WIDE BANDWIDTH SINGLE AND THREE-PHASE PLL STRUCTURES FOR GRID-TIED PV SYSTEMS

L. N. Arruda' B. J. Cardoso Filho* S. M. Silva * S. R. Silva' A. S.A.C. Diniz' licia@ieeq.org cardosob@cpdee.ufmg.br sidelmosilva@zipma!l.com selenios@eee.ufmg.br asacd@cemig.com.br CEMIG - Companhia Energetica de Minas Gerais Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais AV. Barbacena, 1200 - 2Oc-andar - Funcionarios Departamento de Engenharia Eletrica 30123-970 - Belo Horizonte - MG - Brazil AV.AntBnio Carlos, 6627 - Pampulha 31270-901 - Belo Horizonte - MG - Brazil

ABSTRACT
This paper presents a detailed description of a three-phase PLL (phase-locked loop) structure that fits the requirements of utility connected PV systems. The tuning of the PLL structure is discussed as well as its performance under utility distorted conditions. Additionally, a new single-phase PLL topology is introduced. Its dynamic behavior is evaluated and its quasi-instantaneous ability to detect phase, frequency and amplitude of the utility voltage is highlighted. The analysis of the performance of the introduced singlephase PLL topology under islanding condition is also presented. Simulation and experimental results are included to support the theoretical.

characteristics of the conventional PLL topologies may result in phase and frequency detection errors, which make them unsuitable for utility connected %applications as the input signal of this system (utility voltage) is usually distorted. This paper presents a detailed description of the PLL topology introduced in [3], including the tuning of the controllers and the determination of the influence of each disturbance source in the output variable (phase angle). Additionally, a new single-phase topology capable of fast detection of phase signal is introduced. The behavior of this topology is also analyzed under islanding condition. Simulation and experimental results are presented.

THREE-PHASE PLL TOPOLOGY

The three-phase PLL structure introduced in [3] is illustrated Fig. 2, where wv is the feedforward frequency. This topology is based on the synchronism between the utility voltage vector and the synchronous referqnce frame. Setting the direct axis reference voltage (Vd) to zero and tvning the controllers to extinguish the error between Vd and v d result in the lock in of the PLL output (0) on the phase of the utility voltage vector. Besides the phase signal, the instantaneous frequency (0)and amplitude (V,) of the utility voltage vector are also determined.

INTRODUCTION The development and growth of grid-connected systems is demanding a close evaluation of the performance of the available PLL structures, as well as their influence on the quality of the energy generated by the PV systems. The most common PLL topologies (see Fig. 1) [1][2] can be classified as zero-crossing structures in which the detection of phase and frequency disturbances is based on the zero crossing instants of the input signal, resulting in a slow structure. Additionally, the Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) block demands a dc input signal. Hence, a Low-pass Filter is required, thus contributing to further constrain the dynamic performance of the PLL structure.

v,

Transformation

T
Fig. 1.

I
V

Basic topology of the conventional PLL.

Clark Transformation

A close look on these topologies also reveals their deviation from the expected behavior under utility distorted conditions such as voltage sags, harmonics, frequency variations and so on [3]. All these inherent

Fig. 2.

Three-phase PLL structure.

The tuning of the PI controller gains (K, and KP) requires the determination of the small signal model of the

0-7803-5772-8/00/$10.00 0 2000 IEEE

1660

three-phase PLL structure, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Some criteria must then be established in order to impose an adequate dynamic behavior to this topology: Acceptable distance between the fastest pole and the switching frequency of the inverter. 0 Adequate distance between the poles (I 0 times between poles frequencies seems reasonable) to guarantee robustness.

deteriorate the dynamic stiffness. A trade-off must then be made between the already mentioned criteria in order to achieve the desirable behavior for the three-phase PLL structure discussed in this section.
1

0'

Fig. 3.

Small signal model of the three-phase topology. Fig. 5.

10 ' 10,

10 '

10'
F'.4"."0"
( " I ,

Id

10%

Additionally to, the above stated criteria, one must assess the dynamic stiffness of the proposed topology in order to evaluate the behavior of the structure under utility distorted conditions. In this sense, (1) defines the dynamic stiffness as the relationship between the disturbance source (represented by the utility voltage V ) , and the PLL output variable (0). It is worth to point out that the higher the dynamic stiffness is, the less the influence of utility voltage distortions in the PLL output variable.

Influence of gain Kp in the dynamic stiffness. (K,= 40000) Table 1. Poles Location.

50

30000 40000 50000

(103;1330) (141 ;1291) (182;1250)

1 x 1

AV, = s2 + sKPVq+ KiVq

sKpsinO

The influence of the PI controller gains in rejecting the utility voltage perturbations (dynamic stiffness) can be better visualized through the curves plotted in figs. 4 and 5. The gains were set for a three-phase, 220V, 60Hz system (the switching frequency is 10kHz).

SINGLE-PHASE TOPOLOGY The single-phase PLL structure is derived from the three-phase topology, as illustrated in fig. 6.

Transformation

Fig. 6.
I
10'
102
(I'

Single-phase PLL structure.

0.

0 '

FWaWlW

Fig. 4.

influence of gain K, in the dynamic stiffness. (KP= 50)

It can be seen, from fig. 4 and Table 1, that despite the improvement in the dynamic stiffness characteristic, higher integral gains result in the approximation of the poles, which deteriorate the robustness of the system. On the other hand, fig.5 and Table 1 show that high proportional gains causes larger bandwidth but

The lack of a utility voltage vector is overcome by emulating a balanced three-phase system, in which the aaxis voltage of the stationary frame ( V , ) is made equal to the single-phase utility voltage, as expressed in (2). Additionally, the inverse transformation block provides the quadrature voltage and demands a time lag block in the feedback path.

