Abstract:
A power converter directly converting an AC voltage into an AC voltage of any desired magnitude and frequency by turning bidirectional switches ON and OFF without employing any energy buffer, where the peak values of output phase voltage command values are limited, to bring the amplitude of an output line voltage to, at most, 0.866 times the amplitude of the supply line voltages. By way of example, the peak-value limit of the output phase voltage command values is set so that the maximum value of the output phase voltage command values becomes, at most, 0.75 times the maximum value of supply phase voltages, while the minimum value thereof becomes, at least, 0.75 times the minimum value of the supply phase voltages. This control method for the direct power converter dispenses with an expensive dedicated motor, and permits a reduction in cost of the control apparatus as a whole.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a control method for a direct power converter wherein an AC voltage is directly converted into an AC voltage having a desired magnitude and frequency, without employing a large energy buffer such as an electrolytic capacitor.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]      FIG. 12  is a configuration diagram showing the main circuit of a matrix converter that is provided with nine bidirectional switches, as a typical example of a direct power converter of the type specified above.  
         [0005]     Referring to the figure, numeral  10  designates a three-phase AC power supply, numeral  20  designates a filter which includes a reactor and capacitors, letters R, S and T designate AC input terminals, and numeral  30  designates the matrix converter in which the nine bidirectional switches SW capable of controlling currents bidirectionally are connected between the AC input terminals R, S and T and AC output terminals U, V and W. The bidirectional switches SW are turned ON/OFF, whereby three-phase AC input voltages are directly derived and are converted into three-phase AC voltages of any desired magnitude and frequency.  
         [0006]      FIG. 13  is the block diagram of a control apparatus for a matrix converter as is stated in “An Improved Method of Input and Output Waveforms for the Matrix Converter Based on Virtual AC/DC/AC Conversion”, Jun-ichi Itoh, Ikuya Sato, Shigeo Konishi, SPCO2-90/IEA-02-31, 2002; and “A High Performance Control Method for the Matrix Converter Based on PWM generation of Virtual AC/DC/AC Conversion”, Jun-ichi Itoh, Hirokazu Kodachi, Akihiro Odaka, Ikuya Sato, Hideki Ohguchi, Hidetoshi Umida, National Convention Record, IEEJ-Industry Applications Society, pp. I-303-I-308, 2004. In these non-patent documents, control is performed with a matrix converter  30  regarded as a virtual rectifier  30 A and a virtual inverter  30 B, as shown in  FIG. 14 . Referring to  FIG. 14 , reference SWA denotes each of the semiconductor switching elements that constitute the virtual rectifier  30 A, while reference SW B  denotes each of the semiconductor switching elements that constitute the virtual inverter  30 B.  
         [0007]     One-leg modulation is employed for the control of the virtual rectifier  30 A for the purpose of increasing the utilization factor of supply voltages. As shown in FIG.  13 , virtual rectifier control means  41  obtains a modulation signal λ REC  for the virtual rectifier  30 A from phase input current command values I R *, I S * and I T *, so as to generate PWM pulses for a current type PWM rectifier.  
         [0008]     The details of the one-leg modulation are stated in, for example, the aforementioned non-patent document “An Improved Method of Input and Output Waveforms for the Matrix Converter Based on Virtual AC/DC/AC Conversion”, and shall therefore be omitted from description here.  
         [0009]     On the other hand, regarding the control of the virtual inverter  30 B, as shown in  FIG. 13 , the amplitude command value V out * of output phase voltages and phase sinusoidal command values V U0 *, V V0 * and V W0 * are multiplied by multiplication means  421  to become the reference signals of the output phase voltages, thereby to obtain output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W *. Besides, in the case of employing one-leg modulation for the control of the virtual rectifier  30 A, the fluctuation of a supply frequency component arises in a virtual DC link voltage E d  in  FIG. 14 . For the purpose of compensating the fluctuation, therefore, the output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * are divided by the virtual DC link voltage E d  in division means  422 , thereby to obtain modulation signals λ U *, λ V * and λ W * for the virtual inverter  30 B.  
         [0010]     The modulation signal λ REC  of the virtual rectifier  30 A and the modulation signals λ U *, λ V * and λ W * of the virtual inverter  30 B as obtained above are synthesized as control commands by control command synthesis means  43 , and compared with the triangular wave of a carrier, thereby to obtain the PWM control signals (ON/OFF signals) of the nine bidirectional switches SW of the matrix converter  30 . Incidentally, the method for synthesis of the modulation signals and the generation method for the PWM control signals are also omitted from description.  
