Power Converter Damping Control for Harmonic Suppression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional power converters face challenges in suppressing harmonics due to inductive loads while maintaining resonance suppression and achieving optimal control responsiveness, particularly with LC filters, leading to complex control circuits and inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A power converter design that controls the inverter section to achieve a damping characteristic with a phase lead element and second-order lag element, setting the damping coefficient greater than 1, and utilizes feedback loops to independently set cut-off frequencies for harmonic and resonance suppression, allowing for downsizing of inductive elements and improved stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If large harmonics of the motor slot are involved in the motor load, then the reactor capacity is increased to lower the resonance frequency of the LC filter to suppress power harmonics, but the features of the capacitorless method cannot be utilized and the system becomes less efficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower harmonicsVSAvoidcapacitorless method efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the control parameters of the inverter section to achieve a damping characteristic with a damping coefficient greater than 1. This is accomplished by controlling the transfer characteristic of the inverter section to match a specific damping characteristic, which allows suppression of power harmonics without increasing reactor capacity, thereby maintaining the efficiency of the capacitorless method.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the reactor capacity is increased to suppress power harmonics, then the resonance frequency of the LC filter is lowered, but the system complexity increases and the responsiveness to inductive loads deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower harmonicsVSAvoidcontrol circuit complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs feedback control by detecting the voltage across the inductance element and using this information to control the inverter section. The controller adjusts the inverter output based on the detected voltage to maintain the damping characteristic, achieving harmonic suppression through intelligent control rather than increasing hardware complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the dynamic parameters of the inverter section to achieve optimal damping performance. By controlling the transfer characteristic to match the desired damping characteristic with damping coefficient greater than 1, the system achieves harmonic suppression without requiring complex additional control circuits or larger reactors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional control methods are used with LC filters, then resonance suppression is achieved, but the control responsiveness to inductive loads like motors is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveresonanceVSAvoidcontrol responsiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the control parameters of the inverter section to achieve a damping characteristic with damping coefficient greater than 1. This parameter optimization allows the system to simultaneously suppress resonance and improve control responsiveness to inductive loads, as the damping characteristic directly affects both resonance behavior and transient response speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2763306B1Power converter
Publication Date: 2019.03.20 DAIKIN INDUSTRIES LTD
  • EP2763306B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2763306B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2763306B1 patent drawingFigure 3(A)~3(C)

AI summary

There is provided a controller (100) for controlling an inverter section (12) on the basis of a voltage (VL) across a reactor (L) detected by a voltage detector (101). The controller (100) controls the inverter section (12) so that a transfer characteristic of an input voltage of the inverter section (12) versus a DC voltage from a diode bridge (11) becomes a damping characteristic by a phase lead element and a second-order lag element connected in series, while a damping coefficient (ζ) of a transfer characteristic of the input voltage of the inverter section (12) versus a DC voltage from the diode bridge (11) is set larger than 1. Thus, there is provided a power converter capable of suppressing harmonics due to an inductive load while suppressing resonance due to the LC filter and capable of fulfilling optimal control of good responsivity to the inductive load.