AN INDUSTRIAL POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
FEATURING UPS PROPERTIES
B.K. Johnson,Member
University of Idaho
Abstract: A high power quality dc power distri-
bution system for industrial applications is de-
scribed. The distribution system incorporates
UPS properties and can supply larger loads than
conventional UPS’S. Certain high power appli-
cations are very sensitive to power quality prob-
lems. These applications are beyond the power
capabilities of current UPS systems. Customers
in such a situation would be willing to pay a
higher premium on the electricity supply to im-
prove the quality of the power. The scheme de-
scribed here has two rectifier terminals supply-
ing a dc ring bus system capable supplying a
large number of parallel inverters. The dc sys-
tem incorporates energy storage systems to ride
through an ac system outage until a backup gen-
erator is brought on-line. The scheme described
here utilizes superconductors on the dc bus, but
the same basic scheme will work with ordinary
conductors following some modification of the
converter control.
IN TRODU CTI0 N
Many customers supplied by electric utilities have
loads that are extremely sensitive to the quality of the
electricity supplied. Voltage dips and sags are especially
troublesome. Harmonic distortion and power outages
are also major sources of problems. Brief voltage sags
could result in defective parts for some highly auto-
mated robotic assembly lines. Such customers would
be willing to pay a higher premium for a high quality
power supply. Some of these types of loads are presently
supplied by uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), but
UPS’S are generally limited to lower power levels, and
are rarely seen used for larger industrial systems.
An entire power distribution system with UPS capa-
bilities is desired. Such a system would supply a vari-
ety of loads, from motors to computers. The scheme
described here takes the dc link present in the motor
drives and builds it into a power distribution system.
The dc link is supplied by one or preferably two rec-
tifiers, each fed by a separate, dedicated ac line. The
added redundancy of two rectifiers helps make the sys-
tem more reliable. The dc system is configured as a ring
bus, with both of the rectifiers connected in parallel on
Q 1993 IEEE
0-7803-1243-0~3$03.00
-7-
R.H. Lasseter, Fellow
University of Wisconsin-Madison
the dc side. The ring bus supplies a number of invert-
ers or dc/dc converters, each supplying separate loads.
The dc system helps to isolate individual loads from
non-linear interactions with neighboring loads, as well
as providing isolation from ac system disturbances. The
dc system can also support energy storage in the form
of either battery storage or a superconducting magnetic
energy storage (SMES) coil, each connected via dc/dc
converters. A back-up generator can be interfaced to
the system through an additional rectifier.
This paper starts with a brief discussion of dc power
distribution systems. This discussion is followed by a
description of the proposed distribution system config-
uration. Control aspects of this scheme will also be dis-
cussed. A sample system is introduced followed by the
results of computer simulation on this system. This pa-
per uses a superconducting distribution system for the
simulations shown here but the scheme presented here
will soon be extended to systems with normal conduc-
tors as well.
DC POWER SYSTEMS
Direct current systems see limited use as high power,
high voltage dc (HVDC) transmission systems. These
HVDC systems operate at high voltage, low current
levels to reduce resistive losses. The systems use line
commutated, thyristor based converters, and have fairly
simple point to point layouts with a single rectifier and
one inverter. More complicated multiterminal systems
have been considered, but the complexity of a reliable
control scheme allowing operation without communica-
tion during a disturbance severely limits the number
of converters in the system. The advent of high tem-
perature superconductors [l]allows a low voltage, high
current dc transmission system capable of supporting a
large number of “off the shelf” inverters [2].
Implementing a low voltage dc system with a large
number of parallel connected terminals requires solving
the problem of fast control without reliance on commu-
nication. This problem can be solved with a distributed
voltage control scheme based on the concept of voltage
droop, [3]. The voltage droop scheme uses changes in
dc voltage as a communication signal in the same way
that frequency variations are used in ac power systems.
The control scheme is able to react quickly to changes
759
11