         [0011]     Meanwhile, in the matrix converter, as stated in “An Improved Method of Input and Output Waveforms for the Matrix Converter Based on Virtual AC/DC/AC Conversion”, the maximum effective value of a sinusoidal voltage which can be outputted without distortion becomes 0.866 times the effective value of a supply voltage. In a case where a sinusoidal voltage exceeding the maximum effective value is to be outputted, a large number of harmonic components that are determined by the frequency of the supply voltage are contained in an output voltage. Especially in a case where the supply frequency and the output frequency are different, the waveform of the output voltage changes in every cycle of output.  
         [0012]     By way of example,  FIG. 15  shows waveforms in the case where, when the effective value of supply line voltage is 200 V, the control command of an output line voltage is set at a sinusoidal voltage whose effective value is 188 V (0.94 times the effective value of the supply line voltages). Referring to the figure, voltages V RS , V ST  and V TR  are the supply line voltages, and −V RS , −V ST  and −V TR  indicate the inverted voltages of the respective supply line voltages V RS , V ST  and V TR . The output line voltage V UV  has had harmonic components ascribable to the PWM modulation removed in order to facilitate illustration.  
         [0013]     Here, in a case, for example, where the load of the matrix converter is a motor and where the rated voltage of the motor is equal to the supply voltages, the matrix converter needs to output a voltage effective value, which is at least 0.866 times the supply voltage effective value, in accordance with the rated voltage of the motor. In this case, however, the manner of distortion of the waveform changes every cycle of output as shown in  FIG. 15 , with the result that nonuniform rotation of the motor and the occurrence of noise from the motor are incurred.  
         [0014]     Accordingly, problems arise in the prior art in that the apparatus as a whole becomes expensive because it is necessary to use an expensive dedicated motor with a rated voltage that is low as compared with the supply voltages.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a control method for a direct AC-AC power converter that dispenses with the need for an expensive dedicated motor, so as to reduce the cost of the apparatus as a whole.  
         [0016]     In order to accomplish the above object, an object of a control method for a direct AC-AC power converter includes, in a direct power converter wherein an AC voltage is directly whole converted into an AC voltage of any desired magnitude and frequency by turning bidirectional switches ON/OFF without employing an energy buffer; in comprising the step of controlling the direct power converter by using final output voltage command values which have been obtained by limiting peak values of output voltage command values of the direct power converter in accordance with magnitudes of supply voltages.  
         [0017]     A further object of a control method for a direct power converter includes, in a direct power converter wherein an AC voltage is directly converted into an AC voltage of any desired magnitude and frequency by turning bidirectional switches ON/OFF without employing an energy buffer; in comprising the step of controlling the direct power converter by using final modulation signals which have been obtained by limiting peak values of modulation signals of the direct power converter in accordance with magnitudes of supply voltages.  
         [0018]     A still further object of a control method for a direct power converter includes, in a control method for a direct power converter, wherein an amplitude of an output line voltage is made, at most, 0.866 times an amplitude of a supply line voltage by limiting the peak values of the output phase voltage command values.  
         [0019]     Another object of a control method for a direct power converter includes, in a control method for a direct power converter, wherein a peak-value limitation value of the output phase voltage command values is set at a value at which a maximum value of the output phase voltage command values becomes, at most, 0.75 times a maximum value of the supply phase voltages, while a minimum value thereof becomes, at least, 0.75 times a minimum value of the supply phase voltages.  
         [0020]     Yet another object of a control method for a direct power converter includes, in a control method for a direct power converter, wherein the peak-value limitation value of the output phase voltage command values which have been obtained by multiplying the original output phase voltage command values by a correction coefficient that equalizes an effective value of the output line voltage to a command value is set at a value at which the maximum value of the output phase voltage command values becomes, at most, 0.75 times the maximum value of the supply phase voltages, while the minimum value thereof becomes, at least, 0.75 times the minimum value of the supply phase voltages.  
