments : 12
5 Schools : 4 (Appr. 30 Bachelor, 60 Master)

Energy Demand

2. Energy Demand

Energy Demand

General Trends
Energy comsumption increases
More people (born, longer life-time etc.)
More equipment
Higher living standard
More production
Global Energy Market becomes deregulated
(electrical power, natural gas, etc.)
Global ressources limited
Climate Change a global issue
Therefore

New power sources interesting (e.g. renewable)

More efficient use of the existing sources
From production to end user
Power balance extremely important
New energy storage devices

Power Electronics is
the Enabling Technology!
7

Power capacities perspective until 2020

The installed capacity has to increase by over 80%

Renewable energy source still modest in 2020

- Distributed Power Generation Systems (DPGS) necessary

Energy Technology

3. Energy Technology

Energy Technology

Classical Power Systems

Traditional Power System

10

Energy Technology

Future Power System

Less central power plants and

more Distributed Power Generation
Smart Grid !
11

Wind Power Systems

Energy Demand and Technology

Danish Experience

Centralized
in 80s
12

High coverage of
dispersed generation
today

Wind Power Systems

Energy Demand and Technology

Danish Experience

more than 21% wind power penetration!

13

Target 36% from renewables by 2030

Energy Technology

Renewable Energy Systems

Important issues for power converter

reliability and thereby security of supply
efficiency
cost
volume
power electronics enabling technology
protection
control active and reactive power
ride-through and monitoring
14

Power Electronic System Development

Industrial Adjustable Speed Drives (power electronics)

Energy Technology

350
300

Relative Unit

250
200
150
100
50
0
1968

1983
Components

1988

1994

Functions

15

Weight

1998
Volume

More integration
Lower volume
Higher power density
Lower cost

2004

Wind Power

4. Wind Power

16

Wind Power

Power Conversion

Grid

Wind

Aerodynamic

Transformer
Gearbox
Generator
control

17

Power
Electronic
Interface

Wind Power Directions

Installed Wind Power in the World
- Annual and Cumulative -

100,000

18,000

90,000

16,000

80,000

14,000

70,000

12,000

60,000

10,000

50,000

8,000

40,000

6,000

30,000

4,000

20,000

2,000

10,000

0
1983

Windforce 10:
2010
Cumulative MW

MW per year

Wind Power

20,000

180 GW

2020 1200 GW

0
1990

Source: BTM Consult ApS - March 2008

1995

2000

2007

Year

Global Wind Power Status

Cumulative MW by end of 2001, 2004 & 2007

60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0

Source: BTM Consult 2008

18

Europe
Source: BTM Consult ApS - March 2008

USA
2001 (24,927 MW)

Asia
2004 (47,912 MW)

Rest of World
2007 (94,005 MW)

Wind Power

Wind Turbine Development

Bigger and more efficient !

3.6-6MW prototypes running (Vestas, GE, Siemens Wind,Enercon)
2MW WT are still the "best seller" on the market!
19

Wind Power Systems

Energy Technology

EU Status

20

Wind Turbine Concepts

Wind Power

Fixed Speed Wind Turbines

Advantages
robust -> to grid faults
cheap

2 squirrel-cage induction
generators (power ratio 1:4)
small very low wind speed
large rest of the range
variable capacitor bank
pasive/active stall control

Drawbacks
Requires a stiff grid for stable operation
does not support speed control
its mechanical construction must be able to support high mechanical
stress

21

Wind Turbine Concepts

Wind Power

Variable Speed Wind Turbines Road maps

22

Wind Turbine Concepts

Wind Power

Variable Speed Wind Turbines

23

wound-rotor induction generator

Variable pitch variable speed
r 30% slip variation around synchronous speed
power converter (back2back / direct AC/AC) in rotor circuit

Advantages
smooth reactive power control
smooth grid connection
reduced mechanical loads on the WT tower
Drawbacks
use slip-rings -> maintenance
power converter sensitive to grid faults -> complicated protection
schemes

