Procedure for regulating the D.C. voltage of a rectifier

Abstract: Procedure for regulating the d.c. voltage of a pulse- width modulated rectifier bridge controlled by self-commutated semiconductor components (T1-T6) and provided with filtering coils (L), in which procedure the phase voltages (Er,Es,Et) of the supplying three-phase mains (L1,L2,L3) and the d.c. voltage (Udc) of the rectifier are measured. The modulation references (Umr,Ums,Umt) needed for the pulse-width modulation are produced using pure sine and cosine curves synchronized with the mains voltages, with localized vectors formed from them or with components of such vectors by means of a phase-locked loop (PLL2). The regulation is effected in a coordinate system tied to the localized vector ( E ) of the mains voltages.

Description: The present invention relates to a procedure for regulating the d.c. voltage of a pulse-width modulated rectifier bridge controlled by self-commutated semiconductor components. Pulse-width modulated mains rectifier bridges are used to feed a constant-voltage load, which is connected to the d.c. terminals of the rectifier. Such a load may be e.g. an inverter provided with a constant-voltage intermediate circuit, used to feed an elevator motor. The characteristic features of such rectifiers include two-way power flow and, thanks to pulse-width modulation (PWM), low distortion levels of the currents in the supplying network. Previously known procedures are based on the use of phase voltage curves measured via transformer circuits to produce either the current references for a rectifier working on the principle of two-position control or the voltage references for a PWM rectifier. In both cases, disturbances occurring in the phase voltages are directly transmitted to the modulation references and therefore to the currents taken from the network. This involves a deterioration of the properties of the rectifiers especially in industrial networks, in which, as is well known, the voltages are distorted. Moreover, two-position control has the effect that the rectifier voltages and currents contain harmonics which extend over a large frequency range and are therefore difficult to filter out. In addition, in both methods each phase voltage requires its own regulation circuits, thus adding to the complexity of the systems. The EP-A-0 143 405 discloses a phase detecting apparatus wherein three-phase input voltages are transformed into direct-quadratur component vectors which are in phase with the three-phase signals. The vectors are fed to a PLL, which addresses ROM tables containing sine cosine values. The phase detector processes a phase difference signal which corresponds to the phase difference between the above quadratur component vectors and the vector containing sine cosine values outputted by the ROM. A digital signal is outputted, which is indicative of the phase angle between the three-phase input signals. It is object of the present invention to provide a procedure of the aforementioned type with a reduced number of regulation components allowing a faster regulation and a lower level of mains current distorsion. According to the invention the object is solved by claim 1. The invention ensures that mains voltage distortions will have no effect, via the modulation references, on the mains currents. On the other hand, the regulation is effected in a coordinate system tied to the localized vector of the mains voltages, allowing regulation of the d.c. components. Thus, it is not necessary to provide separate regulation arrangements for each phase as in previously known procedures. Among the advantages gained are also a reduced number of regulation components required, faster regulation (shorter response times) and a lower level of mains current distortion. The preferred embodiments are presented in the other claims. In the following, the invention is described in greater detail by the aid of examples by referring to the attached drawings, in which Fig. 1 presents a mains rectifier and a basic control system used for its regulation as provided by the invention. Fig. 2 presents a mains rectifier and another control system used for its regulation as provided by the invention. Figs. 3a and 3b present voltage and current vectors clarifying the basic regulation of the systems, the filter coils being assumed to be ideal. Figs. 4a and 4b present the current and voltage vectors obtained when the resistances of the filter coils are taken into account. The mains rectifier shown in Fig. 1 is connected to a three-phase mains network L1 - L3 and comprises a pulse-width modulated (PWM) rectifier bridge 1 consisting of self-commutated power components, such as transistors T1 - T6, and diodes D1 - D6 connected in inverse-parallel with them, and the filtering components L and Cs of the mains and d.c. sides. The measured voltages Er, Es and Et of the phases L1 - L3 of the supplying network are attenuated in an amplifier unit 2 to a level suited for the regulation electronics. The attenuated voltage signals are passed to a unit 11 where the real and imaginary components Ea and Eb of the spatial vector are calculated in a stationary coordinate system. The calculation is effected using generally known conversion formulas, which are also shown in the block representing unit 11 (e.g. Bühler: Einführung in die Theorie geregelter Drehstromantriebe, Band 1, S. 49-50), and summing operational amplifier circuits. The imaginary component Eb is passed to a zero-point indicator 3 which outputs an inverted square wave synchronized