1661

The procedure to determine the lead-lag block parameters is the same used in the thee-phase topology analysis: Determine the corresponding small signal model. Set poles location for suitable bandwidth and robustness. Determine the disturbance rejection characteristic. The influence of the phase angle in the singlephase PLL response can be visualized through fig. 7, where the phase was varied from zero to d 2 . In this example the pole T (see fig. 6) was made equal to 0.001, the zero of the lead-lag block was set to 1100, its gain was set to 100 and its pole was set in the origin. The zero of the lead-lag block and the pole of the first-order feedback block must be close to guarantee stability and a suitable damping ratio, despite the undesirable behavior when phase is equal to zero (see fig. 7). Fig. 8 shows some experimental results, illustrating the adequate performance of the PLL under utility voltage sag.

The PLL topologies analyzed is this paper presents some features that make then suitable to prevent the PV system to operate in an islanding condition. Specifically, the PLL synthesizes the frequency signal of the input variable, which means that the PLL is able to lock in an arbitrary frequency signal. Fig. 9 illustrates this behavior where the phase of the utility was varied according to (3).
lR = 120xnxT+0.5xsin(2xnxT)

(3)

Fig. 9.

Frequency signal synthesized by the singlephase PLL.

1ol"l

,Id

10'

700

lo'
Frquanc" ("21

'1 .

,on

lo'

Fig. 7.

Frequency response of single-phase PLL (closed-loop).

SingleT'hare PLL Under Distorted Input
200

005

CIO

011

020

025

030

Time [L]

Fig. 8.

Experimental results of the single-phase PLL.

I SLANDING
The islanding condition is defined as the continued operation of the PV system when the utility is not present [4]. In order to vanish this undesirable operating condition, it is necessary to cause some instability in the operation of the inverter of the PV system. Through a injected controlled disturbance, the system is lead to operate in a condition that violates the voltage and/or frequency trip set point. It must be clear, however, that this perturbation signal cannot result in unstable operation of the PV system when the grid is present.

The fast detection of phase and frequency of the bus voltage vector can be satisfactorily used to causes the turn-off of the PV system during the islanding condition. If a small quantity of reactive power is injected into the utility by the PV system, the following behavior will be observed: If the grid is present, the reactive power will be absorbed by the utility, which means that the load voltage will be tied to the utility voltage and the frequency will be that of the grid. Fig. 10 illustrates this situation for the single-phase PLL feeding a parallel RLC load whose resonance was set to 60Hz and the quality factor was made equal to 5. If the grid goes out of operation, the reactive power causes a deviation in the frequency of the system. This deviation is a result of the new resonance point of the load, in the sense that the power factor angle imposed by the control changes the capacitance or reactance of the load. As the utility is no more present and as the PLL follows the frequency of the input signal (load voltage), the PV system is lead to operate in a condition that violates the frequency trip set point. As a consequence, the islanding situation vanishes. Figs. 11 through 14 illustrate this behavior for the same system already defined for figs. 10 and 11. It must be said that the utility voltage was shown for the visualization of the frequency deviation. The simulation results show that a small deviation from the unit power factor (cos(p=0.95) does not deteriorate the operation of the PV system under normal operating conditions. On the other hand, under islanding condition, this small amount of reactive power injected into the system, results in new frequency operating points:

1662

58Hz for the lag power factor and 62Hz for the lead power factor. This new operating point is achieved in few cycles, as can be seen in figs. 11 to 14.

voltage vector amplitude and frequency and the satisfactory behavior under utility distorted conditions constitute valuable features of the discussed topologies. Finally, the simple and precise behavior under islanding condition makes these topologies well suited to grid-tied PV applications.

-2m

02

021

" on

025

" 021

025 Tlmo 1 .

" 028

021

" 028

O I

"

Fig. 10. PV system behavior under normal operation conditions (pf=0.95 lead): a)utility voltage; b)load voltage (x0.7); c) load current (x10)

-200 08

081

" OBZ

" om OBI

".

085

" om
181

ow

" o s

083

" 08

Fig. 13. PV system behavior under abnormal operation conditions (pf=0.95 lead): a)utility voltage; b)load voltage (x0.7); c) load current (x10)

-2001

08

081

'

DBZ

"

om

OM

"

0 s T1mel.l

flea

"

087

o s

'

OB0

'

os

Fig. 11. PV system behavior under abnormal operation conditions (pf=0.95 lag): a)utility voltage; b)load voltage (x0.7); c) load current (x10) Fig. 14. Frequency deviation index (islanding at T=GOOms) for the conditions specified in fig. 13.

REFERENCES [I] G. Hsieh an J.C. Hung, "Phase-Locked Loop Techniques - A Survey", IEEE Transactions on lndustrial Electronics, vol. 43, no. 6, 1996, pp. 609-615.
[2] G. Nash, "Phase-Locked Loop Fundamentals", Motorola, AN-535, 1994. Design

-044
-0 5

os

nmo 1 4

Fig. 12. Frequency deviation index (islanding at T=6OOms) for the conditions specified in fig. 11.

[3] V. Kaura and V. Blasko, "Operation of a Phase Locked Loop System Under Distorted Utility Conditions", IEEE Transactions on Industy Applications, vol. 33, no. 1, 1997, pp. 58-63.

CONCLUSIONS
The paper presented a methodology for the tuning of the wide bandwidth PLL topologies. Additionally, a new single-phase structure was introduced. The fast phase detection, the availability of instantaneous detection of

[4] G.A. Kern, R.H. Bonn, J. Ginn and S. Gonzalez, "Results of Sandia National Laboratories Grid-Tied Inverter Testing", In: Pd World Conference and Exhibifion on Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion, 1998, Vienna, Austria.

1663