Wind Turbine Concepts

Wind Power

Variable Speed Wind Turbines

variable pitch variable speed

with/without gearbox
generator
synchronous generator,
permanent magnet generator
squirrel-cage induction generator
power converter
diode rectifier+boost DC/DC+inverter
back2back
direct AC/AC (matrix, cycloconverters, etc)

24

Wind Turbine Concepts

Wind Power

Variable Speed Wind Turbines

Synchronous generator with field winding

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator

25

Squirrel-Cage Induction Generator

Wind Turbine Concepts

Wind Power

Variable Speed Wind Turbines

multiple stator windings

paralleled power converters
better efficiency at low wind speed
redundancy
used by some manufacturers

26

Wind Power

Power Electronic Converters

Back-to-back VSC
Back-to-back two-level voltage source converter
Proven technology
Standard power devices (integrated)

27

Decoupling between grid and generator (compensation for

non-symmetry and other power quality issues)
Need for major energy-storage in DC-link (reduced life-time and
increased expenses)
Power losses (switching and conduction losses)
Demands
Reliable
Minimum maintenance
Solution competitive economically
Low power losses
Physical size limited
Weight limited (if in nacelle)

Power Electronic Converters

Wind Power

Multilevel Converter

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

28

Three-level diode clamped

Three-level with bidirectional switch interconnection
Three-level flying capacitor
Three-level using 3 two-level converters
Three-level H-bridge cascaded

High voltage capability -> direct connection to MV networks

Reduced harmonic content
Reduced switching losses
Increased number of switches -> higher conduction losses
unbalances in DC voltage for some of the topologies

Full Scale Power Converter Wind Turbine

Control of Wind Turbines

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator

PMSG control level:

9 Maximum power point
9 Control of grid side converter
DC-link voltage
unity power factor

Wind turbine control level:

9 pitch control
9 power limitation control

Targets for control:

9 maximum power point operation
9 power limitations for high wind speeds
9 reactive power control

29

Grid Connection Requirements

Operational ranges

Danish Grid Code for

Distribution Networks

30

Great Britains Grid Code for

Transmission Networks

Danish Grid Code for

Transmission Networks

German Grid Code for

Transmission Networks

Active Power Control

Danish Grid Code for Transmission Networks

Grid Connection Requirements

Power production regulation at Wind Farm Level

Priority 1

Priority 3

Priority 4

31

Priority 5

Priority 6

Priority 7

Low Voltage Fault Ride-through Capability

Grid Connection Requirements

Danish Grid Code

x= 300-500 ms

LVRT

Successive & non-symmetrical faults

E-On Grid Code

Grid support by 100% reactive current injection

32

Current Development

Wind Turbine Technologies

Vestas A/S Denmark

Target market: Big off-shore farms

33

Vestas V120 off-shore turbine

Rated power: 4,500 kW
Rotor diameter: 120 m
Hub height: 90 m
Turbine concept: Gearbox, variable
speed, variable pitch control
Generator: HV DFIG

Current Development

Wind Turbine Technologies

Enercon GmbH Germany

Enercon E-112 gearless turbine

Rated power: 4,500 - 6,000 kW
Rotor diameter: 114 m
Hub height: 124 m
Turbine concept: Gearless, variable
speed, variable pitch control
Generator: Enercon ring generator

Target market: Big on-shore and off-shore farms.

34

Solar Power

5. Solar Power

35

Solar cells technologies

Monocrystalline
Silicon
Efficiency: 12 18 %
Shape: round /
quadratic
Colour: black / darkblue / blueish
Peak power app.: 120
Wp/m2
Price app. 4-5 /Wp
(continuously
decreasing by ca 7%
p.a.)

Polycrystalline Silicon

Efficiency: 10 22 %

Shape: quadratic

Colour: blueish,
shimmer

Peak power, app.:

100 W/m2

Price app. 3-4 /Wp

Thin film
Amorphous silicon
Amorphous Si,

Efficiency: 4 9 %
cadmium telluride,

Shape: slim ribbons

copper indium

Colour: black / dark

diselenide and many
brown
new others!

