Control of Grid-Connected Converters - Research Proposal Example

Control of Grid Connected Converters Name Date Course Control of Grid Connected Converters Introduction Grid connected converters play a significant role as interface to the power sources. They contribute towards the establishment of energy efficiency and reliability. The design of the grid converted converters has to be carried out in an effective manner for the purpose of ensuring that it meets the required standards. The grid connected converters also have a range of applications which includes acting as an interface and also providing active filters (Blaabjerg, 2010). It is also important to note that the importance of the field has led to intensive research. Most of the research in the usually focus on how to meet the challenges of the grid connected converters in terms of design, control and system performance. The paper is thus a research proposal with regards to the current work being conducted in the field of control grid connected converters. Research problem definition and outcome specifications The field of power electronics plays an important role due to the high number of electronic equipment in use. On the other hand, the control of grid connected converters is also important as they play an essential role in ensuring that the required current is passed. In power electronics, the grid connected current converters are unique due to their connection. Some of the power systems like the systems with low short circuit systems are challenging and they therefore provide a lot of challenges when designing the grid connected converters. On the other hand, the control of grid connected converters may also be complicated in such systems. Fulfilling the power quality requirements is also important in the system and hence the relevance of the grid connected converters. Research is therefore required for the purpose of ensuring that improvements are made to the grid connected converters. A lot of research is being conducted on the grid connected converters due to its importance. Period disturbance to the grid are common and this may impact negatively on the grid connected converters. Work is being done to establish how such challenges can be avoided. The risk of oscillation in converter terminal voltage is also common and hen e the need for research to determine the measures that are being put in place to deal with such risks. On the other hand, the research question is important in providing a wider knowledge with regards to the trends in the grid connected converters. This is also considering that the power needs for different applications are changing and hence the relevance of the grid connected converters. The research intends to identify the current work that is being conducted in the field of control grid of grid connected converters. This will involve the specific aspects of the works and the reasons as to why the research is being conducted. The areas of success with regards to the research will also be identified. The current trends in the development design, control and system performance of the grid connected converters. The research will also seek to identify the importance of the research in the control of grid connected converters. Various companies as well as institutions have been carrying out research in the field of control of grid connected converters. The research has played an important role in transforming the designs and use of the grid connected converters. The research will therefore focus on the changes that have taken place and how the companies have been able to make transformations due to the changes. The research also intends to understand the concepts of power converters connected to the grids in a general context. Fulfilling the standards is also an important aspect in the field of power electronics. The research also intends to highlights the work that has been conducted with regards to research on the standards in the grid connected converters. The focus will also be on the control techniques which are used for the purpose of ensuring efficiency. The information regarding the control techniques will be obtained in order to determine the standards. The current practices in the field of grid connected converters will also be established in the research. Literature Review The current work being at the frontier of research in control of grid connected converters involves research on design, development, evaluation, control and standardization of the grid connected power in terms of equipment on the supply and load side of the power. New technologies are being developed for the purposes of advancing the power electronic systems (Pinheiro, 2012). The new technologies are also for the purpose of enhancing the grid connected converters in terms of stability and power steering. Software tools are also being developed in order to support the grid system and control the loads. The introduction of new technology in the control of grid connected converters improves on its reliability. The engineers are also undergoing training on how to utilize the new technology in terms of control of the grid connected converters. Unbalanced loading is one of the main challenges in the grid connected converters. This has the potential of causing losses to the system and it may also result to overheating (Cheng, 2012). Correcting the unbalanced loading is therefore an essential issue that has attracted most of the researchers. Solving the problem of unbalanced loading is also useful for most of the companies in order to prevent loss of their appliances due to overheating. Research is also focused in the transportation systems such as the ships, trains, automobiles and planes. Different facilities as well as laboratories have been established for the purposes of carrying out the research with regards to the use of technology in the grid connected converters. Virtual test bed facilities have also been established by most of the institutions for the purposes of carrying out research and tests on the grid connected converters (Franceschini, 2012). The use of power electronics converters is also on the increase among the customers. Most of the research is also focused on the challenges in term of control design and system performance of the grid connected converters. The three phase pulse width modulated voltage source converters form the basis of most of the research in the control of grid connected converters. This is also considering that this type of converter is mainly widely used for the power range below 5MW (Wrona, 2011). According to research, this type of converter is also set to be popular in the grid connections for direct current power in future. The use of the power range converters is also set to increase significantly in future and hence the current research with regards to its use. Laboratory simulations have played an important role during the research in the grid connected converters. The