In modular multilevel converters there is a trade-off between the switching frequency and the voltage ripple in the submodule capacitors. The reason for this is that it becomes increasingly difficult to balance the capacitor voltages when the switching frequency is reduced. This paper presents a new submodule circuit which improves the balancing of the capacitor voltages at low switching frequencies. The proposed submodule circuit consists of two capacitors and eight switches, forming a three-level submodule. Ideally, the voltage and current ratings of the switches can be chosen such that the combined power rating of the semiconductors is the same as for the equivalent solution with conventional half-bridge submodules. The proposed submodule circuit provides the possibility of connecting the two capacitors in parallel when the intermediate voltage level is used. This will reduce the capacitor voltage ripple, especially at low switching frequencies and thus allow for a reduction of the size, weight, and cost of the submodule capacitors. The proposed submodule circuit is validated by both simulations and experimental results. It is found that the parallel connection of the submodule capacitors will, in fact, significantly improve the balancing of the capacitor voltages.

In this paper, previously developed stability results for open-loop sum-capacitor-voltage control of modular multilevel converters are extended. To give improved damping, circulating-current feedback is included in the control law. With the output-current control loop and a first-order measurement lag taken into account, global asymptotic stability is proven. Careful consideration of the on-line sum-capacitor-voltage reference computation is given, since this is the most critical part of the control system.

In this paper, the authors first highlight an existing overvoltage phenomenon that is inherent to the modular multilevel converter (MMC) topology. The latter occurs during the blocking sequences of semiconductor devices if the converter needs to be stopped due to circulating current, loss of control, or unexpected faults. An analysis based on time-domain expressions describing each operating sequence during normal and faulty blocking conditions is used to demonstrate the origin of this overvoltage. Thereafter, system behaviour is obtained when devices gating signals are withheld as well as the exact overvoltage cause. Real-time simulation, with submicrosecond time steps, and experimental results validate the overvoltage phenomena and the proposed remedial strategy to avoid uncontrolled faulty conditions.

Variable-speed drives have reduced voltage requirementswhen operating below the base speed. In a modularmultilevel-converter-based (M2C-based) motor drive it is thenpossible to operate with reduced voltage in the submodulecapacitors, than at the base speed. In this sense, a greatercapacitor-voltage ripple can be accommodated, without exceedingthe maximum peak-capacitor voltage. This paper presents ananalytical investigation for the optimal selection of the averagecapacitor voltage for M2Cs, when the motor is operating withrated torque, below the base speed. This method does not requireany power exchange between the converter arms, so it keepsthe conduction losses at the minimum level. Additionally, themethod decreases the switching losses, due to the decreasedcapacitor-voltage level. The overall ratings of the converterremain the same as in the base-speed operation. It is shownthat this method can be applied at a speed range betweenthe base speed and down to approximately one third of it,i.e, an operating range that covers the requirements for typicalpump- and fan-type applications. The results obtained from theanalytical investigation are experimentally verified on a downscaledlaboratory prototype M2C.

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) is the state-of-the-art voltage-source converter (VSC) topology used for various power-conversion applications. In the MMC, submodule failures can occur due to various reasons. Therefore, additional submodules called the redundant submodules are included in the arms of the MMC to fulfill the fault-safe operation requirement. The performance of the MMC with redundant submodules has not been widely covered in the published literature. This paper investigates the performance of the MMC with redundant submodules in the arms. Two different control strategies are used and compared for integrating redundant submodules. The response of the MMC to a submodule failure for the two strategies is also studied. Moreover, the operation of the MMC with redundant submodules is validated experimentally using the converter prototype in the laboratory.

Inverter-based electrical-machine drives suffer from significantly higher losses compared to sinusoidal-supply-based alternatives, fed directly from the grid. Using multilevel inverters it becomes possible to partially mitigate the effects of the switched supply waveform, while keeping the advantages of variable-speed operation. This paper aims to evaluate the increase of the losses occurring in an induction motor (IM) fed by a modular multilevel converter (M2C), when compared to grid-connected operation, in order to evaluate the impact of the inverter-generated harmonics in the machine. It is confirmed that the losses created in the motor due to the harmonic content of the inverter-generated waveforms are very low, and almost equivalent to a purely sinusoidal supply. The investigation includes an analysis of the harmonic content from experimental waveforms obtained by an 11-kW IM laboratory setup, and it is further supported by measurements of the temperature rise in the IM-stator windings. It is concluded that the M2C could create the conditions even for high-power motors to be operated without any derating.

Modular multilevel converters require that the controller is designed so that the submodule capacitor voltages are equalized and stable, independent of the loading conditions. Assuming that the individual capacitor-voltage sharing is managed effectively, an open-loop strategy has been designed to ensure that the total amount of energy stored inside the converter always will be controlled. This strategy, using the steady-state solutions of the dynamic equations for controlling the total stored energy in each converter arm, has proven to be effective. The intention of this paper is to explain in a rigorous way the mechanism behind the suggested strategy and to prove that, when this open-loop strategy is used, the system becomes globally asymptotically stable. Experimental verification on a three-phase 10-kVA prototype is presented.

Modular multilevel converters are shown to have a great potential in the area of medium-voltage drives. Low-distortion output quantities combined with low average switching frequencies for the semiconductor devices create an ideal combination for very high-efficiency drives. However, the large number of devices and capacitors that have to conduct the fundamental-frequency current require more complex converter control techniques than its two-level counterpart. Special care needs to be taken for starting and operation at low speeds, where the low-frequency current may cause significant unbalance between the submodule capacitor voltages and disturb the output waveforms. In this paper, principles for converter operation with high torque in the whole speed range are investigated. Experimental results from a down-scaled 12-kVA prototype converter running a loaded motor at various speeds between standstill and the rated speed are also provided.

The modular multilevel converter is a suitable converter topology for high-voltage high-power applications and consists of series-connected submodules. Typically, these submodules are half-bridges with dc capacitors. A voltage ripple in the submodule capacitors is inevitable due to the current flowing in the arms. The converter should therefore be controlled in such a way that the capacitor voltages are kept balanced and close to their nominal values over time. This paper presents a new submodule circuit which alleviates the balancing of the capacitor voltages. The proposed submodule circuit consists of two capacitors and eight switches, forming a three-level submodule. Ideally, the voltage and current rating of the switches can be chosen such that the combined power rating of the semiconductors is the same as for equivalent half-bridge submodules. The proposed submodule circuit provides the possibility of connecting the two capacitors in parallel when the intermediate voltage level is used. This will reduce the capacitor voltage ripple, especially at low switching frequencies and thus allow for a reduction of the size, weight, and cost of the submodule capacitors. The proposed submodule circuit is validated by both simulation results and experiments on a laboratory prototype. It is found that the parallel connection of the submodule capacitors will, in fact, significantly improve the balancing of the capacitor voltages.

Inner control of a Modular Multilevel Converter (M2C) based on direct tolerance-band modulation of the arm currents has been studied. This approach is attractive because it allows low switching frequency, directly provides the desired arm-current waveform and enables fast protective actions at the same time as the complexity of the over-all control system is reduced. Issues related to common-mode voltage are discussed and supporting PSCAD simulations are presented together with some results from experiments with a reduced-power prototype converter.