Peak power, app.:

Efficiency up to 11 %
50 Wp/m2
Can be deposited on

Price app. 5-6 /Wp

any surface

can be foldable

Colour depends on
materials

Can be clear films

mounted on windows
or roof tiles

Very fast development on Thin Film

Organic cells with very low manufacturing cost but still short life time are emerging
Multi junction cells with efficiency higher than 40% are reported!

36

Concentrating Solar Photovoltaic Power CPV

Sun light concentrated with

lenses or optical concentrators
up to x500 typ. with tracking
High efficieny/high temp silicon
solar cells or advanced III-IV
multi-junction technology (~40%
eff)
Considerable lower solar cell
material
Potential lower overall cost than
PV
200-500 kWe -commercial,MW
plants - near term

Dish technology
Two-axis tracking dishes
CPV panels in the focus of the
dish
Source: NREL

Source: Amonix

Fresnell lenses concentrator

with tracking
25 kWp unit/850W/m2
26.6% efficiency triplejunctionsolar cells
X 250 concentration
DPGS/Stand alone/pumping/
Solid concentrator
desalinization/H2 production
CPV developments
18 Mwe installed up to 2006
6 years field experience (young!)
38% efficiency solar cells now, 50% by 2010
40% efficiency for H2 production now!
2-3 Eurocent/kWh on long term

CPV farm in Alice Spring, Australia of

3720kW units

Solar cells manufacturing

technologies

Crystalline silicon cell manufacturing high energy demanding. Cost is saturating

Thin film technologies higher potential for cost reduction on long-term

38

PV Inverters
Source: Danfoss Solar

Directly convert the dc power from solar panels to grid synchronized power
Typical requirements:
Very high efficiency typ > 95% (large variety of innovative topologies!)
Very accurate Maximum Power Point Tracking MPPT (typ >99% eff)
Grid connection standard requirements (apply to certain countries)

High performance grid monitoring and synchronization

Active Anti-islanding algorithms

Isolation,, leakage current monitoring, and dc current injection monitoring

High power quality (low current THD)

Typically IGBT/MOSFETS and DSP technologies are used

Due to increased complexity and smaller market the cost of PV inverter is significant higher than
the inverters for drives. Typ.400-500 /kW

39

Photovoltaic System Cost

- System cost is expected to drop to 2.5/Wp by 2012 (optimistic!)

- Due to the silicon shortage during the last years the cost reduction
will be delayed

40

Maximum Power Point Tracking

PV cells/panels exhibit a non-linear I-V characteristic there is an
optimum working point where the extracted power is the maximum (MPP)
The MPP depends on environmental conditions a Maximum Power
Point Tracking (MPPT) system is needed to follow the changes
Most of the actual MPP tracers are hill-climbing methods no knowledge of

Solar Energy

the PV string type or environmental conditions required

The most used technologies are:

0

dP / dV
<0

V
/d
P
d

>

Perturb & Observe

Incremental Conductance
Constant Voltage
Parasitic Capacitance

Combinations of the above

methods are often used

41

PV System Configurations

Central inverters
10 kW-250kW, threephase, several strings in
parallel
high efficiency, low
cost, low reliability, not
optimal MPPT
Used for power plants

String (Multi)inverters
1.5 - 5 kW, typical residential
application
each string has its own
inverter enabling better MPPT
the strings can have different
orientations
Three-phase inverters for
power < 5kW

Module inverters
50-180W, each panel
has its own inverter
enabling optimal MPPT
lower efficiency,
difficult maintenance
highercost/kWp

High efficiency Mini-central PV inverters (8-15 kW) are also emerging for
modular configuration in medium and high power PV systems
42
42

Topologies for PV inverters

on the LF side

Solar Energy

with DC-DC
converter
PV
Inverters
without DC-DC
converter

with isolation
on the HF side
without isolation
with isolation
without isolation

The question of having a DC-DC converter or not is first of all

related to the PV string configuration.
Having more panels in series and lower grid voltage, like in US and
Japan, it is possible to avoid the boost function with a dc-dc
converter. Thus a single stage PV inverter can be used leading to
higher efficiencies.