in loads and disturbances on the ac and dc systems.
The same concepts used in the low voltage dc
(LVDC) transmission system can also be applied to in-
dustrial distribution systems. Some of the limitations
faced by long distance transmission systems disappear,
making this a more appealing application in some cases.
The short distances between converters will allow very
fast communication between the converters, making it
easier to extend the control concepts for the supercon-
ducting system for use with normal conductors. The
distribution system will utilize a distributed voltage
control scheme that shares the voltage control respon-
sibilities between the energy sources supplying the sys-
tem. The load converters will operate in a power or
current control mode.
GENERAL SYSTEM LAYOUT
There are several key features that the distribution
system must possess to be able to provide high quality
power to the loads. The system should try to emulate
the desirable features of a UPS. Key features to include
are: isolation from ac supply system voltage fluctua-
tions, limiting non-linear interactions with other loads
and sources on the system, and ride-through capabili-
ties for ac faults and outages. Disturbances on the dc
system itself should have minimum impact on the volt-
age waveforms seen by the loads.
The dc distribution system can meet these needs
given a proper topology and control scheme. The dc
system should incorporate a ring bus structure to en-
sure a parallel path for power flow. A general system
configuration is shown in Figure 1. The dc system is
supplied by several rectifiers, each connected in parallel
on the dc side. One or two of these rectifiers are con-
nected to the ac power system via dedicated lines. The
dedicated lines help to isolate the dc ring bus from the
affects of other loads on the ac system. Each rectifier
should be supplied by its own line to reduce the in-
teractions between the subsystems and to increase the
reliability. Two rectifiers, each capable of supplying the
full system rated load, are preferred. This allows the
system to operate despite the loss of either rectifier.
The system should also have the ability to ride
though brief voltage sags on the ac system. A small,
sub-cycle sag can be corrected for by the converter con-
trols and the energy stored in the passive elements in
the system. But a longer lasting sag, or an outright
interruption requires the presence of some form of en-
ergy storage on the dc system. Energy storage can be
provided either through the use of a storage battery or
by a superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)
coil. Small scale SMES coils for energy backup appli-
cations are presently available using low temperature
superconductors, and development continues on high
temperature coils [4]. The storage element, whether its
a battery or a SMES coil will be interfaced to the dc
760
Each lOkW -1.5 MW
r
Main AC r
-
Infeedsl0MW w@ Dc
Ring Bus
0
Back-up
0
Generator 0
zr
0
-
Battery
T
Fig. 1: DC Ring Bus System with Parallel Converters
system through a dc/dc converter. The converter will
be controlled to keep the storage element charged dur-
ing normal operation, and then support the dc voltage
at a minimum level during a disturbance.
The energy storage element can only supply the full
loads for a short time. It will then be necessary to
start some form of backup generator to supply the loads
during longer outages of the ac system. The storage
element should be sized to keep the loads in operation
long enough to either provide a graceful shutdown or
allow the backup generator time to start.
This system takes the dc link normally present in
motor drives and many UPS designs and expands it into
a complete distribution system. Each load is isolated
from the other loads by its converter and by the dc line
connected it to the other loads. Some added damping
may be necessary to reduce interactions between the
voltage source inverters [5]. Increasing the load at one
inverter will depress the local voltage, and will require
neighboring inverters to also draw energy from their
capacitors until the rectifiers respond. This can result
in current oscillations between neighboring inverters.
Damping can be provided by feeding the derivative of
the capacitor voltage into the phase control loop.
SYSTEM CONTROL
The overall control scheme must coordinate the reg-
ulatory actions of each converter on the dc system in
concert. The system must be able to respond quickly
and cleanly to disturbances on the supply system, dis-
turbances on any of the load systems, and problems
within the dc mesh itself.
I1
 a) Three Rectifiers Feeding DC System
Fig. 2: Example of the D C Droop Scheme f o r a System with Three Rectifiers
Dastributed Voltage Control
The distributed voltage control scheme for the dc sys-
tem is based on using a change in voltage as a commu-
nication signal. A change in load changes the power
drawn from the dc system, causing an initial decrease
in the dc voltage when the power is increased. This
change in voltage normally causes a single rectifier op-
erating in a voltage control mode to increase or decrease
its current to maintain the proper voltage level. Sev-
eral converters connected in parallel can be operated in
a joint voltage control mode, where they distribute the
change in current among themselves. This is based on a
sloping voltage droop characteristic. Figure 2b) shows
the basic characteristic for three three voltage sources
connected in parallel as shown in Figure 2a). The sys-
tem starts out with each rectifier supplying equal cur-
rents. The load is then decreased, causing the system
to move t o operating point B. The third rectifier then
shuts down, and its load is picked up by the other two
rectifiers, moving the system to operating point C.
Each naturally commutated rectifier has a built-
in droop component due to the commutation overlap
within the converter. However, this could result in a
very shallow droop characteristic, and there may be
circumstances where it is beneficial to have a steeper
characteristic.
The current dependent slope of the voltage droop
characteristic is a controllable quantity. The slope is
represented by Rc and K , in Equation 2. Where v d o is
761
b) Droop Characteristics
