Virtual synchronous generator controlled matrix converter for grid integration in distributed generation and microgrid

Matrix converter (MC) is a direct AC/AC converter and it is an effective alternative solution to the conventional AC/DC/AC converter. Due to its advantages, MC has been widely researched and applied in many application fields, however its application in microgrid remains underexplored. This paper investigates the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control for the three-phase MC applied in distributed generation and microgrid. MC is controlled by the VSG control strategy to imitate the perfonnance of the synchronous generator. The VSG controlled MC is based on the mathematical model of synchronous generator and behaves in a similar manner to a synchronous generator. In this way, the benefits of synchronous generator can be integrated into MC and significant inertia and damping are provided. The frequency, voltage, real power and reactive power can be controlled effectively. Therefore, the regulation performance of MC is enhanced, making it suitable for microgrid applications. This facilitates the regulation of system frequency and voltage. The hysteresis band (HB) current controller is adopted in this paper to control the MC so that the required current can be produced. Simulation tests are carried out in MATLAB/Simulmk and the obtained results verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme.