UNIVERSITI TENAGA NASIONAL

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

BACHELOR IN ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS

ENGINEERING (BEEE)
2015

`
UMAH GHANTEN A/L REVI CHANDER
EE089909

"Modeling and Analysis of Modular Multilevel Converter Based

STATCOM for Smart Grid"

Supervisor: Toh Chuen Ling, Dr.

Date of Submission: 1/12/2015
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CONTENTS
Description

Page number

1. Introduction

3-4

2. MMC model topology build up

5-9

3. Simulation results and analysis

10-11

4. Reference

12

1.0 Introduction
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The framework of the progress report 3 is to discuss LS PWM method and control
technique used for MMC topology for this project . The procedure also involves devising the
optimal circuit parameters. Then, the design is verified by means of detailed MATLAB
SIMULINK simulations. Several power ratings are considered to provide a thorough
performance evaluation of the designed system. Carrier based PWM techniques for MMC are
widely studied [1]-[3]. There are several studies that consider carrier based PWM methods for
MMC switching. One of the earliest studies [3], introduces LS PWM methods and compares
their performances. Carrier based PWM methods comparisons for specific ma (amplitude
modulation index) and mf (carrier to fundamental frequency ratio) values are given in [4] and
[5]. Another work [1], also rates sinusoidal PWM methods, for specific ma and mf values in
terms of harmonics performances. The switching methods for modular multilevel converters
are illustrated in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1 : Switching methods for modular multilevel converters

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1.1 Level-shift (LS) (Sub-Harmonic) Methods

These methods require N identical triangular carriers being displaced contiguously in the
whole dc-link voltage; Vdc. In order to provide a balanced exploitation of circuit elements
that create different voltage levels, peak-to-peak amplitudes of the carriers are set equal to
each other, Vdc/N, which is a necessary but not a sufficient condition. They have frequency of
fc. Carriers do not cross. Depending on the phase-shift of carriers with respect to each other,
level-shift methods branch into three different sub-methods: phase disposition (PD), phase
opposition disposition (POD) and alternative phase opposition disposition (APOD)[6].

1.2 Phase Disposition (PD) Method

The MMC topology in this project uses phase disposition method. All the carriers are in
phase. For an MMC having 3 submodules per phase arm (N=3), carriers of PD method are
displaced in the Vdc band as illustrated in Figure 1.2 was taken from MATLAB SIMULINK
simulation result.

Figure 1.2: Result of PD method gained from equation 1/3[(u(t)+0),(u(t)+1/3),(u(t)+2/3)].

2.0 MMC model topology build up

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MMC block was constructed in MATLAB SIMULINK. The construction of the model
started from one Sub-module unit then went on to the final construction of a full working
simulation model. The process of build up is shown below.
The model was developed by using a 7-level shifting PWM method and it consists of 6
Sub-Module units as it follows the formula of (N sub-module * 2 +1) to enable a efficient working
model and the model use parameters that was compared and taken from several conference
papers to get a accurate results[6]. The real hardware model of a MMC models sub-module
unit will have a capacitor but it was later replaced by a voltage source as shown in figure 2.
The purpose of the replacement is in a real hardware the capacitor will be precharged but in a
simulation model it cant be recharged, under circumstance a replacement with voltage source
will get the model to give a better result. Figure 2.1 shows a subsytem selection that will
create a mask for the sub-module unit(SM unit), this modification will make the circuit block
more neat. This is a 7-level shifting PWM based MMC model, hence it have 3 SM unit in its
upper arm and 3 SM unit at lower arm that totals up to 6 SM unit that is shown in figure 2.2
and figure 2.3. Figure 2.4 is a single phase MMC model topology and it was modified to a
three phase MMC model topology as shown in figure 2.5[7].

Figure 2 : One Sub-Module unit that was modified 10V2 voltage source

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Figure 2.1 : Subsystem block that creates a mask for the Sub-module unit at figure 2.

Figure 2.2 : Upper arm which consist of 3 SM units.

