Review on low-frequency ripple suppression methods for MMCs for medium-voltage drive applications

Abstract

Advantages of the modular multilevel converter (MMC) such as modularity, scalability, fault-tolerant ability, low device switching frequency, transformerless grid connection etc. have made it the most promising converter topology for medium-to-high-voltage, high-power applications. However, in MMC-based medium-voltage drives, the excessive fundamental-frequency submodule capacitor voltage ripple at low speeds or start-up poses a major technological challenge. A lot of low-frequency ripple suppression methods have been proposed to address this problem. This study summarises the state of the art in this area and classifies these methods into three categories. The pros and cons of them are discussed. An in-depth analysis of these methods from a practical viewpoint is given. Some future research trends are also discussed.