Power Converter Technologies for Medium Voltage Distribution Grids

电网是我们最关键的能源基础设施之一。今天，过去一个世纪建立的电网基础设施正在经历来自可再生能源、非传统负载和不同形式的能量存储系统的发电的快速增长。这些趋势，再加上升级老化电网的需要，是用最好的电网结构推进加拿大电网发展的及时机会。*为了适应这些变化，电网正在从传统的交流电网演变为更高效、更灵活的交-直流混合电网，它可以更好地整合可再生能源、更高效的负载和多区域系统。目前，交直流电网的研究主要集中在高压输电系统或低压二次配电系统上。然而，由于对中压基础设施的需求，如电动汽车充电站、太阳能发电厂、风力发电场、公用事业规模的电池储能、城市轻轨交通和数据中心，中压一次配电系统的交直流电网正变得越来越重要。这些新系统的快速发展突显了部署中压直流或中压AC-DC系统的必要性。*在中压时，需要多电平变流器技术来弥补这一研究空白。电力电子技术对AC-DC电网至关重要，因为它们在交流和直流之间转换电压以及不同的电压水平。在UAlberta，我的研究小组在最先进的研究和培训设施的支持下，一直在电力电子和交直流电网运营方面进行高影响力的研究。在本次Discovery研究中，我将重点介绍用于中压配电系统的多电平变流器技术。工作计划包括新的中压变流器拓扑、多电平变流器建模和分析方法以及控制和脉宽调制策略。这些领域的进展将提供一个关键环节，使交直流电网能够以最高的效率和灵活性实现包括发电、输电和配电在内的全频谱集成。从传统电网向交直流智能电网演进是世界范围内的趋势。这一发现计划将为加拿大智能电网行业贡献重要的知识和解决方案，根据该计划培训的年轻人将为该行业带来竞争优势。

The electrical grid is one of our most critical energy infrastructures. Today, the grid infrastructure built over the past century is experiencing a rapid increase in power generation from renewable sources, non-traditional loads, and different forms of energy storage systems. These trends coupled with the need to upgrade aging grids represent a timely opportunity to advance Canada's electrical grid with the best grid structures.******To accommodate these changes, the power grid is evolving from a traditional AC grid to a more efficient and flexible hybrid AC-DC grid which can better integrate renewable energy sources, more efficient loads, and multi-area systems. Most AC-DC grid research today focuses on either high voltage transmission systems or low voltage secondary distribution systems. However, AC-DC grids for the medium voltage primary distribution system are becoming increasingly important because of the demand for medium voltage infrastructure such as charging stations for electrical vehicles, solar plants, wind farms, utility-scale battery energy storage, urban light-rail transportation, and data centres. The rapid growth of these new systems highlights the need for the deployment of medium voltage DC or medium voltage AC-DC systems.******At medium voltage, multilevel converter technologies are needed to address this research gap. Technologies enabled by power electronics are vital to AC-DC grids because they convert voltage between AC and DC as well as various voltage levels. At UAlberta, my research group has been conducting high impact research on power electronics and AC-DC grid operation supported by state-of-the-art research and training facilities. In this Discovery research, I will focus on multilevel converter technologies for medium voltage distribution systems. The work plan includes new medium voltage converter topologies, multilevel converter modelling and analysis methods, as well as control and pulse-width-modulation strategies. Progress in these areas will provide a critical link to enable full spectrum integration of the AC-DC grid, including generation, transmission and distribution, with the highest efficiency and flexibility. The evolution from traditional electrical grids to AC-DC smart grids is a worldwide trend. This Discovery program will contribute vital knowledge and solutions to the Canadian smart grid industry and the young people trained under this program will give the industry a competitive edge.