with the voltage in question. This wave is applied to one input of the phase comparator 19 of a phase-locked loop PLL1 consisting of a phase comparator 19, PI-controller 20, voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 4 and a counter 5. The output of the phase comparator is applied to the input of the PI-controller 20, whose output determines the output frequency of the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 4. The output of the oscillator (VCO) 4 is passed further to the counter 5, whose output is used as the address of a ROM unit 6. The ROM unit contains either one or two ROM circuits holding the pure sine or cosine curves. In the first alternative, the sine and cosine values are read in succession, and in the latter alternative, in parallel. The most-significant bit (msb) of the counter is applied to the other input of the phase comparator 19, and the sine and cosine curves are synchronized with the zero point of the imaginary component Eb of the localized voltage vector at which point the localized vector is on the real axis of the calculation coordinates. Thus, the sine and cosine values obtained from the ROM unit 6 are also the sine and cosine values of the phase angle of the spatial voltage vector in the stationary coordinate system. The real part or d-component Ed of the localized voltage vector in the coordinates tied to said vector is calculated from the real and imaginary components Ea and Eb of the vector using a generally known conversion equation: Ed = Ea cos Φ + Eb sin Φ This equation is implemented using two multiplying D/A converters 12 and 13 and a summing operational amplifier 14. The procedure is simple and fast and it reduces the total response time, i.e. e.g. the time required for a change in the mains voltage to produce an effect on the control of the rectifier bridge 1. In circuit 12, the real part Ea of the localized vector, obtained from block 11, is multiplied by the cosine, obtained from the ROM unit 6, of the new coordinate angle, and, similarly, in circuit 13 the imaginary part Eb is multiplied by the sine of the coordinate angle. The summer 14 performs the addition required by the conversion equation. As the new reference coordinates are oriented in the same direction as the voltage vector, the voltage vector has no imaginary part (Eq = 0) in this coordinate system, and its real part is equal to the absolute value of the indicators of the phase voltages Er, Es and Et, i.e. the top value of the phase voltages. This is a way to produce momentary information on the magnitude of the phase voltages of a three-phase system. As will be shown later on in connection with Figures 3a and 3b, the effective power taken by the mains rectifier can be directly influenced by the imaginary part or q-component of the localized vector of the rectifier voltages Ur, Us and Ut when a coordinate system tied to the mains voltage vector is used for reference. In the same way, the reactive power is influenced by the real part or d-component of the localized vector. When it is equal to the d-component of the mains voltage vector, a system containing only an ideal mains filter coil L has a power factor of one. The d.c. voltage to be regulated is measured by an attenuating differential amplifier 7, and the measured voltage Udca thus obtained is compared in a difference circuit 9 to a voltage Udcr obtained from a reference unit 8. The difference quantity is fed into a controller 10 with a limited output providing the q-component Uq of the localized vector of the rectifier voltages. This component together with the d-component Ud , which is equal to the d-component Ed of the mains voltages, unambiguously determines the direction and magnitude of the localized vector describing the rectifier voltages. After this, the localized vector corresponding to the desired rectifier voltages is converted back to stationary coordinates by means of multiplying D/A converter units 15 and 16 and a summing unit 17, which implement the well-known inverted conversion equations: Ua = Ud cos Φ - Uq sin Φ Ub = Ud sin Φ - Uq cos Φ The real and imaginary localized vector components thus obtained are further converted in block 18 into three-phase modulation references Umr, Ums and Umt. The conversion is effected using summing operational amplifier circuits implementing the commonly known conversion equations presented in block 18. The modulation references Umr, Ums and Umt are compared by a comparator unit 22 to a triangular wave obtained from a carrier generator 21, the triangular wave being synchronized with the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 4 in the phase-locked loop. This ensures that the modulation pulse references obtained from the comparator unit 22 contain no subharmonic components. The modulation pulse references obtained from the comparator unit 22 are passed via a base current amplifier unit 23 to the power components of the mains rectifier, which produce the desired rectifier voltages Ur, Us and Ut. Fig 2. illustrates another embodiment of the control system of the invention. It differs from the system in Fig. 1 as follows: a) The frequency of a phase-locked loop PLL2 is controlled by means of the q-component of the localized voltage vector. It is calculated, like the d-component, using the other D/A converters in the converter units 12′ and 13′ and the summer 14′, which implement the well-known conversion equation: Eq = -Ea sin Φ - Eb cos Φ For the calculation coordinate system to be oriented in the same direction as the localized voltage vector, the