laboratory research has also played an important role in the preparation and implementation of control software for the converters when it comes to different applications. The typed of application is important in designing the control systems for the grid connected converters. Research is also focusing on the design of a control system that is flexible and can be configured for different applications. The modification of the available prototypes is also an important aspect of research as it can be modified for flexibility purposes (Kim, 2012). The methods of synchronization are also important in terms of ensuring that the phaselocking of the system to AC is achieved. The performance of the converters in weak AC networks also forms an important aspect of the research. Research methodology and planning An examination of the grid connected converters will be carried out on various converters. This will be achieved through the mechanical inspections. It will be carried out in order to ensure that all the components have been examined. This will be useful in identifying the performance of each component in the converter and determine what improvements should be made in order to increase on its efficiencies. All the design details of the converters will also be analyzed in order to determine any shortcomings in the designs. This will be useful in terms of establishing the changes that should be made in order to ensure that efficiency is improved. This is considering that the design phase determines how effective the grid converter will be. Examining the designs will be useful in determining the current practices that are taking place in the grid connected converters. This is also considering that the different designs are usually aimed at ensuring that improvements are made in order to achieve efficiency. The challenges that are facing the designers and manufacturers will also be analyzed in order to determine their needs and what they are doing to overcome the challenges. This is considering that the challenges are always common at different stages. The efficiency of the grid connected converters will also be determined in order to establish the trends taking place in the industry in terms of improving on the efficiency. This is considering that various tests are usually carried out in order to determine the efficiency levels. The periodic disturbances and power requirements are also part of the challenges facing the grid connected converters. The components and tests will have to be observed carefully in order to determine their levels of performance and hence the establishing the measures that are being taken in order to solve the problem. Determining the modifications that are being put in place will also be useful in terms of establishing the current work in the grid connected converters. All the modifications will be identified through observing different stages and use of the converters. Interacting with the personnel who are involved in the modification and design process will be useful during the research in establishing the works that are taking place. Recommendations from the experts will also be sought during the research in order to obtain expert advice. This will be useful in terms of providing explanations with regards to the different works in the grid connected converters. The research activities will be carried out on a step by step basis in order to ensure that all the information is obtained. Justification The preliminary investigations of the research have been carried out through the use of the literature review. Results of the preliminary investigations indicate that the focus of the research on the grid connected converters is focused on the use of technology and its flexibility. The use of technology during the process of control is for the purposes of ensuring that the performances of the system are enhanced. Technology also plays an important role in enabling the grid connected converters to reduce the incidences of overheating. On the other hand the preliminary research from the literature review indicates that laboratory test have played an important role in ensuring that the control of grid connected converters are improved. The synchronization of the grid connected converters is also an important aspect of research. This is for the purpose of ensuring that it is effective during the phase locking process to the AC network. The preliminary research also indicates that the control of the grid connected converter is dependant o the application. This is because different applications require different converters. The research is also keen on enhancing the grid connected converters for the purposes of ensuring that it is able to work on different applications. This is considering that the systems are usually specific to a certain application. The prototypes are also important in the process of designing the grid connected converters that are flexible. The preliminary research therefore indicates that the research will be successful as more information will be obtained using both the secondary and primary methods. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that the concepts of control of the grid connected converters are important in the fields of power electronics. Various researches have been carried out in the fields and more research is still taking place. The research will rely on the information from both the primary and secondary research. It is evident that high levels of ethics will be maintained during the research for the purposes of ensuring that the information collected is credible. The preliminary research indicates that most of the research on grid connected converters is focused on the design and control. On the other hand, it is also evident from the preliminary research that the grid connected converters are dependant on the type of application. List of References Blaabjerg, F, 2010, Accurate and less-disturbing active antiislanding method based on PLL for grid-connected converters, Power Electronics, IEEE Transactions on, 25(6), 1576-1584. Pinheiro, H, 2012, Adaptive current control for grid-connected converters with LCL filter, Industrial Electronics, IEEE Transactions on, 59(12), 4681-4693. Cheng, P, 2011, A low-voltage ride-through technique for grid-connected converters of distributed energy resources, Industry Applications, IEEE Transactions on, 47(4), 1821-1832. Franceschini, G, 2012, Digital control of actual grid-connected converters for ground leakage current reduction in PV transformerless systems, Industrial Informatics, IEEE Transactions on, 8(3), 563-572. Wrona, G, 2011, DSP-based control of grid-connected power converters operating under grid distortions, Industrial Informatics, IEEE Transactions on, 7(2), 204-211. Kim, J, 2012, DC offset error compensation for synchronous reference frame PLL in single-phase grid-connected converters, Power Electronics, IEEE Transactions on, 27(8), 3467-3471. Read More