         [0021]     Another control method for a direct power converter includes, in a control method for a direct power converter, wherein a waveform of the output phase voltage command values is made a trapezoidal wave or a square wave in which the maximum value of the output phase voltage command values is, at most, 0.75 times the maximum value of the supply phase voltages, while the minimum value thereof is, at least, 0.75 times the minimum value of the supply phase voltages.  
         [0022]     Another object of a control method for a direct power converter includes, in a control method for a direct power converter, wherein final modulation signals which have been obtained by adding a correction signal of identical phase and identical magnitude to modulation signals generated from the plurality of output phase voltage command values whose maximum value and minimum value are limited are used as control commands for the direct power converter.  
         [0023]     Another object of a control method for a direct power converter includes, in a control method for a direct power converter, wherein the correction signal is set so that the final modulation signal for at least one phase of an output side of the direct power converter may become 1.0 or −1.0.  
         [0024]     Another object of a control method for a direct power converter includes, in a control method for a direct power converter, wherein the control method is employed in case of outputting a voltage being, at least, an effective value of a sinusoidal voltage that the direct power converter can output without distortion.  
         [0025]     According to the invention, even in a case where a direct power converter outputs a voltage effective value that is 0.866 times a supply-voltage effective value, the distorted manner of a waveform does not change every cycle of output, and hence, the nonuniform rotation of a motor and noise arising from the motor can be prevented in driving the motor as a load. Accordingly, a countermeasure such as the use of an expensive dedicated motor whose rated voltage is low as compared with a supply voltage is dispensed with, and the cost of the whole apparatus can be lowered. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a control apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is a waveform diagram of output phase voltage command values in the first embodiment;  
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a waveform diagram of an output line voltage in the first embodiment;  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing a control apparatus according to a second embodiment of the invention;  
         [0030]      FIG. 5  is a waveform diagram of output phase voltage command values in the second embodiment;  
         [0031]      FIG. 6  is a waveform diagram of an output line voltage in the second embodiment;  
         [0032]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram showing a control apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;  
         [0033]      FIG. 8  is a waveform diagram of the modulation signals of a virtual inverter in the first to third embodiments of the invention;  
         [0034]      FIG. 9  is a waveform diagram of ON/OFF duty commands in the first to third embodiments;  
         [0035]      FIG. 10  is a waveform diagram of the modulation signals of a virtual inverter in the fourth embodiment;  
         [0036]      FIG. 11  is a waveform diagram of ON/OFF duty commands in the fourth embodiment;  
         [0037]      FIG. 12  is a configuration diagram of the main circuit of a matrix converter;  
         [0038]      FIG. 13  is a block diagram of a control apparatus in the prior art;  
         [0039]      FIG. 14  is a configuration diagram of a virtual rectifier and a virtual inverter; and  
         [0040]      FIG. 15  is a diagram of input/output voltage waveforms in the prior art. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0041]     Now, embodiments of the present invention will be described in conjunction with the drawings.  
         [0042]     First,  FIG. 1  is the block diagram of a control apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention. Incidentally, although various schemes are considered as a control method for a direct power converter such as matrix converter, this embodiment will be described concerning the case where the matrix converter  30  shown in  FIG. 12  is controlled by the virtual AC/DC/AC conversion scheme stated in the non-patent documents 1 and 2 mentioned before.  
         [0043]     In  FIG. 1 , the same constituents as in  FIG. 13  are assigned the same reference numerals and signs, and different parts will be chiefly described below.  
         [0044]     In the control apparatus, virtual inverter control means  42 A is provided with limitation means  423  for limiting output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * which are respectively obtained by multiplying an amplitude command value V out * and phase sinusoidal command values V U0 *, V V0 * and V W0 *. Final output phase voltage command values V U **, V V ** and V W ** limited by the limitation means  423  are inputted to division means  422  so as to be used for divisions by a virtual DC link voltage E d . By way of example, here is shown a case where the limitation means  423  limits the output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * at ±0.75 pu (where “1.0 pu” represents the maximum value of supply phase voltages). That is, the peak-value limitation value of the output phase voltage command values based on the limitation means  423  is set at a value at which the maximum value of the output phase voltage command values becomes, at most, 0.75 times the supply-phase-voltage maximum value, and at which the minimum value thereof becomes, at least, 0.75 times the supply-phase-voltage minimum value.  
