Dynamic Behavior of a 21-Level BTB-Based Power-Flow Controller Under Single-Line-to-Ground Fault Conditions

This paper deals with the dynamic behavior of a 21-level (line-to-line) back-to-back (BTB) system based on series connection of 16 converter cells under a single-line-to-ground (SLG) fault condition. The BTB system is an ac-dc-ac power conversion system intended for achieving asynchronous power-flow control between transmission networks. When the SLG fault happens, an imbalance in the supply voltage brings an amount of negative-sequence current to the BTB system. The negative- sequence current should be mitigated because it would result in an increased supply current and a dc-capacitor voltage fluctuation. This paper intends for reducing both the negative-sequence current and the dc-voltage fluctuation to acceptable levels. A laboratory system rated at 200 V and 20 kW confirms the validity of the reduction scheme. In addition, this paper addresses the issue of magnetic saturation in the 16 three-phase converter-transformers.