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Abstract--This paper provides a comparison of power increases, in order to reduce current level, the Medium
converter loss and thermal description for voltage source Voltage (MV) system has been adopted for power
and current source type 5MW-class medium voltage converter and generators of wind turbine [1]-[3]. MV
topologies of wind turbines. Neutral-point clamped three- converter becomes more preferable due to less
level converter is adopted for voltage source type topology component count, high efficiency and simple power stage
while two-level converter is employed for current source
type topology considering the popularity in the industry. In
design in power converters of wind turbines [4].
order to match the required voltage level of 4160V with the Among various topologies of MV converter, back-to-
same switching device of IGCT as in voltage source back type three-level neutral-point clamped Voltage
converter, two active switches are connected in series for the Source Converter (VSC) is one of popular choices in
case of current source converter. Transient thermal wind power systems. This converter topology has become
modeling of a four-layer Foster network for heat transfer is a quite reliable industrial solution in wind turbines of MV
done to better estimate the transient junction and case class owing to many existing high power semiconductor
temperature of power semiconductors during various switch components and modules in the market. Current
operating conditions in wind turbines. The loss analysis is source type converter has been regarded as one of many
confirmed through PLECS simulations. The comparison
interesting circuit topologies in motor drives of MV class
result shows that VSC-based wind turbine system has a
higher efficiency than that of CSC under the rated due to its inherent short circuit protection capability and
operating conditions. low dv/dt characteristic of ac line voltage in a long-range
Index TermsVoltage Source Converter, Current Source cable connection. Previous literatures regarding Current
Converter, Junction Temperature Wind Turbine Systems Source Converter (CSC) have focused on the design and
loss analysis of current source converters [5]. In addition,
I. INTRODUCTION most of previous work has dealt with high-power motor
The demand of sustainable and renewable energy has drive applications of current source converters [6]-[7].
been increased remarkably due to the energy crisis and Some work has been done to apply thyristor technology
the environmental concern. Among the renewable energy to wind turbine systems [8]. However, in contrast to
sources, especially, the wind energy capacity has been voltage source type converters, current source type
increased rapidly over the last decade. According to the converters, particularly those with turn-off power
recent trends, power capability of wind turbines is semiconductor switching devices, have received less
moving from kW class to MW class to reduce the cost of attention in the field of wind turbines in spite of its many
energy. As the power capacity of wind turbine systems powerful advantages in MV applications.
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2015 KIPE
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generate the ac current of same THD and power factor 1
T
Pcond = vsw (t ) i(t )dt
range for the sake of fair comparison of these two
converter systems. The switching frequency adopted for 1
= {von + Ron i (t )}i (t )dt (2)
the grid-side converter is set to 1020 Hz for both types of T
converter systems. This switching frequency is selected 2
= von I avg + Ron ( I rms )
to be 17 times of the fundamental frequency, 60Hz.
where T is the fundamental period of the converter [11].
TABLE II
SIMULATION PARAMETERS OF 5MW VSC B. Switching Losses
Parameter Symbol Value Per unit Switching loss of power semiconductor device is
determined by the total commutation time in which the
Output power Prated-out 5 MW 1.0
device is turned on/off, and also by the voltage v(t) and
Grid frequency fgrid 60 Hz 1.0 current i(t) across the device. The energy dissipated
Grid side inductance Lgrid 1.56 mH 0.17 during commutation is Eon and Eoff for the single-pulse
Grid side input voltage VLL 4.16 kV 1.0 turn on and off, respectively, and is provided by the
device manufacturers on their datasheet. The average
Grid side input current IAC_input 708 A 1.0
switching power loss Pswitching over a complete
Switching frequency fVSC 1020 Hz - fundamental period T may be determined by summing all
DC-link voltage VDC 7 kV - the commutations of the device during the respective
DC-link capacitance CDC 2.6 mF -
interval of time. Each switching loss for turn-on and turn-
off can be expressed as;
AC filter inductance Lf 1.5 mH 0.16
Pon = Eon f sw
AC filter capacitance Cf 0.35 mF 0.45
Von ( measure ) Ion ( measure ) (3)
= Eon ( spec ) f sw
TABLE III Vtest I test
SIMULATION PARAMETERS OF 5MW CSC
Poff = Eoff f sw
Parameter Symbol Value Per unit Voff ( measure )
I off ( measure ) (4)
Output power Prated-out 5 MW 1.0
= Eoff ( spec ) f sw
Vtest I test
Grid frequency fgrid 60 Hz 1.0 Equation (3) and (4) represent the linear
Grid side inductance Lgrid 1.56 mH 0.17 approximation of actual switching loss for turn-on and
Grid side input voltage VLL 4.16 kV 1.0
turn-off based on the specific values (Eon(spec) and Eoff(spec))
provided by manufacturers. Although the switching loss
Grid side input current IAC 708 A 1.0
can vary depending on the gate impedance, parasitic
Switching frequency fCSC 1020 Hz - circuit elements, and snubber characteristics, this linear
DC-link current IDC 997 A - approximation gives a fairly good accuracy particularly at
the vicinity of a manufacturers test point (Vtest and Itest)
DC-link inductance LDC 8.3 mH -
and snubber condition [7].
AC filter inductance Lf 0.98 mH 0.11
C. Thermal Model
AC filter capacitance Cf 0.26 mF 0.34
The power loss modeling can be implemented based
on the current and voltage values in the power devices.
