Voltage source equipment for the grid fault testing and analysis of total harmonic distortion according to PWM methods

Abstract

Renewable energy is being spotlighted as the electric power generating source for the next generation. Due to an increase in renewable energy systems in the grid system, their impact on the grid has become non-negligible. Thus, many countries in the world, including Europe, present their own grid codes for grid power conversion devices. In order to experiment with these grid codes, grid fault test equipment is required. This paper proposes both equipment and a control method, which are constructed with a 7-level cascaded H-bridge converter, that are capable of generating various grid faults. In addition, the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) method for multilevel converters is compared and analyzed. The proposed structure, the control method, and the PWM method are verified through simulation and experimental results.