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Figure 2.3 : Lower arm which consist of 3 SM units

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Figure 2.4 : Single phase MMC model topology without load

Figure 2.5 : Three phase MMC model topology without load

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3.0 Simulation results and analysis

3.1 Level-shift Pulse Width Modulation(LS PWM) with Phase Disposition(PD) Method

PD method has been implemented with two different carrier sets for upper and lower
arms in order to construct the phase voltage in N+1 level. The sine wave was generated inside
a discrete PWM generated and it acts as reference signal. Two sine waves were injected to the
circuit , to the upper arm and the other sine wave was inverted by adding a gain for the lower
arm to make a succesful modulation. The sine waves were modified by 0.5*(u(1)+1) equation
to ensure the sine waves fits perfectly in between the carrier waves and this will give an
effective PWM cycle period. The carrier wave is a triangle wave which was level-shifted by
the equations of 1/3[(u(t)+0),(u(t)+1/3),(u(t)+2/3)] which represents 7-level shift. The
modulation was taken successfully from the MATLAB SIMULINK simulation and it is
shown in figure 3.1[7].

Figure 3.1 : Shows a successful modulation occured at upper arm and lower arm and the two
sine waves sits perfectly between the carrier waves. The three different colours
represents the 3 different level positioning of one carrier wave.

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3.2 The simulation result and parameters of MMC model single phase topology
The simulation results shown in figure 3.2 justifies the MMC model single phase is
working in MATLAB SIMULINK simulation platform. The first graph of sine wave shows

that the DC source is converted to AC source. The second graph shows voltage wave that
have levels, this shows that the circuit using a level-shifted PWM by phase disposition
method[7]. Table 1 shows the parameters used to get the simulation results.

Figure 3.2 : sine wave AC source and voltage wave that have 7 level

Table 1 : Parameters of the MMC setup[7]

Rated power
Number of SMs per arm
Per SM voltage
Arm inductance
DC link voltage
RL load
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238W
3 units
30 V
1.3mh
90 V
R= 5 , L= 8mh

Number of output volatge levels

Switching frequency

7
2Khz

4.0 Reference
1. G. S. Konstantinou, and V. G. Agelidis, "Performance evaluation of half-bridge
cascaded multilevel converters operated with multicarrier sinusoidal PWM
techniques," Industrial Electronics and Applications, 2009. ICIEA 2009. 4th IEEE
Conference on, pp.3399-3404, 25-27 May 2009.
2. A. Hassanpoor, S. Norrga, H. Nee, and L. Angquist, "Evaluation of different carrier
based PWM methods for modular multilevel converters for HVDC
application," IECON 2012 - 38th Annual Conference on IEEE Industrial Electronics
Society, pp.388-393, 25-28 Oct. 2012.
3. G. Carrara, S. Gardella, M. Marchesoni, R. Salutari, and G. Sciutto, "A new multilevel
PWM method: a theoretical analysis," Power Electronics, IEEE Transactions on,
vol.7, no.3, pp.497-505, Jul 1992.
4. B. P. McGrath, and D. G. Holmes, "A comparison of multicarrier PWM strategies for
cascaded and neutral point clamped multilevel inverters," Power Electronics
Specialists Conference, 2000. PESC 00. 2000 IEEE 31st Annual, vol.2, pp.674-679,
vol.2, 2000.
5. B. P. McGrath, and D. G. Holmes, "Multicarrier PWM strategies for multilevel
inverters," Industrial Electronics, IEEE Transactions on, vol.49, no.4, pp.858-867,
Aug 2002.
6. S. Debnath, Q. Jiangchao, B. Bahrani, M. Saeedifard, and P. Barbosa, "Operation,
Control, and Applications of the Modular Multilevel Converter: A Review," Power
Electronics, IEEE Transactions on, vol.30, no.1, pp.37- 53, Jan. 2015.
7. C. L. Toh and L. E. Norum, Implementation of redundancy control by degrading
voltage level in modular multilevel converter, 2014 IEEE Conference on Energy
Conversion (CENCON).

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