A Sizing Procedure for the DC-Side Capacitor of a Three-Phase Modular Multilevel Converter

Abstract

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) modules with a modular multilevel converter (MMC) is very interesting because it allows us to exploit the intrinsic advantages of that converter, such as modularity and high voltage quality, and to implement distributed maximum power point tracking algorithms. The latter can appropriately be performed through controlling the circulating currents. In the literature, some control strategies for both the AC and DC circulating currents were proposed to manage the power mismatch among the legs and between the arms of the MMC. In a previous work, the authors proposed a novel control strategy for the circulating current components and inserted a capacitor on the DC side of a three-phase MMC with integrated PV panels. In the present work, it is shown how the correct sizing of this capacitor is essential to optimize the AC circulating voltages and minimize converter losses. A sizing procedure is proposed, deeply analyzed, and validated through numerical simulations.

Keywords

• distributed MPPT
• modular multilevel converter
• partial shading conditions
• photovoltaic plants