An Advanced Anti-Windup Control Strategy for MMC-HVDC System

Abstract

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) is an operational switch-mode converter topology which represents a potential solution for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission applications. This paper deals with the dynamic performance of an MMC-based, back-to-back HVDC system. Through an Anti-Windup (AW) control method, an energy control strategy for the MMC is proposed. This approach allows to generate the desired optimal reference signals for the differential current loops with respect to its dynamic constraints. A combination between conventional PI/IP and anti-windup controllers is used to extract the advantages of each one. For MMC linked to HVDC systems, the same advanced controller combined to conventional controller of DC voltage will be applied to generate the desired active power reference and to regulate the DC bus voltage. The effectiveness of the proposed anti-windup control strategy for MMC-HVDC system is then evaluated through SPS Matlab/Simulink. Obtained results, of the two-terminal MMC-HVDC system-based anti-windup approach under different dynamic conditions, presents satisfactory dynamic responses.

KEYWORDS:

• Anti-windup controller
• Energy and dc voltage controllers
• HVDC
• LMI optimization transmission system
• MMC

Additional information

Notes on contributors

M. Ayari

Mohamed Ayari received his master’s degree in automatic and industrial informatics from Ecole Supérieure des Sciences et Techniques de Tunis (ESSTT), University of Tunis, Tunisia, in 2012. He is a member in Advanced Systems Laboratory (LSA) at Tunisia Polytechnic School (EPT), University of Carthage, Tunisia. In 2017, he received the PhD degree in electrical engineering from Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Tunis (ENSIT), University of Tunis, Tunisia. His main research interests concern the modelling, analysis and control issues based on the integration of high-voltage power electronic converters, like voltage source converter (VSC) and modular multilevel converter (MMC), in high voltage direct current (HVDC) and multi-terminal direct current (MTDC) transmission systems. Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

S. Bichiou

Salim Bichiou received his master’s degree in automatics and industrial informatics from the Higher School of Sciences and Techniques of Tunis, Tunisia (ESSTT), in 2012. In 2018, he received the PhD degree in electrical engineering from Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Tunis (ENSIT), University of Tunis, Tunisia. Now, he is a member in Advanced Systems Laboratory (LSA) at Tunisia Polytechnic School (EPT). His research interests include optimal control, optimization and anti-windup control. Email: [email protected]

M. M. Belhaouane

Mohamed Moez Belhaouane received the master’s degree in automatic control and the PhD degree in electrical engineering from Ecole Supérieure des Sciences et Techniques de Tunis and Polytechnic School of Tunisia in 2005 and 2011, respectively. He is currently a senior research engineer in L2EP Laboratory (Laboratoire d’Electrotechnique et d’Electronique de Puissance) at Ecole Centrale de Lille, France. Prior to joining the Electric Grid Research Team at L2EP Laboratory, he was an associate professor in Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Tunis (ENSIT). Earlier, he was also an assistant professor in Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Gabès. His main research interests concern the modelling, analysis and control issues based on the integration of high-voltage power electronic converters, like VSC and MMC, in HVDC and MTDC transmission systems. In addition, his research advances include also the implementation of advanced control strategies using HIL (Hardware In the Loop) and PHIL (Power Hardware In the Loop) concepts based on small-scale multi-terminal DC mock-up. Finally, his research and development (R&D) works are mainly related to the French’s TSO, RTE (Réseau de Transport d’Electricité). Email: [email protected]

N. Benhadj Braiek

Naceur Benhadj Braiek was born in Mahdia, Tunisia. He obtained the bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, and master's degree in systems analysis and signal processing, both from National High School of Engineers of Tunis in 1987, and the doctorate degree (PhD) in automatic control from the University of Sciences and Technologies of Lille-France in 1990, and the State Doctorate of Sciences (Doctorat d’Etat ès Sciences) in electrical engineering from the National High School of Engineers of Tunis – University of Tunis – in 1995. He is professor of automatic control and electrical engineering, and the Head of research Laboratory “Laboratory of Advanced Systems” at the Ecole Polytechnique de Tunisie– University of Carthage. His domain of interest includes nonlinear systems modelling, control and optimization in both theoretical developments and applications. He has published more than 250 scientific papers in international journals and conferences and supervised more than 80 master thesis and 35 PhD thesis which have been successfully defended. He is a member of the board of the National Committee for Evaluation of Research Results. Email: [email protected]