Regenerative AC Electronic Load with One-Cycle Control

Abstract

Variable linear or nonlinear loads are critical for testing AC power supplies and power equipment in various operating conditions. At present, most testing loads are based on bulky resistors, capacitors, and inductors on which the testing energy is consumed to generate excessive heat, and moreover, the impedance value is limited by finite combination of these bulky loads. Some commercial electronic loads are available, which provide flexible impedance control but the energy absorbed by the load is still dissipated as heat. The work presented in this paper is a continuous effort of UCI Power Electronics AC load project. A Regenerative AC Electronic Load (RACEL) is developed with One-Cycle Controller (OCC), which doesn't require any Digital Signal Processor (DSP) and software in the control loop. Using a reconfigurable FieldProgrammable Analog Array (FPAA), the OCC can be integrated into a single FPAA with easy reconfiguration and simple interface structure. The proposed RACEL can emulate any impedance load, linear or nonlinear as well steady or dynamic with the regeneration of the testing energy. Simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the proposed RACEL performance.

Implementation of a Programmable Electronic Load for Equipment Testing

“…This topology is able to consume or inject energy into DC systems. In the same way, backto-back topology has two emulation modes (consumer and generator) for equipment in AC [3,6,13,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

Programmable Electronic Load Prototype for the Power Quality Analysis of an Experimental Microgrid

“…Digital control allows the emulation of different loads through human-machine interfaces or even remote control via the Internet. Some publications related to PELs define the design, modeling, and control of electronic equipment based on power converters that emulate different loads [4][5][6][7][8][9].…”

“…Some authors have proposed the use of a resistor connected directly or through a power converter to dissipate active power [5,6]. Other authors have proposed topologies that focus on returning excess energy to the grid with a back-to-back converter configuration [7][8][9].…”

“…In addition, an independent control strategy for the two VSC converters was proposed to obtain power balance and good performance. Other investigations proposed nonlinear control methods, such as [6][7][8], where a one-cycle controller (OCC) was implemented, which is a nonlinear control method that reaches the mean value of a switched variable instantaneously (single switching cycle). Controllers based on pulse-width modulation (PWM) are also hysteresis band current control methods.…”