Analysis of Cascaded Buck–Boost Inverter for PMLG-Based Ocean Wave Energy Converter

Abstract

The direct-drive Permanent Magnet Linear Generator (PMLG)-based Ocean Wave Energy Converter (OWEC) generates variable AC voltage, which cannot be directly utilized by the load. This paper presents a two-stage methodology to convert variable AC voltage to a constant amplitude AC voltage. First, a standard rectifier is used to convert variable AC voltage into variable DC voltage. After that, a cascaded buck–boost inverter is employed to achieve the constant frequency AC voltage. Systematic design and circuit analysis, along with working principle and voltage control strategy, are presented. A small scale laboratory prototype of PMLG associated with buck–boost inverter is developed to validate the proposed concept.

KEYWORDS:

• DC–AC power converters
• Energy conversion
• Renewable energy sources
• Voltage control
• Wave power

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ajay Kumar Maurya

Ajay Kumar Maurya is working as an assistant professor in the Department of Automation, Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan, since July 2019; he is also a research scholar in Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, India. His research interests include power converters, renewable energy, and power quality issues in distributed generation systems.

S.P. Singh

S P Singh received the BSc degree in electrical engineering from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh, India, in 1978, and the ME degree (1980) in power electronics and drives as well as the PhD degree (1993) in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, India. He is currently a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India and chair professor in Rural Electric Corporation, Govt of India. He has authored over 100 technical papers and presented in various forums. His research interests include power converters and control for renewable and drive applications, active power filters for power quality improvements, renewable energy systems, and self- and line-excited induction generators for variable-speed power applications. Email: [email protected]