         [0045]     In this embodiment, in a case where the effective value of supply line voltages is 200 V and where the control command of an output line voltage is set at a sinusoidal voltage whose effective value is 188 V, waveform examples of the output phase voltage command values V U **, V V ** and V W ** and the output line voltage V UV  in the case where the maximum value and minimum value of the output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * are limited by ±0.75 times the supply-phase-voltage maximum value are respectively shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 .  
         [0046]     In this case, the output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * become sinusoidal command values whose maximum value is 0.94 pu (=188×√2/√3)/(200×√2/√3)). As, however, the maximum value and the minimum value are limited at ±0.75 pu by the limitation means  423 , the output phase voltage command values V U **, V V ** and V W ** become substantially trapezoidal as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0047]     The peak values of the output phase voltage command values are limited in this manner, whereby output voltages lie within the controllable voltage range of the matrix converter as shown in  FIG. 3  (the maximum value of the output line voltage becomes, at most, 0.866 times the supply-line-voltage maximum value, and the minimum value thereof becomes, at least, 0.866 times the supply-line-voltage minimum value), and the distorted manner of the output voltage does not change every cycle of output.  
         [0048]     Accordingly, even in the case where the motor is driven by the matrix converter, it is possible to prevent the nonuniform rotation of the motor and the occurrence of noise from the motor.  
         [0049]     Incidentally, although the maximum value and minimum value of the output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * are limited to ±0.75 pu as objects to-be-limited in  FIG. 1 , the objects to-be-limited are not restricted to the output phase voltage command values, and the limitation value is not restricted to ±0.75 pu, either. More specifically, as understood from  FIG. 1 , signals which are the objects to-be-limited may well be modulation signals λ V *, λ V * and % λ W *, unlike the output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W *. The limitation value in this case becomes (±0.75 pu÷E d ).  
         [0050]     Next,  FIG. 4  is the block diagram of a control apparatus according to the second embodiment of the invention.  
         [0051]     This control apparatus differs from the control apparatus in  FIG. 1  in the point that virtual inverter control means  42 B is provided with other multiplication means  424  between multiplication means  421  and limitation means  423 , whereby output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * outputted from the multiplication means  421  are multiplied by a correction coefficient k.  
         [0052]     In the first embodiment, the output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * are limited at 0.75 times the supply-phase-voltage maximum value. Therefore, notwithstanding that the output-line-voltage effective value is set at 188 V as the control command, the output-line-voltage effective value becomes low relative to the command value.  
         [0053]     In order to solve this problem, in the second embodiment, the output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * are multiplied by the preset correction coefficient k, and the maximum value and minimum value of the output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * are thereafter limited by the limitation means  423 , in order that the line-voltage effective value agreeing with the command value may be outputtable.  
         [0054]      FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  respectively show the waveforms of output phase voltage command values V U **, V V ** and V W ** and an output line voltage V UV  in the case where the output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * are multiplied by the correction coefficient k and where the maximum value and minimum value thereof are limited by 0.75 times the supply-phase-voltage maximum value, in order that the output-line-voltage effective value may become 188 V when the effective value of supply line voltages is 200 V.  
         [0055]     As seen from  FIG. 5 , output phase voltage command values V U **, V V ** and V W ** become trapezoidal. Besides, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the output voltage V UV  lies within the controllable voltage range of the matrix converter, and the distorted manner thereof is not apprehended to change every cycle of output, as in the first embodiment.  
         [0056]     Although the maximum value and minimum value of the signals with the output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * multiplied by the correction coefficient k are limited to ±0.75 pu in  FIG. 4 , objects to-be-limited are not restricted to the above signals, and the limitation value is not restricted to ±0.75 pu, either. More specifically, as understood from  FIG. 4 , signals which are the objects to-be-limited may well be modulation signals λ U *, λ V * and λ W *, and the limitation value in this case becomes (±0.75 pu÷E d ).  
         [0057]     In the first and second embodiments, the original output phase voltage command values are set at the sinusoidal waves, and the maximum value and minimum value thereof are limited by 0.75 times the supply-phase-voltage maximum value. The original output phase voltage command values, however, may well be set at trapezoidal waves or square waves in which the maximum value of the original command values is, at most, 0.75 times the supply-phase-voltage maximum value, while the minimum value thereof is set at, at least, −0.75 times the supply-phase-voltage maximum value. In this case, as the trapezoidal waves are brought closer to the square waves, the output-line-voltage effective value can be enlarged more.  