q-component of the spatial voltage vector calculated in it must be zero. Thus, the calculated q-component Eqa is compared to a zero reference Eqr in a differential unit 24. If the differential quantity obtained from this unit is positive, the PI-controller 20 will increase the frequency of the voltage-controlled oscillator 4, and vice versa. In this way, the calculation coordinates are adjusted to orient them in the same direction with the localized voltage vector E . In the procedure, the angle between the localized vector and the calculation coordinates is compared continuously, whereas in the case of the phase-locked loop in Fig. 1 this was only done at the zero point of the voltage Eb. b) Feedforward depending on the differential quantity of the d.c. voltage has been added to the formation of the d-component Udr of the rectifier voltage. If the d.c. voltage is not equal to the reference Udcr, neither will the voltages Ur, Us and Ut obtained from the rectifier bridge 1 correspond to the modulation references Umr, Ums and Umt. Therefore, the summer 25 adds to the d-component Eda a signal proportional to the voltage difference. This signal is obtained from a scaling circuit 27 and it compensates the error caused by the voltage difference in the d-component, which is significant with regard to the reactive power. The voltage controller 10 takes care of the correction of the q-component Uqr. c) The effect of the resistance R of the filter coils L on the formation of reactive power is eliminated using an additional reference signal of the d-component Udr, which is proportional to the q-component Uqr. To achieve this, the summer 25 adds to the d-component Eda a signal proportional to the q-component Uqr, obtained from a scaling circuit 26. Details on the grounds for this are given in connection with Figures 4c and 4d. d) The maximum value of the reference value Udr of the rectifier voltages depends on the magnitude of the q-component Uqr. As the absolute value of q-component Uqr increases, the allowed maximum value Udrm of d-component Udr must be reduced to ensure that the allowed maximum values of the modulation references Umrh = Umsh = Umth = Udrm² + Uqr² formed from them will never exceed the maximum values of the triangular wave used for their modulation, and also to ensure that the whole permitted range of variation of d-component Udr is continuously in use. This limiting circuit consists of block 28, which is implemented using known operational amplifier circuits. In the limiter, the dependence of the maximum value of d-component Udrm on q-component Uqr has been linearized for the sake of simplicity. Figures 3a and 3b show the current and voltage vectors I and U , which are used to clarify the principle of regulation of the effective and reactive powers of the system. The known general equations for effective and reactive power are of the form: P = 3/2 Re{ EI *} = 3/2(EdId+EqIq) Q = -3/2 Im( EI *} = 3/2(+EdIq-EqId) If the regulation takes place in a coordinate system oriented in the same direction as the voltage vector, the latter term in the component-form equations disappears (Eq = 0). When the magnitude of the mains voltage vector E = Ed remains constant, the effective power P can be regulated by the d-component Id of the current and the reactive power Q by the q-component Iq. In the regulation system of the invention, the reactive power is kept at zero, i.e. the current vector I is adjusted until it lies in the same direction with the voltage vector E . This means, both in the case of Fig. 3a, in which power flows from the supplying network to the load, and in the case of Fig. 3b, in which power flows from the load to the supplying network, that the vector jX I of the voltage across the filter inductance L is perpendicular to the mains voltage vector E . This condition is fulfilled when the d-component Ud of the vector U of the rectifier voltage is equal to the vector of the mains voltage. On the other hand, in this case, in a stationary condition, the q-component Uq of U determines the magnitude of the current vector I (= Id), and it can be used directly to adjust the effective power of the system. Figures 4a - 4d show the current and voltage vectors in different cases when the resistances of the filtering coils L are taken into account. As can be seen from Figs. 4a and 4b, corresponding to Figs. 3a and 3b, the vector R I of the voltage across the resistances changes the situation in such a way that the current vector I no longer runs in the same direction as the voltage vector E although the d-component Ud = E . To allow the reactive power of the system to be brought to zero in this case, the magnitude of the d-component Ud must be changed by an amount equal to the vector R I , as shown by Figs. 4c and 4d. Fig. 4c represents a situation where power is flowing from the mains to the load, and Fig. 4d a situation where power is flowing from the load to the mains. Since the current vector I in these cases is determined directly from the magnitude of the q-component Uq, the d-component Ud must be altered in proportion to the q-component Uq. The coefficient of proportion is determined by the inductance L, resistance R and the angular frequency of the mains. In the control system illustrated by Fig. 2, this correction is performed by means of the summer 25 in block 26. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that different embodiments of the invention are not restricted to the examples described above, but that they may instead be varied within the scope of the following claims.

