Design and Control of Advanced T-type Multilevel Converters based New Semiconductor Technologies for Smart Grid Applications

Multilevel converters (MLCs) are preferred in industrial application for high power as well as medium voltage applications due to their advantages of lower harmonic contents and higher reliability compared to two-level converters. Recently, enhanced MLCs are used in low voltage application as well in electrical drive applications to enhance the system overall performance and efficiency. From the most well-known MLCs, a family called T-type converter is the most potential and promising. T-type converters have many topologies. They have been studied in a narrow range of applications in the last five years. More studies in different power system applications and with different modern control techniques are required. Another important milestone in the power electronics revolution is the new semiconductor technology. Recently, Silicon Carbide (SIC) and gallium Nitrate (GaN) semiconductor devices have been developed to enhance the converter performance and give the opportunity to operate converters at high frequencies. However, little work is performed in exploring the advanced T-type topologies using these enhanced semiconductor technologies particular for the different industrial applications. Another important side is the converter integration in different power system applications. Power inverters are used mainly as modulators in order to enhance the power system performance; i.e. inverters for controlling electrical machines, controlling power system performance by means of Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS), grid integration of distributed generators or renewable energy resources,... etc. These applications require efficient control techniques to adapt the operation of the power electronics converters. Many control techniques have been used starting from the conventional Proportional-Integral-Differential (PID) controllers, artificial intelligent etc., and ending with modern control theorem. The Model Predictive Control (MPC) is one of the advanced control techniques that gives excellent response and improves the power systems performance. This research aims to design and implement of a laboratory prototype for the advanced T-type MLCs based the new semiconductor technologies i.e. SiC and GaN. The converter prototype is going to be implemented in KFUPM laboratories. Then, an enhanced MPC technique will be provided to control the proposed T-type MLCs. The performance evaluation for the proposed converters and control techniques will be based on power quality study, as well as the converter efficiency. The study aims to include the most important industrial applications, i.e. grid-tie integration of renewable energy, control of electrical drives, and power quality of electrical power networks using power system compensators, as active power filters. This project objectives aim to construct a new technology in KFUPM labs for research in power electronics, electrical drive, as well as renewable energy applications. The deliverables will help students in research in the aforementioned fields not only in simulations, but also in experimental works. This will grant young researchers and students the experience in the know-how of designing power electronics converters particular for high power and medium voltage applications. Moreover, the experience in designing electrical drives and renewable energy integration systems will be gained. This helps in transferring the new technologies and the experimental work experience to the KFUPM graduated engineers and enrich their knowledge. Moreover, it will helps in making investments in the field of power converters design and creates opportunities for jobs the matter, which has very useful social as well as economic impacts on the kingdom community