         [0058]     The idea according to which the waveforms of the output phase voltage command values are made the trapezoidal waves or square waves of predetermined magnitude in this manner, corresponds to the third embodiment of the invention.  
         [0059]     Subsequently,  FIG. 7  is the block diagram of a control apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the invention.  
         [0060]     This control embodiment differs from the second embodiment in  FIG. 4  in the point that, in virtual inverter control means  42 C, a correction signal λ 0  of identical phase and identical magnitude is added to modulation signals λ U *, λ V * and λ W * of all of three phases by addition means  425 , thereby to generate final modulation signals λ U **, λ V ** and λ W **, in order that the modulation signal of at least one phase among the modulation signals λ U *, λ V * and λ W * of a virtual inverter may become 1.0 or −1.0. Although no illustration is made, the idea of generating the final modulation signals λ U **, λ V ** and λ W ** by adding the correction signal λ 0  to the modulation signals λ U *, λ V * and λ W * as described above is also applicable to the first and third embodiments.  
         [0061]     Although the maximum value and minimum value of the signals with output phase voltage command values V U *, V V * and V W * multiplied by a correction coefficient k are limited to ±0.75 pu in  FIG. 7 , objects to-be-limited are not restricted to the above signals, and the limitation value is not restricted to ±0.75 pu, either. More specifically, as understood from  FIG. 7 , signals which are the objects to-be-limited may well be the modulation signals λ U *, λ V * and λ W *, and the limitation value in this case becomes (±0.75 pu÷E d ).  
         [0062]      FIG. 8  shows the output phase voltage command values V U **, V V ** and V W ** and the modulation signals λ U *, λ V * and λ W * of the virtual inverter in the first-third embodiments.  
         [0063]     Besides,  FIG. 9  exemplifies the ON duty commands D U MAX , D U MID  and D U MIN  of the bidirectional switches which connect the output U-phase of the matrix converter in the first-third embodiments and the maximum voltage phase, middle voltage phase and minimum voltage phase of the supply phase voltages thereof, respectively. Here, “ON duty” signifies a time rate at which the bidirectional switch constituting the matrix converter turns ON within one carrier (triangular wave) cycle, and the time rate is generated by control command synthesis means  43  in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0064]     On the other hand,  FIG. 10  shows the modulation signals λ U *, λ V * and λ W * of the virtual inverter before the additions of the correction signal λ 0  in the fourth embodiment, and the final modulation signals λ U **, λ V ** and λ W ** after the additions of the correction signal λ 0 . Besides,  FIG. 11  exemplifies ON duty commands D U MAX , D U MID  and D U MIN  similar to the above. By the way, in this example, the correction signal λ 0  is set so that any of the modulation signals λ U **, λ V ** and λ W ** may become 1.0 or −1.0 by adding the correction signal λ 0 .  
         [0065]     As understood by comparing  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 10 , since the correction signal λ 0  is added in the fourth embodiment, one phase among the three-phase modulation signals of the virtual inverter is fixed to 1.0 or −1.0 at a certain point of time without fail. Incidentally, since the correction signal λ 0  is added to all of the three phases, the added signals are canceled in a line voltage waveform that is outputted, and quite the same waveform as in the case where the correction signal λ 0  is not added is outputted.  
         [0066]     Further, as understood by comparing  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 11 , there exists a period for which the ON duty commands D U MAX , D U MID  and D U MIN  of the bidirectional switches connected to the U-phase of the matrix converter are fixed to 1.0 or −1.0 by the addition of the correction signal λ 0  (this holds true of the other phases, and the illustration shall therefore be omitted). This eventually signifies that the bidirectional switches connected to one output phase of the matrix converter are fixed in an ON or OFF state within one carrier cycle. That is, according to the fourth embodiment, notwithstanding that the same voltage waveform as in the first-third embodiments is outputted, the numbers of times of the ON/OFF operations of the bidirectional switches can be decreased, and hence, the suffered loss of a power converter can be lowered.  
         [0067]     Each of the foregoing embodiments is especially effective in the case of outputting a voltage effective value being, at least, the voltage effective value at which the matrix converter can output a sinusoidal voltage without distortion.  
         [0068]     It will, of course, be appreciated that variations are possible, and that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically disclosed herein, without departing from the scope thereof.