Load Characterization Tuning Strategy to Reduce Switching Losses in Power Quality Compensators

Literature on capacitorless power quality compensators (C-PQC) was shown to increase the converter service life and increase the reliability of the power system. This paper improves the C-PQC by achieving longer converter service life through reducing switching losses. While finite control set model predictive control (MPC) achieves high fidelity tracking for multi-objective cost functions, it results in high switching frequency, which increases losses and device stresses, and reduces the overall converter reliability. Additionally, cost function weight factors assignment is not an entirely solved issue, as it is mostly based on trial-and-error and little expertise in the system. This paper develops an auto-tuning approach for the MPC weighting factors that minimizes the switching frequency within IEEE harmonics standards, hence reduces switching stresses. The significance of the developed approach is its use of the load characterization of the system bus, to auto-tune the MPC weighting factors during operation.