Teaching Utility Applications of

Power Electronics in a First

Course on Power Systems

Ned Mohan, Amit Jain, Philip Jose

University of Minnesota

and

Raja Ayyanar
Arizona State University
 Outline
 Importance of teaching power electronics in a power
systems course
 Description of proposed approach consisting of four
segments
 Functional aspects of power electronics
 Power device capabilities and Power Electronic Structures
 Role of power electronics in utility applications
 Details of the power electronics structures

2
 Importance
 Increasing applications of Power Electronic
Equipment in Power Systems
 Availability of high power Control Center

semiconductor devices Central Power

Station Solar Power Plants
 Decentralized renewable  CHP House

energy generation sources Combined Heat and Power Wind Power Plants
Plant (CHP)  Village
 Increased power transfer Factory  Commercial
Commercial Building Building
with existing transmission House
system Apartment Building
Micro-Turbine
 Effective control of power Fuel Cell  Hospital
 Smart House  Commercial
flow needed in a  Performance Building
deregulated environment Building

 Norms for Power quality

Future Power System

3
 Approach

 Top Down approach consisting of four segments

 Function of power electronics as an interface, and the listing
of utility applications requiring power electronics interface
(1 lecture)
 Power device capabilities and the resulting structures of
power electronic interfaces to exploit them (1 lecture)
 Importance and the role of power electronic interfaces in
various applications (2 lectures)
 Discussion of power electronics interface in appropriate
detail (3 lectures)

4
 Segment 1: Function of Power
Electronics in Utility Applications

Converter

Source Load
Controller

 Enabling technology providing interface between two

(ac/dc) electrical systems
 E.g.
 Interconnection of two asynchronous ac systems
 dc to ac conversion is required to connect fuel cells or
photovoltaics to the utility grid
5
 Segment 1: Listing of Power Electronic
Applications
 Distributed generation (DG)
 Renewable resources (wind and photovoltaic)
 Fuel cells and micro-turbines
 Storage: batteries, super-conducting magnetic energy storage,
flywheels
 Power electronics loads: Adjustable speed drives
 Power quality solutions
 Dual feeders
 Uninterruptible power supplies
 Dynamic voltage restorers
 Transmission and distribution (T&D)
 High voltage dc (HVDC) and medium voltage dc
 Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS): Shunt and Series
compensation, and the unified power flow controller
6
Segment 2: Power Device Capabilities &
Resulting Power Electronic Structures
 Power Semiconductor Devices and their Capabilities
 Polarity of voltage blocked and direction of current conduction
 Switching speeds and power ratings

108

Thyristor
Power (VA)
IGCT
106
Thyristor IGCT IGBT
104

102 MOSFET

101 102 103 104

IGBT MOSFET Switching Frequency (Hz)
7
 Segment 2: Structure of Power
Electronic Systems
 Voltage-Link Systems
 Transistors and diodes that
can block voltage of only
one polarity AC1 AC2

 Current-Link Systems
 higher power bipolar voltage-
blocking capabilities of thyristors AC1 AC2

 Solid State Switches

 bidirectional voltage blocking
and current conduction

8
 Segment 3: Role of Power Electronics in
Important Utility Applications
 Distributed Generation (DG) Applications
Power electronic interface depends on the source
characteristics

Wound rotor
Induction Generator

Isolated
PWM
DC-DC
Converter
Converter
AC DC
Wind Utility
Turbine DC AC 1f
Max. Power-
Generator-side Grid-side point Tracker
Converter Converter

Wind Power Generation with Photo-voltaics Interface

Doubly Fed Induction Motors
9
Segment 3: Role of Power Electronics in
Important Utility Applications
 Power Electronic Loads: Adjustable Speed Drives

Switch-mode
Utility Converter

Motor

Rectifier
Controller

10
Segment 3: Role of Power Electronics in
Important Utility Applications
 Power Quality Solutions for
 voltage distortion
 unbalances Power Electronic Load
Interface
 voltage sags and swells
 power outages
Dynamic Voltage Restorers (DVR)

Feeder 1 Critical
Rectifier Inverter Filter
Load
Load
Energy
Feeder 2 Storage

Dual Feeders Uninterruptible Power Supplies

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 Segment 3: Role of Power Electronics in
Important Utility Applications
 Transmission and Distribution: DC Transmission
 most flexible solution for connection of two ac systems

AC1 AC2 AC1 AC2

HVDC MVDC

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 Segment 3: Role of Power Electronics in
Important Utility Applications
 Transmission and Distribution: Flexible AC E1 E2
P sin 
Transmission Systems (FACTS) X

Series Compensation
E
2

E
3
E
1

E E E
1
I - 3
+ 2

jX
Utility

STATCOM S
er
ies
Sh
unt
c
onv
ert
er
c
onv
ert
er

Shunt Compensation Shunt and Series Compensation 13

 Segment 4: Discussion of Power
Electronics Interface
 Fundamental concepts for understanding the
operation of the power electronic structures
 voltage-link systems
 current link systems
 solid state switches

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 Voltage-Link Systems
 Unifying approach: Power-Pole Building Block
 building block of all
voltage-link systems
AC1 AC2

idA

+ iA
d A Ts
Voltage
Vd
port + Current
vA
- - port
qA  1 or 0
vcontrol
PWM

15
 Voltage-Link Systems
 Power conversion using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
 Power reversal with reversal of current direction

idA

+ iA
d A Ts
Voltage v V
Vd A v
A
d
port + Current
vA t
port d
T
As
- -
T
qA  1 or 0 s

vcontrol
PWM

 Averaged conversion Ton

vA  Vd  d AVd
Ts

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 Voltage-Link Systems
 Averaged Representation of Power Pole
 Average quantities are of main interest

idA idA
+ iA + iA
d A Ts d A Ts
Vd
Voltag
Vd +
e +
Current
vA vA
- port - port - -
qA  1 or 0 1: d A
vcontrol
PWM vcontrol
PWM

v A (t )  d A (t ) Vd
idA (t )  d A (t )  iA (t )

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 Voltage-Link Systems
 Synthesis of AC voltages
vA
 voltage to be synthesized Vd

Vd 
v AN (t )   V sin  t V v

2 2
d

 duty ratio needed

0 
t
1  iA
d A   d sin  t
2 
I
0 
t
 dc side current
1   
i dA (t )    d sin  t   ia (t )
2 
1  
  d sin  t   Iˆ sin( t   )
2 
1ˆ 

 I d cos   sin( t   )  
2

 d cos(2 t   )
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 Voltage-Link Systems
 Implementation of bi-positional switch

idA

+ q
d A Ts iA +
A
iA
V d
Vd -
+
vA
- - q A
q A  1 or 0
q A  1  q A

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 Current-Link Systems
 Exclusively thyristor based

AC1 AC2

T1
 One of (T1, T2, T3) and (T2, T4, T6) T3
conduct at a time T5 +
 Average dc voltage controlled ia

by ‘firing angle’ La ib
vd Id
Lb
3 2 3 ic
Vd  VLL cos    Lc I d
  Lc T4

 Power flow reversed by reversing T6 -

voltage polarity T2
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 Solid State Switch

 Can conduct current in both directions

 Turn-on or off in an ac circuit in one-half of a line-frequency
cycle

21
 Conclusion

 Teaching utility applications of power electronics in a

power systems course is very important
 A top down approach, starting with functional aspects
and going to implementation details is suggested
 Topics outlined in the four segment proposed structure
will introduce students to future practices and
technologies in power engineering
 The proposed structure may be adapted based on
individual preferences

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