Claims: Procedure for regulating the d.c. voltage of a pulse-width modulated rectifier bridge controlled by self-commutated semiconductor components (T1-T6) and provided with filtering coils (L), in which procedure the phase voltages (Er,Es,Et) of the supplying three-phase mains (L1,L2,L3) and the d.c. voltage (Udc) of the rectifier are measured, in which procedure the modulation references (Umr,Ums,Umt) used in the pulse-width modulation are synchronized with the mains voltages, with localized vectors formed from them or with components of such vectors, and in which procedure the regulation is effected in a coordinate system tied to the spatial vector ( E ) of the mains voltages, the modulation references (Umr,Ums,Umt) for the pulse-width modulation being produced using pure sine and cosine curves synchronized with the mains voltages, with localized vectors formed from them or with components of such vectors by means of one or more phase-locked loops (PLL1,PLL2), characterized in that said sine and cosine curves are synchronized by comparing the phase angle between said localized vector ( E ) of the mains voltages and the calculation coordinates at the zero point of the imaginary component (Eb) of said localized vector ( E ) of the mains voltage or 'continuously by adjusting the imaginary component of the localized voltage vector to zero in the coordinate system used. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that the imaginary component (Eb) of the localized vector is calculated from the phase voltages (Er,Es,Et) in a stationary coordinate system, that said imaginary component is used to produce a rectangular wave synchronized with its zero point and used for the control of the phase-locked loop (PLL1), and that said phase-locked loop (PLL1) produces the addresses of one or more memory circuits, in which said sine and cosine curves are stored. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that the imaginary component (Eq) of said localized vector ( E ) of the mains voltage is adjusted to zero by calculating the actual value (Eqa) of said component (Eq), multiplying the real and imaginary components (Ea,Eb) of a stationary coordinate system corresponding to the mains voltage (Er,Es,Et) by the cosine and sine values of the coordinate angle obtained from a phase-locked loop (PLL2) in accordance with conversion equations known in themselves, comparing said actual value (Eqa) to a zero reference (Eqr), passing the difference quantity thus obtained into a controller (20) whose output controls a voltage-controlled oscillator 4, and counting the pulses of said oscillator by means of a counter (5) whose output is used as the address of a memory unit (6) holding the pure sine and cosine curves, and that the sine and cosine values corresponding to the address of said memory unit are used for the calculation of the actual value (Eqa) of said imaginary component. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that the real part (Ed) of the localized voltage vector corresponding to the absolute value of the phase voltage indicators, said real part (Ed) being the same as the real component (Udr) of the localized vector ( U ) of the rectifier voltages, is calculated in a coordinate system tied to said vector from the real and imaginary components (Ea,Eb) of the localized voltage vector in a manner known in itself, that the d.c. voltage (Udca) of the rectifier is compared to a reference (Udcr) and the difference quantity thus obtained is passed into a controller (10) which provides the imaginary component (Uqr) of the localized vector ( U ) of the rectifier voltages, that said components (Udr,Uqr) determine the direction and magnitude of the localized vector describing the rectifier voltages, and that the localized - vector ( U ) corresponding to the desired rectifier voltages (Ur,Us,Ut) is converted to a stationary coordinate system and the real and imaginary components (Ua,Ub) of the localized vector thus obtained are further converted into three-phase modulation reference signals (Umr,Ums,Umt). Procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the formation of the real component (Udr) of said localized vector of the rectifier voltages (Ur,Us,Ut) is implemented using feedforward (27) depending on the difference quantity between the measured value of the d.c. voltage (Udca) of the rectifier bridge and its reference (Udcr). Procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the effect of the internal resistances (R) of the filtering coils (L) connected to the mains voltages (Er,Es,Et) is eliminated using an additional reference proportional to the imaginary component (Uqr). Procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in thatthe allowed maximum value of the real component (Udr) of said localized vector of the rectifier voltages (Ur,Us,Ut) is decreased as the absolute value of the imaginary component (Uqr) increases. Procedure according to claim 3, characterized in that the multiplication of the real and imaginary components (Ea,Eb) of said stationary coordinate system by the cosine and sine values of the angle obtained from a phase-locked loop (PLL2) is performed by means of one or more D/A converters (12′,13′). Procedure according to claim 4, characterized in that the calculation of the real part (Ed) of said localized voltage vector, which real part (Ed) is the same as the real component (Udr) of the localized vector ( U ) of the rectifier voltages, is performed using one or more multiplying D/A converters (12,13,12′,13′). Procedure according to claim 4, characterized in that the conversion of said desired rectifier voltages (Ur,Us,Ut) to a stationary coordinate system is performed using one or more D/A converters (15,16).

Inventors: OLLILA JAAKKO, TUUSA HEIKKI, OLLILA, JAAKKO, TUUSA, HEIKKI
Applicants: KONE ELEVATOR GMBH
Application year: 1991
Main classification: H02M7
IPC codes: H02M7