IFOST 2010 Proceedings
Z-source Inverter Based Grid Connected for
PMSG Wind Power System
Quoe-Nam, Trinh
School of Electrical Engineering
University ofUlsan
Nam-gu, Ulsan, Korea.
trinhquocnam201O@yahoo.com
Abstract-This paper presents a grid connected
algorithm for PMSG wind power system using a Z-source
inverter. The Z-source inverter has a unique single stage
buck boost feature that it can generate any AC output
voltage regardless DC input voltage by regulating of shoot­
through time. In the proposed control system, the variation
of shoot-through time is used to maintain Z-source capacitor
voltage stable meanwhile the regulation of d-q axis current is
used to extract the maximum power from wind turbine and
deliver to grid. The proposed system has
performance, higher efficiency and lower cost compare with
boost dc-dc converter and three-phase inverter (BC-VSI)
structure. The simulation results have been verified the
effectiveness of proposed control method.
Keywords-PMSG, Z-source inverter, grid connected
I. INTRODUCTION
With the rising cost and limited availability of fossil
fuels, application of renewable energy sources especially
wind energy has been greatly increased in the world.
Permanent-magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) wind
power system recently has an important trend in
development of wind power applications due to numerous
advantages as high power factor, high efficiency, low
weight and volume, gearless operation, etc [1]-[6]. The
classic configuration used in PMSG system includes diode
rectifier, boost dc-dc converter and three-phase inverter
(BC-VSI) due to low cost and simplification [1]-[5]. In this
topology, boost converter is controlled for maximum
power point tracking (MPPT) and inverter is controlled to
deliver the extrated power to the utility grid [2]-[4]. Even
though this topology is effective and simple, the extra
active devices and controls add additional system costs and
complexities [2]-[4].
Recently, the Z-source inverter presented in [7] as a
competitive alternative to overcomes the voltage limitation
of the traditional inverter. The main advantage of Z-source
inverter is the system able to work with a low DC input
voltage to generate higher AC output voltage by using only
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Hong-Hee, Lee
School of Electrical Engineering
University ofUlsan
Nam-gu, Ulsan, Korea.
hhlee@mail.ulsan.ae.kr
control single stage converter. In order to employ the voltage boost
ability with single stage converter, both switches in the
same inverter phase leg must turn "ON" in same time
(shoot-through state). Due to exist of the shoot-through
state, the short circuit across any phase leg of inverter is
allowed therefore the reliability of the system is greatly
improved. Furthermore, with this configuration, inverter
output power distortion is reduced, since there is no need to
phase leg dead time. Comparing with the BC-VSI
higher
configuration, the Z-source inverter is higher performance,
higher efficient and lower cost due to uses fewer active
components and control circuit.
Base on the aforementioned advantages of Z-source
inverter, this paper presents the application of the Z-source
inverter connected to the utility grid on wind power
systems. In the proposed control system, the variation of
shoot-through time is used to maintain Z-source capacitor
voltage stable and the regulation of d-q axis current is used
to extract the maximum power from wind turbine and
deliver to grid. Simulation results are provided in order to
verify the validity of the proposed system.
II. PROPOSED PMSG WIND POWER SYSTEM
The proposed PMSG wind power system with Z­
source inverter based grid connected is shown in Fig. 1.
This configuration includes a PMSG is connected to three
phase diode rectifier with the input capacitors (Ca, Cb and
Cc), a Z-source network, and inverter system connected to
grid. The purpose of the input capacitors is to serve as the
dc source feeding the Z-source network [8]. The voltage of
the generator fed to the Z-source inverter varies according
to the generator speed.
It is assumed that the DC voltage fed to the Z-source
inverter is defined in (1) where VLL is the line to line
voltage of the generator.
(1)
IEEE
IFOST 2010 Proceedings

II

c1

*
+

Vdc Vi

-1�
+

_rTm
l2
C,
liJ
Fig. 1 Proposed PMSG wind power system with Z-source inverter based grid connected.

