Power Loss Reduction Control for Modular Multilevel Converters Based on Resistor Controllable Submodule

A bleeding resistor is usually adopted to be parallel with the capacitor in the submodule (SM) to avoid static voltage imbalance caused by auxiliary power supply during start-up process of modular multilevel converters (MMCs). However, the bleeding resistor causes unnecessary power loss during normal operation. In this article, a resistor controllable SM based on a normally- on silicon carbide (SiC) junction field-effect transistor is proposed to reduce the power loss on bleeding resistor at normal operation of MMCs. The proposed control can not only ensure the static voltage balance during start-up of MMCs, but can also completely eliminate the power loss on bleeding resistor during normal operation of MMCs for high efficiency. In addition, the proposed control can shorten the SM capacitor discharging time at shut-down process. Experimental studies are conducted and the results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control.