43

PV inverters with boost converter and

isolation

PV
Array

DC

DC
DC

Grid
AC

On low frequency (LF) side

Boosting inverter with LF trafo based on boost converter

PV
Array

DC

AC
AC

44

DC

Grid
AC

On high frequency (HF) side

Boosting inverter with HF trafo based on FB boost converter [2]

Both technologies are on the market! Efficiency 93-95%

44

DC

Transformerless PV inverters with

boost
PV
Array

DC

Typical configuration [1]

High efficiency (>95%)

Leakage current problem
Safety issue

45

45

DC
DC

Grid
AC

FB inverter + boost
Time sharing configuration[3]

Efficiency > 96%

Extra diode to bypass boost when Vpv > Vg
Boost with rectified sinus reference

High efficiency topologies derived from H-bridge

HERIC (Sunways)[7] -max= 98%

46

46

Two 0 output voltage states possible: S+ and D- = ON and S- and D+ = ON

The switching ripple in the current equals 1x switching frequency high filtering needed
Voltage across filter is unipolar low core losses
VPE is sinusoidal has grid frequency component low leakage current and EMI
High efficiency 98% due to no reactive power exchange as reported by Photon Magazine
for Sunways AT series 2.7 5 kW single-phase

Control Structure Overview

L

+
P V P anels
String

dc-ac
PW M -V SI

dc-dc
boost

LCL
L ow pass
filter

T rafo
&
G rid
N

PW M
IPV
V PV

V dc
C ontrol

V dc

PW M

G rid
S ynchronization

C urrent
C ontrol

Ig
Vg

B asic functions (grid conencted converter)

M PPT

A nti-Islanding
P rotections

G rid /P V plant
M onitoring

P V specific functions
A ctive filter
control

M icroG rid
C ontrol

G rid support
(V ,f,Q )

A ncillary functions

47

Basic functions common for all grid- PV specific functions common

connected inverters
for PV inverters
Grid current control
Maximum Power Point Tracking
THD limits imposed by standards
MPPT
Stability in case of grid impedance
Very high MPPT efficiency in
variations
steady state (typical > 99%)
Ride-through grid voltage
Fast tracking during rapid
disturbances (not required yet!)
irradiation changes (dynamical
DC voltage control
MPPT efficiency)
Adaptation to grid voltage variations
Stable operation at very low
Ride-through grid voltage
irradiation levels
disturbances (optional yet)
Anti-Islanding AI as required by
Grid synchronization
standards (VDE0126, IEEE1574, etc)
Required for grid connection or re- Grid Monitoring
connection after trip.
Operation at unity power factor
as required by standards
Fast Voltage/frequency
detection
Plant Monitoring
Diagnostic of PV panel array
Partial shading detection
47

Ancillary Support (future?)

Voltage Control
Frequency control
Fault Ride-through
Q compensation
DVR

Advanced Interconnection

6. Conclusions

48

Conclusions

Conclusions

Renewable Energy Systems (RES)

Solutions for the future
Increase power production close to the consumption place
Maybe decrease the power volume in the transmission level and will
make the central grid control very complex (long term).
Should be able to run in on-grid and off-grid modes
Ancillary functions must be included to avoid grid instability and
blackout.
Wind Turbines the fastest growing
Power Converters & Control
Include MPPT functions
Provide ride-through capabilities
Intelligent grid connection
Grid impedance estimation
Monitoring and advanced diagnosis

Power Electronics -> Key Enabling Technology for

grid integration of RES
49

Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement

Prof. Remus Teodorescu, Aalborg University, Denmark

Prof. Pedro Rodriuguez, UPC, Spain/Aalborg University,
Denmark
Prof. Marco Liserre, University of Bari, Italy

Supported with material to these slides !!!

50

Deadline : May 1, 2010

51

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