Title: An efficient crowbar to improve the low voltage ride-through capability of wind turbines based on DFIG excited by an indirect matrix converter

Authors: Ahmad Khajeh; Reza Ghazi; Mohamad Hosseini Abardeh; Mahmoud Oukati Sadegh

Addresses: Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran ' Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran ' Engineering Faculty, Islamic Azad University of Shahrood, Shahrood, Iran ' Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

Abstract: Due to numerous advantages, in this work, the traditional back-to-back converter is substituted with an indirect matrix converter (IMC) to control the doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG). The recent grid codes require that the wind turbines must have the low voltage ride-through (LVRT) capability. One of the main challenges of the IMC that slows down the industrial applications is the fault currents handling. In this paper, a new low cost, simple and reliable method is proposed to protect the IMC from large fault currents. This method is based on a novel crowbar structure. The PSIM simulation results confirm the efficiency of the proposed method in satisfying the new LVRT standards. Also, experimental results of a laboratory prototype verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Keywords: doubly-fed induction generator; DFIG; indirect matrix converter; IMC; low voltage ride-through; LVRT; crowbar; wind turbine.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPELEC.2020.105150

International Journal of Power Electronics, 2020 Vol.11 No.2, pp.236 - 255

Received: 15 Apr 2017
Accepted: 09 Nov 2017
Published online: 14 Feb 2020 *

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