SPEEDAM 2006 International Symposium on Power Electronics, Electrical Drives, Automation and Motion

A practical solution for grid connected dispersed generation from renewable sources: DC connection
R. Magureanu, Mihaela Albu, Ana-Maria Dumitrescu, M. Priboianu
University Politehnica Bucharest, Department of Electrical Engineering, 313 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest, Romania Abstract-- The exploitation of renewable sources is expected to become the most promising solution to the environmental issues and to the permanent increase of prices of the fossil energy. Since most of renewable energy sources are widely distributed and the energy converters generally do not provide electric power at main grid frequency and voltage, a DC bus is suggested to be used for integrating them into a DC grid and further transfer it into an AC grid (usually available at a certain distance). Due to differences among the technical parameters of the power supply equipment, their outputs have to be firstly conditioned and then connected in parallel to a DC bus via appropriate power electronics. The aim of this paper is to suggest practical solutions for RES integration into distribution networks. The proposed DC link is simulated and different methods for load sharing and droop control discussed. The standard model is a 6 kV, 1MW electrical hydro generator with six phases Y connected, and having the output rectified by six phase diodes and paralleled to a 10 kV DC cable underground line. Three levels DC-AC, front-end bi-directional converters are used as interface with the AC grid. The connection of the low voltage grid (connecting the output of different power sources) to the medium voltage DC link is done by means of a DC-DC quasy-resonant converter provided with an internal high frequency insulation transformer. For the further connection of the DC link to the medium voltage AC distribution grid a solution employing IGBT four legs, front-end converter is proposed. A low voltage DC grid model, in the tens of kW range, 400/230V AC - 720/320V DC is under commissioning. Index Terms-- AC-DC power conversion, DC-DC power conversion, DC power systems, DC power transmission.

necessary to bring the electrical parameters at a common denominator [1].

I. INTRODUCTION Following the Kyoto protocol, each European country fully supports the development of exploiting Renewable Energy Sources (RES), as well as their integration into the national power grids. Renewable energy sources are of dispersed nature and consequently the generation of electric power is done in a distributed way. Moreover, most of the distributed electrical energy sources do not provide electric power at the rated frequency (in AC form) or they provide it in DC form (solar panels, fuel cells, storage batteries). Due to the differences in the output voltage and frequencies among these sources, it is impossible to interconnect them directly and becomes
This work was supported by Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, the DCiDER project 109/2005 Fig. 1 Connecting several AC generators to a DC grid with bidirectional link to the AC distribution system.

1-4244-0194-1/06/$20.00 2006 IEEE

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This requirement can be achieved by power conditioning and rectifying the AC outputs to DC and/or modifying the DC voltage levels of other sources via power electronic converters in order to operate in a single DC grid. The interface between the DC link and the main AC grid is done by the mean of one or several bidirectional DC/AC converters and step-up high voltage transformers (see Fig.1). In Romania, the hydro energy is the main renewable source available, 25% of total electrical energy being produced from this source. It should be noticed that although about 60% of the total Romanian hydraulic capacity is already in exploitation, only less then 50% of all available micro-hydro resources is used, and for different reasons: historical, economical, technical, environmental etc. In accordance with the national policy targets, additional generation and transmission lines have to be developed considering for each case national, legal, and environmental rules. As these requirements cannot be usually met in a timely manner, the administrative problems can delay the construction of both power generation stations and the transmission infrastructure up to 4 years if not new technologies are proposed. Another restriction is raised by the fact that the yet untapped hydraulic resources are usually placed in natural reservation areas, for which the Romanian legislation forbids the presence of overhead power lines, overhead buildings, oil filled transformers and power-cables. Additional difficulties are raised by the process of deregulation which in Romania is fostered almost simultaneously with to liberalization of the generation units and consequently the related decision making process is not straightforward. II. DC GRID STRUCTURE PROPOSED Due to above mentioned restrictions, the classical AC generation and transport has to be replaced and different solutions to be found [2]. Due the recent progress in the insulation materials and power electronics areas, the Medium Voltage DC (MVDC), transport eliminates some of the AC limitations. MVDC allows more power per conductor, because for a given load the rated voltage in a DC line is lower than the peak voltage in an AC line. The main advantage in our case is the fact that DC allows power transmission between the main AC distribution grid and different DC networks, which are able to integrate different RES-based electrical energy sources. III. EQUIPMENT Hydro turbines The total hydraulic potential of the studied river springing from the southern Carpathians is about 35 MW, out of which about 25 MW are untapped yet as placed on an environmental protected area. The rated power of the existing hydro units is between 1 and 1.2 MW, the height is about 120 meters and the average flow is between 1 and 2 m3/s, depending on the season.