The configuration of Z-source inverter is shown in Fig. From (5), the capacitor voltage can be boosted by

two capacitors which are connected in X shape. The

2. The Z-source network is composed of two inductors and adjusting the shoot-through time.
The output peak phase voltage can be expressed as
inductors L) and Lz and capacitors C) and Cz have the
same inductance L and capacitance C, respectively,
vac
= M. Vi = M.B. Vdc (6)
therefore the Z-source network becomes symmetrical. The
conventional voltage source inverters have six active 2 2
vectors and two zero vectors. However, the Z-source where M is the modulation index.
inverter has one extra zero vector (state) for boosting
voltage that is called shoot-through vector. In this state, From (6), the peak output phase voltage can be
load terminals are shorted through both the upper and controlled both by adjusting the modulation index or
lower devices of any one phase leg or all three phase legs. shoot-though time. And the peak output phase voltage can
be larger than the input dc voltage by adjust the shoot­
In the normal operation mode, the peak dc-link voltage through time. That is the main advantage of Z-source
across the inverter bridge, Vi ' is equal to the dc input inverter.
voltage obtained from the diode rectifier bridge, Vde.
In the boost operation mode, the peak dc-link voltage
across the inverter bridge is expressed as

(2)

where Vde is the source voltage and B is the boost

factor that is determined by

T
B= �1 (3)
T 21'0
Fig. 2 Z-source inverter.
-

where To is the shoot-through time interval over a

switching cycle T. YsC---+�---f-'l----f-l\;--M;--
Q
The average dc-link voltage across the inverter bridge
can be found as follows c

b-r--J-_--
(4) -Ysc
Sl
S2
S3
The capacitors voltage can be expressed as
S4
S5
S6
(5)

Fig. 3 PWM signal with shoot-through state.

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lCl filter Rioad

l, L; 19

+ C, �+
Vdt; Vi
* l2
-4�

Fig. 4 Proposed control method for Z-source based grid connected.

In order to generate the shoot-through state, there are

several methods which were investigated in [9]. Among (9)
of them, the simple boost control method is used in this
paper due to the simple and independence on the where P and Q are active and reactive power,
modulation index. Therefore, the capacitor voltage can respectively, v is grid voltage, and i is the current to the
be controlled separately with AC output phase voltage. grid. The subscripts "d" and "q" stand for direct and
Fig. 3 illustrates the simple boost control method for Z­ quadrature components, respectively. If the reference
source inverter. This method employs two extra straight frame is oriented along the grid voltage, vq will be equal
lines as shoot-through signals, Vsc and -Vsc. When the to zero. Then, active and reactive power may be
carrier signal is greater than Vsc or it is smaller than - expressed as
Vsc, a shoot-through vector is created by inverter. The
value of Vsc is calculated by 3 .
P = "2Vd1d (10)
T - 1'o
v:sc = (7)
T 3 .
Q = -"2 Vd1q (11)

III. CONTROL OF GRID CONNECTED Z-SOURCE

According to above equations, active and reactive
INVERTER
power control can be achieved by controlling direct and
The structure of the control system is shown in Fig. quadrature current components, respectively.
4. The control system is composed of two parts: 1) The reference current values achieve from required
control of power delivered to the grid and 2) control of active power and reactive power through (10) and (11).
capacitor voltage on Z-source network. The standard PI controllers are used to regulate the grid
The power equations in the synchronous reference current in dq synchronous frame. The output of the
frame are given by [6] current controllers sets the voltage reference for a space
vector modulation (SVPWM). The block diagram of
P=
current control strategy is shown in Fig. 5.
'i(Vid +viq) (8)
2

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IFOST 2010 Proceedings

PI controller IV. SIMULATION RESULTS

Fig. 5 Block diagram of current control
In order to verify the proposed control method, some
simulati?ns have been carried out. The wind power
system mcludes a DC motor which is used to emulate
the wind turbine, a Z-source network, and an inverter
circuit connected to grid through a LCL filter with
parameters shown in Table land Table 2, respectively.
Table 1. Z-source network parameters

Parameters Values

Capacitors (C1=C2=C) 1000l1F

Inductors (L1-L2=L) 4OOl1H

Table 2. Grid parameters

Fig. 6 PLL structure for synchronizing the inverter voltage
with the grid. Parameters Values

PI controller
Inverter Side Filter Inductors 1.2mH

+ VSC
(Li)
V*�p

V p
�o--i L.I
�l I
Filter Capacitors (Ci)
Grid Side Filter Inductors (Lg)
IOI1F
1.5mH

Grid phase voltage (peak) 100 V

Fig. 7 Block diagram of capacitor voltage control.
Grid frequency 50 Hz

In this simulation, the capacitor voltage Vc is

The output voltage of inverter connected into the
controlled to maintain at 300 volt while the DC input
ut�lity network needs to be synchronized with the utility
voltage changes from 110 volt to 180 volt according to
gnd voltage. The dq PLL synchronization method is
generator speed changes. The required active power
state-of-the-art and is more efficient [10]-[11].
changes from 1.lkw to 2.2kw and to 4kw at 0.5 second
Therefore, in this system the three-phase dq PLL
and 1 second, respectively. Meanwhile the reactive
method is used for grid synchronization, which is shown
power is kept at zero to achieve unity power factor.
in Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 shows the respond of capacitor voltage while
In nonnal, the DC rectifier voltage Vde changes
the control system is operating. As seen in this figure,
according to generator speed. In some case, the V de
the capacitor voltage reached the reference value in
reduce lower than the grid voltage level. At that time,
short time and maintained at the required value
the boosting mode must be used to boost the DC input
regardless the input DC voltage changes.
voltage to higher level which high enough to generate
the required grid voltage. The respond of active and reactive power is shown in
Fig. 9. In this simulation, the reference active power
IS
From (4), the average voltage across the inverter Vi
. changes from 1.lkw to 2.2kw and to 4kw at 0.5 second
equal to capacitor voltage of Z-source network Vc.
and 1 second, respectively. It can be seen in Fig. 9, the
There�ore, regardless the DC input voltage changes, the
respond active power is quickly followed the required
capacitor voltage must be maintained high enough to
active power delivering to grid and the reactive power is
generate the required grid level voltage. In order to
kept almost at zero so the unity power factor is
maintain the capacitor voltage while the DC input
achieved.
voltage changes, the shoot-through time must be
regulated through a PI controller, which is shown in Fig. Fig. 10 and 11 show the grid phase voltage and grid
7 current wavefonn. As can be seen in Fig. 11, the grid
current smoothly changed when the reference current
changed.

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IFOST 2010 Proceedings

Fig. 12 shows the THD analysis of grid current. It Isa Vag·0.5

60.00
clear that the only the fundamental component exist, and
the distortion greatly improved.

Vc
350.00

300.00

250.00

200.00

150.00
-60.00

Time (5)
100.00 0.95 0.975 1.00 1.025 1.05 1.075

50.00

Time
0.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25

Fig. 11 Respond of grid current when power changes.

(s)

Fig. 8 Respond of capacitor voltage. l sa

10.00 ,:.-'-______�-�------___,

P Q --- --- --- -

5.00K- 8.00

4.00K 6.00

3.00K
4.00

2.00K

J 2.00

I
1.00K
/' 0.00 L..J \.=00.. __ _____
_ ____----'

Frequency (Hz)
O.OOK 0.00 50.00 100.00 150.00 200.00 250.00 300.00 350.00

-1.00K

Time
0.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25

Fig. 12 THD analysis of grid current.

(s)

Fig. 9 The active and reactive power responds.

V. CONCULSION

In this paper, the Z-source inverter based grid

connected PMSG wind power system is proposed. The
proposed system worked effectively with the input DC
40.00 voltage lower than the grid level voltage. The control
system extracted the power from wind turbine and
20.00
delivered high quality current into the grid. The
0.00 proposed Z-source inverter was higher efficient, higher
performance, cost effective, and uses fewer active
-20.00
components compare with the common BC-VSI PMSG
-40.00
wind system structure.

REFERENCES
-60.00

Time
0.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25
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