III. THERMAL MODEL OF SEMICONDUCTOR LOSSES The thermal modeling of power devices and cooling
The losses of power semiconductor devices are environment for heat transfer are used to estimate the
approximated by analytical expressions in terms of junction and case temperature of power devices [12].
voltage and current. The total semiconductor device loss The steady state average junction temperature of each
Pt consists of the conduction loss Pcond and switching loss power semiconductor devices can be expressed as follows
Pswitching; [13]. Tj and Pt represent the junction temperature and
Pt = Pcond + Pswitching total semiconductor device loss, respectively [12].
(1)
= Pcond + Pon + Poff ( )
T j [D C ] = Pt [W ] Rth [D C / W ] + Ta [D C ] (5)
A. Conduction Losses Total thermal resistance Rth consists of Rth(j-c), Rth(c-h),
Conduction loss of each power semiconductor and Rth(h-a).
depends on the instantaneous on-state voltage vsw(t) and Rth = Rth ( j c ) + Rth ( c h ) + Rth ( h a ) (6)
the instantaneous switching current i(t) passing through it.
A forward on-state voltage of power semiconductor Rth(j-c) is the thermal resistance from junction to case. Rth(c-h)
device, vsw(t) can be modeled using a first-order linear is the thermal resistance from case to heatsink. Rth(h-a) is the
approximation comprised of a threshold voltage von and a thermal resistance from heatsink to ambient. In this paper,
series resistance Ron. And then, the total conduction loss water cooling environment is assumed. Therefore, the
in power semiconductors can be expressed as; ambient temperature (Ta) refers to the temperature of in-let
water in the cooling system. The ambient temperature is set
896
to 30 in this paper. power flows from the dc link to the ac grid. Under the
The transient behavior of junction temperature is also same operating conditions as in Fig. 4 and 5, Fig. 6 and 7
investigated in this paper. The thermal impedance from present the simulation waveforms of instantaneous
junction to case Zth(j-c) is modeled as a four-layer Foster RC junction temperature of switching devices in the upper-
network as depicted in Fig. 3. The curve for the transient leg of phase-a in VSC and CSC. In this paper, the
thermal impedance Zth(j-c) can be fitted into series of balanced sharing of switching voltage across two series
exponential term as in (7). The parameters of thermal connected devices (ns=2) in CSC is assumed. It is noted
impedances for 6.5kV IGCT platform are listed in Table from Fig. 6 and 7 that the RC Foster network thermal
IV [14]. model in Fig. 3 and its thermal impedance values in Table
n IV successfully exhibit the transient behavior of junction
i =1
(
Z th ( j c ) (t ) = Rth ( j c ),i 1 e t / i ) (7) temperature with respect to the corresponding switching
on and off instants. The waveforms of junction
The case to heatsink and heatsink to ambient thermal temperature in Fig. 6 and 7 confirms the fact that the
impedances are modeled as a simple thermal resistors in transient thermal modeling of switching devices is quite
this paper. necessary in order to accurately investigate the transient
TABLE IV
PARAMETERS OF THE THERMAL IMPEDANCE FOR IGCT PLATFORM
thermal behavior of power semiconductor devices, e.g.
[9][10] peak temperature, repetitive temperature ripples, etc.
897
Sga_1 v
5*Sga_1 i
Turn-off
Turn-on
Dga_1 v
5*Dga_1 i
Turn-off
Sga_2 v
5*Sga_2 i
Turn-off
Turn-on
Dga_2 v
5*Dga_2 i
NDga_1 v
5*NDga_1 i
Turn-off
iag
Gating signal
Fig. 4. Waveforms of VSC switching voltage and current in the upper-leg of phase-a under 0.9 leading condition (Sga_1, Dga_1, Sga_2, Dga_2,
)NDga_1
Sga_1 v
5*Sga_1 i
Turn-off
Turn-on
Dga_1 v
Dga_1 i
Turn-off
Sga_2 v
5*Sga_2 i
Turn-off
Turn-on
Dga_2 v
Dga_2 i
Turn-off
iag
Gating signal
)Fig. 5. Waveforms of CSC switching voltage and current in the upper-leg of phase-a under 0.9 leading condition (Sga_1, Dga_1, Sga_2, Dga_2
898
Fig. 6. Junction temperature of switching devices in the upper-leg of phase-a under 0.9 leading condition for the VSC
Fig. 7. Junction temperature of switching devices in the upper-leg of phase-a under 0.9 leading condition for the CSC
899
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
0 0
Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2 NDg_1 Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2
Conduction Losses (kW) Switching Losses (kW) Conduction Losses (kW) Switching Losses (kW)
Parameter Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2 NDg_1 Parameter Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
0 0
Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2 NDg_1 Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2
Conduction Losses (kW) Switching Losses (kW) Conduction Losses (kW) Switching Losses (kW)
Parameter Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2 NDg_1 Parameter Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
0 0
Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2 NDg_1 Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2
Conduction Losses (kW) Switching Losses (kW) Conduction Losses (kW) Switching Losses (kW)
Parameter Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2 NDg_1 Parameter Sg_1 Sg_2 Dg_1 Dg_2
900
pf=0.9 (lagging) 99.5%
23.4 Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea
99.2%
government (MSIP) (No. 2010-0028509) & (No.
VSC
pf=1.0 42.1
98.9%
pf=0.9 (leading) 56.3 2014R1A2A1A11053678).
99.1%
pf=0.9 (lagging) 45.7
99.1%
REFERENCES
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pf=1.0 47.3
98.8%
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT vol.24, no.4, pp.963-972, Apr. 2009.
This work was supported by the National Research
901