For maximizing their efficiency, the water turbines have to operate not at a fixed speed but at a variable one as a function of the water flow, Fig 2.

Fig. 2 Water turbine flow/speed/efficiency characteristic

DC Generators In a transformer-less system, the electromechanical converters are high voltage synchronous machines with electromagnetic excitation or, in the future, with permanent magnets. The voltage frequency of each driven synchronous generator will be different, making their direct operation in parallel impossible. Synchronous generators followed by rectifiers eliminate this incompatibility, their output being connected in a medium voltage (MV) DC transmission system as classical DC generators. A less expensive solution available is a three phase Diode Rectifier but at the expense of distorting the waveforms of AC generator currents and presence of DC output ripples [3].
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In order to reduce these disadvantages, we choose to use a six-phase rectifier with 12 valves (or a twelve-pulse system), supplied by a synchronous generator with two separate sets of three phase windings [4], resulting in a six phase system (Fig. 3). In order to reduce the harmonic level of the rectified output, we suggested a solution similar to that employed in the case of three winding transformers: a configuration of the generator two

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winding systems in a star/wye connection, thus obtaining a six phase system. In this way the harmonics are considerably reduced, the sixth harmonic of the rotating magnetic field in generator air gap is practically eliminated, improving not only the efficiency of the generator but also reducing the DC ripple of the DC output voltage and current.
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As can be seen from Fig. 4c, the DC voltage has a remarkably low ripple eliminating thus the need for a larger filtering electrolytic condenser. The control of these output voltage can be done by excitation current, with a long time constant. For faster response and for overall protection, a thyristor rectifier can be considered. A more sophisticated solution but at a much higher cost is to use as rectifier a front end equipment which will also operate as a booster and maintain a constant, ripple free, and practically not affected by the load, DC voltage level. In the case of the permanent magnet generators such equipment represent the only solution to maintain constant the AC generator voltage output, which will produce an even more efficient rectification and voltage control, as seen in Fig.4. III. POWER ELECTRONIC INTERFACES