the rectified ac voltage for a 0' firing angle. The equa-
tions shown assume a controlled three phase rectifier,
with a firing angle a , and a commutating resistance R,.
The variable K c represents the controlled slope of the
droop characteristic. This is varied by changing the fir-
ing angle to mimic a sloping characteristic. Equation 2
shows an expression for calculating this firing angle. A
central control loop determines the current setpoint of
the converter, and computes the expected dc terminal
voltage Vdes.
Vdes -k Rc * Idc
cos(ff) = (2)
vdo
This basic scheme works well for a superconducting
transmission system where there is no steady-state volt-
age drop between converters. Systems with current de-
pendent resistive voltage drops complicate this basic
scheme. Knowledge of the system topology and line re-
sistances makes it possible to incorporate the line volt-
age drops into control calculations at each converter, al-
lowing for compensation. The short distances involved
in dc distribution systems make it possible to use cur-
rent measurements from each converter on the dc sys-
tem for control purposes. Therefore the slopes of the
droop characteristics can be varied to control current
sharing and overcome the affects of line resistances.
The rectifier control characteristics can also be ad-
justed to increase the slope when the converter ap-
proaches its current limits. This control action causes
the dc terminal voltage to fall more rapidly as the con-
verter nears its limit. The other converters increase
their current share if they have lower droops.
The chopper connecting the storage element to the
dc system will be set to keep the dc voltage within a
preset range. The battery will not supply current to
the system if the voltage is above this range. The stor-
age element will be charged if needed when the system
voltage is within normal levels. This converter will still
need a droop component to share load with the main
rectifiers if they are still capable of supplying power to
the system. Sharing load with rectifiers will extend the
useful operating time of the storage element.
The backup generator will have a steep droop char-
acteristic. It will not supply any current when the main
rectifiers are in operation. The generator will start if the
voltage falls causing the storage element to discharge for
an extended time. The generator, which will be sized
to supply the rated system load, will start after a preset
time. The backup generator will maintain the voltage
at a slightly lower level than the main rectifiers would.
Therefore, the voltage will rise when the main rectifiers
come back on line. The steep droop characteristic on
the back-up generatorlrectifier will cause its current to
go to zero when the main rectifiers are on line. After a
time delay to make sure the system is back in a normal
state the generator will shut down.
Control of Loads
The dc system can supply many different types of
loads. But each load will draw a controlled level of
power, largely independent of the conditions on the dc
system, unless the dc voltage level falls below the nor-
mal operating range of the converter. Therefore each of
the converters can be seen as a power controlled load.
The dc system described here will keep the dc voltage
level at acceptable levels for the inverters through most
possible operating conditions. However there could be
circumstances where the voltage will fall below accept-
able levels, for example during a dc fault.
It would be better if only pre-selected converters trip
off-line initially when the dc voltage falls, leaving high
priority converters in operation. This action is useful
if a decrease in load can keep the voltage from falling
below acceptable levels. This can be done by setting
the voltage at which a given converter will shut-down.
Figure 3 compares the control characteristic for a low
priority load to a high priority load. Both converters
operate in a constant power mode until the dc voltage
falls below the appropriate Vmin.
This overall control scheme can accommodate regen-
erative loads. The load converter will act as an ad-
ditional voltage source feeding the dc system when it
enters a regenerative mode. However, since this control
mode allows little room for control of the power sup-
762
vac
1
...............
Vmid
Idcl
Fig. 3: Inverter Control Characteristics for High and
Low Priority Loads. The High Priority Load (on the
left) is also Regenerative
plied to the dc system, the voltage droop characteristic
for this converter should have a very small slope on its
droop. This will cause the other sources to decrease the
power they supply to the system. One of the converters
shown in Figure 3 demonstrates a regenerative control
characteristic as well.
STUDY SYSTEM
The dc distribution system concept is demonstrated
for a system incorporating two rectifiers and three in-
verters. The studies presented here utilize a supercon-
ducting dc ring bus to demonstrate the concept. Later
work will utilize normal conductors. The system also
contains a battery connected to the ring bus through a
chopper. The ring bus operates with a nominal voltage
of 750 Vde. Each of the thyristor based, line commu-
tated rectifiers is rated at 750 kW and is capable of
supplying the full rated system load. The dc system
supplies three pulse width modulated voltage source
inverters. The initial studies here model the loads as
impedances, with each load rated at 250 kVA. A backup
generator is also connected to the dc bus through a rec-
tifier. The generator is rated to supply 750 kW and will
startup if the ac infeeds have been off line for a period
of one-half second. The backup generator in an actual
distribution system would have a longer delay before it
is started, but a short period was chosen here to sim-
plify the simulations. The system layout is shown in
Figure 4.
SIMULATION RESULTS
The distribution system was modeled with a digital
computer simulation to study its response to distur-
bances. These studies demonstrate the ability to supply
quality power to loads.
Voltage Dip on A C Infeed
The first case looks at the affect of a distant fault on
the ac system. This fault causes the magnitude of the
ac voltage supplying both of the main rectifiers to dip
 I- 800.0
d

