Voltage-Fed Isolated Matrix-Type AC/DC Converter for Wind Energy Conversion System

In this article, a voltage-fed isolated matrix-type ac/dc converter (VF-MC) is proposed for wind energy conversion system (WECS). Instead of the line-frequency transformer, the high-frequency transformer (HFT) is used for isolation between the generator and the grid. The direct matrix converter (MC) is employed to connect the wind power generator and the HFT, and the intermediate dc capacitors are saved in the ac/ac conversion. Moreover, the proposed VF-MC can work without use of filter capacitors on generator side, and enable more compact size. The dedicated space-vector-modulation scheme and commutation method are proposed for safe operation of the MC. The voltage spikes due to the leakage inductance of HFT are thus reduced and the additional snubber circuit is avoided in the proposed system. A 1-kW laboratory prototype of the proposed VF-MC-based WECS is built to verify the effectiveness of the system experimentally.