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DC-AC-DC Converters The connection of the DC grid with the AC one can be done by a bi-directional DC-AC converter capable to not only absorb and inject sinusoidal currents in phase with the AC voltage but also being able to compensate the reactive power, the distortion power and perform a dynamic control of the voltages in both grids. The emergence of high-power, high voltage semiconductor devices such as Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors (HVIGBTs), Injection-Enhanced Gate Transistors (IEGTs), Integrated Gate-Commutated Thyristors (IGCTs) and Emitter Turn-Off (ETO) Thyristors enabled large power static industrial converters to expand into utilities. One of the first Light HVDC transmission systems based on series connection of many insulatedgate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) was commissioned in 2000 within the Tjreborg, Denmark project of +/-9 kV, 7.2 MW and 4.3 km long DC cable. About in the same time, on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, another DC system [5], rated at 50 MW and 80 kV, was installed. For higher power and higher voltage, the new generation of power electronic devices, as the IGCTs of 7 kV; 4 kA are used, as these do not require anymore series or parallel connection. Three level inverters of 6.6 kV, 20MVA, 1kHz switching frequency, 98.5% efficiency, 27 MW/m3 power densities were already developed for commercial application. The new 6kV; 4kA ETO Thyristors and the 10 kV IGCTs are targeting to 30MVA applications [6]. In a few years, the 15 kV Silicone Carbide (SiC) Devices, operating at a 15 kHz switching frequency are expected [7] to drive even higher power for different industrial and military applications. Watercooling technology employed in the power bridge dramatically reduces the equipment footprint, lowering the associated cost [8, 9]. Presently a front-end IGBT 50kVA converter is available for laboratory DC grid testing and a three-level inverter operating at 400V, 60 A, 1kHz is in implementing phase, together with a DC/DC quasi resonant converter at 720V/360 V, 10 kVA. IV. PROTECTION One of the most difficult problems of the DC transport and distribution systems is represented by the protection
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and switching issue, or how to interrupt a DC current, which does not pass naturally through zero. Although different type of switching equipment were already developed for breaking high voltage currents, based either on vacuum or static switches, less expansive solutions were investigated. For a hybrid AC-DC grid, the system protection can be efficiently designed by localizing it at the AC side of the energy sources. Each generator protection is also implemented on the AC side, similar to that of the DCAC converters used for the interconnection with the AC grid. Fast fuses can protect the filtering condensers, the power diodes, the thyristors and IGCTs, while the IGBTs have to use their auto protection capacity. An extra measure for limiting the short circuit current flowing in the DC cable towards the generators, a solution we suggest is to use a power diode on the energy flow sense of the DC line (see Fig. 1). V. DROOP CONTROL In the AC distributed systems, the simplest method for load sharing is the droop control, which has the main advantage of the easiness of implementation and the fact that no control-wire communication is necessary. In case of DC grids, this technique becomes even simpler, as the output voltage is the only parameter to be corrected depending on the load [10, 11]. The drooping control is equivalent with the implementation on the AC generator of an external characteristic similar to that of a compound DC generator. Practically, this can be done by introducing a DC current negative feedback in the generator excitation controller or in the front-end DC voltage regulator.
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VI. CONCLUSIONS DC grids allow an optimal integration of dispersed generators (of different types and operating at different frequencies) into AC distribution systems. MVDC links can carry more power per conductor, compared to the AC lines and allow achieving a better quality of service at least for the AC loads directly supplied from the DC grid. An additional feature of the DC grid is the ability to improve the stability of the distribution AC network, without increasing the maximal short circuit current. In this paper, a novel grid architecture for integrating dispersed generation is proposed. Simulation results concerning the power electronic converters and their operation into the proposed system are presented. Further work will emphasize laboratory testing of a DC grid in tens of kVA-range, as a first step towards a commercial exploitation (5 MW, 10 kV DC). REFERENCES
[1] Karlsson, P.: DC Distributed Power Systems Analysis, Design and Control for a Renewable Energy System, PhD Thesis, Lund University, Department of Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation, 2002. [2] A. Agustoni, E. Borioli, M. Brenna, G. Simioli, E. Tironi, G. Ubezio, LV DC distribution network with distributed energy resources: analysis of possible structures, Proc. Of the 18th Int. Conference on Electricity Distribution, Turin, June 2005; [3] Fransua A.; Magureanu, R.: Electrical Machines and Drives, Technical Press, Oxford, 1986. [4] Jatskevich1, J.; Steven D. P.: Six-phase synchronous generator-rectifier parametric average value modeling considering operational modes, HAIT Journal of Science and Engineering B, vol. 2, Issues 3-4, pp. 365-385. [5] Byggeth, M.; Johannesson, K.; Liljegren, C.; Axelsson, U.: Gotland HVDC Light The Worlds First Commercial Extruded HVDC Cable System, CIGR 2000, No. 14-205. [6] Eicher, S.; Bernet, S.; Steimer, P.; Weber, A.: The 10 kV IGCT - A New Device for Medium Voltage Drives, ABB Semiconductors, Rome 2000. [7] Hefner, A.; Singh, R.; Lai, J.: Emerging SiliconCarbide Power Devices Enable Revolutionary Changes in High Voltage Power Conversion, Fourth Quarter 2004, IEEE Power Electronics Society Newsletter, vol. 6, no. 4, [8] Bahrman, M.P.; Johansson, J. G.; Nilsson, B. A.: Voltage source converter transmission technologies the right fit for the application, 2003 IEEE PES General Meeting, Toronto, Canada, 2003. [9] Railing, B.; Miller, J.; Moreau, G.; Wasborg, J.; Jiang-Hfner, Y.; Stanley, D.: Direct link VSC-Based HVDC Project and its Commissioning, CIGR 2002. [10] Engler, A.: Applicability of droops in low voltage grids, International Journal of Distributed Energy Resources, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 3-15. [11] K. De Brabandere, B. Bolsens, J. Van den Keybus, A. Woyte, J. Driesen and R. Belmans: A Voltage and Frequency Droop Control Method for Parallel Inverters, Proceedings of the 35th IEEE Power Electronics Specialists Conference, Aachen, Germany, 2004, pp. 2501- 2507.

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b Fig. 4 Load sharing for 2 identical 1 MW generators, including the RLC line parameters: a - without droop control; b with droop control

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