Main AC

mb
600.0

5: DC
5 Ringbus 5 250kVA

t
200.0

Generator 3 250kVA
0.0
0.0
I 0.2 0.4 0.6

4
@ 400.0
(a) DC Voltage Level

Battery

Fig. 4: 750 kVA Sample System

to 80% of the rated values for twelve 60 He cycles. This

voltage sag causes the battery to support the dc volt-
age. Figure 5(a) shows the dc voltage level. The mesh
voltage level falls due to the fall in ac voltage, and then
returns to its initial level following the disturbance. The
key result is shown in Figure 5(b). The magnitude of
the ac voltage only experiences slight variations from
this disturbance. This response could be further en- 300.0 I
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.8
hanced through better converter control. Figure 5(b) Time (Seconds)

shows the load voltage following a transformation to

the synchronous reference frame. The load is regulated Fig. 5: Case 1: AC supply voltage falls t o 0.8 per unit
at 480 Vac. for 12 cycles

A similar disturbance would force an system fed di- Loss of AC Infeed

rectly from the ac lines to shut-down. The storage bat-
tery maintains the dc voltage at a level of 712 V during
the duration of the voltage sag, and the rectifiers re-
sume normal operation following the disturbance.
Large Power Change at an Inverter
The second case looks at the impact of a large change
in power at one of the inverters. Figure 6 shows a case
where the power demanded by one of the inverters is
doubled. Figure 6(a) shows the dc voltage at the in-
verter terminal. The dc voltage level experiences a dip
when the power is first increased, and then returns to a
level slightly below the original steady-state level. This
decrease is due to the slope of the droop characteristic.
Figure 6(b) shows the power set-point and the mea-
sured power. The power control used for the converter
has relatively slow response] taking about six cycles to
reach the desired level. Figure 6(c) shows that the ac
voltage magnitude at the other inverters shows very lit-
tle change as a result of this operation.
763
The final case looks at the loss of both of the ac in-
feeds due to an outage on the ac system. The storage
battery initially supplies the load, but the back-up gen-
erator starts after the outage has lasted longer than one-
half second. Figure 7(a) shows the dc voltage response.
The dc voltage has an initial large decrease down to
the level supplied by the battery. The final change in
voltage is due to the startup of the backup generator.
The generator increases the voltage level slightly. Fig-
ure 7(b) shows that the ac voltage magnitude seen by
the loads is again largely isolated from the problems on
the ac system.
The results here examine extreme disturbances. The
system provides very good regulation of the load voltage
and power during smaller disturbances. The dc distri-
bution system shows its ability to provide load voltage
regulation in the face of extreme disturbances. The
same basic concepts demonstrated here can also be im-
plemented in systems with normal conductors, substan-
tially lower the cost of the installation.
 (a) DC Voltage Level

2.0

n
.=
c
(a) DC Voltage Level
,2
2 1.0

400.0

375.0

0.0
0.0 0.2 0.4
3
(b) Output Power and Power Order at In- 3
verter 1 360.0

400.0

Y
326.0

33 376.0

E
13 300.0 I
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.8 0.8
Time (Seconds)
360.0
s (b) AC Voltage
%
22
8
y 326.0

Fig. 7: Case 9: Complete loss of QC supply system

300.0
0.2 0.4
Time (Seconds)
(c) AC Voltage at Inverter 2

Fig. 6: Case 2: 100% load change at one of the in-

verters

764
 CONCLUSION

A dc distribution system capable of supplying high

quality power for commercial and industrial applica-
tions has been introduced. The system utilizes a dc
ring bus supplied by one of more dedicated ac infeeds
to supply multiple converter fed loads. The dc bus is
also connected to an energy storage element and a back-
up generator to provide ability to ride though larger
voltage dips and outages. The dc system exhibits UPS
qualities for each of the loads it supplies. Future work
will look at applying this to ‘non-superconducting sys-
tems,’ and control difficulties that arise with this. More
detailed load and inverter models will also be studied.
Interactions between loads through the converters and
the dc systems must be studied in further detail to im-
prove the control response to changes in system oper-
ating states.

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