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HPF BOOST INTERLEAVED OPERATING IN DISCONTINUOUS

CONDUCTION MODE FOR TROLLEYBUS APPLICATION


Flvio A. S. Gonalves, Carlos A. Canesin, Guilherme A. Melo and Luiz C. G. de Freitas
So Paulo State University - UNESP
Av. Brasil Centro, 56 Ilha Solteira (SP)
flavio@dee.feis.unesp.br, canesin@dee.feis.unesp.br, guiamelo@gmail.com
Abstract This paper deals with results of a research
and development (R&D) project in cooperation with
Electric Power Distribution Company in So Paulo
(Brazil) regarding the development and experimental
analysis of a new concept of power drive system suitable
for application in traction systems of electrical vehicles
pulled by electrical motors, which can be powered by
urban DC or AC distribution networks. The proposed
front-end structure is composed by five boost power cells
in interleaving connection, operating in discontinuous
conduction mode as AC-DC converter, or as DC-DC
converter, in order to provide the proper DC output
voltage range required by DC or AC adjustable speed
drivers. Therefore, when supplied by single-phase AC
distribution networks, and operating as AC-DC
converter, it is capable to provide high power factor,
reduced harmonic distortion in the input current,
complying with the restrictions imposed by the IEC
61000-3-4
standards
resulting
in
significant
improvements for the trolleybuses systems efficiency and
for the urban distribution network costs. Considering the
compliance with input current restrictions imposed by
IEC 61000-3-4 standards, two digital control strategies
were evaluated. The digital controller has been
implemented using a low cost FPGA (XC3S200) and
developed totally using a hardware description language
VHDL and fixed point arithmetic. Experimental results
from a 15 kW low power scale prototype operating in DC
and AC conditions are presented, in order to verify the
feasibility and performance of the proposed system.
Keywords Trolleybus, Power Factor Correction,
Interleaved Converter, Power supply.
I. INTRODUCTION
Nowadays the use of electric vehicles like trolleybuses in
many countries are increasing because they are more
environmentally friendly and more efficient than fossil-fuel
or hydrocarbon-based vehicles (gasoline, diesel, alcohol,
etc). However, many issues limit the use of trolleybuses,
mainly the boundaries in the creation of overhead power
lines (routes), the high costs of DC substations, and visual
intrusiveness of overhead wires [1].
Concerning the development of power electronic
converters for trolleybus system applications, one of the
great challenges faced by researchers is to develop electronic
traction control systems with reduced weight and size, once
that these converters, usually connected to a DC distribution

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network, must be able to deal with high power levels, around


hundreds of kW [1-2].
On the other hand, considering the possibility of a novel
single-phase AC distribution network platform, integrated
with the conventional DC distribution networks, the
trolleybus systems will require a special front-end converter
in order to perform a large variety of diagnosis and to allow
high power density without compromising the efficiency and
reliability of the system. This converter must also be able to
supply the demanded high power assuring high power factor
and low current harmonic distortion, when in AC, due to
many disadvantages of the presence of harmonic current
components in the AC distribution network, maintaining its
standard performance when in DC, in order to provide an
intermediate DC link for connection of traditional DC or AC
adjustable speed drivers. Thus, those types of converters
from a supplying point of view represent some power quality
challenges to power system [2-3].
Therefore, when operating in AC, those front-end
converters represent a medium to high power single-phase
non linear loads, and if concentrated only in one phase of the
three-phase power system will cause unbalances, and many
disadvantages related to the presence of harmonic current
components in the AC distribution network due to its
operation characteristics [2-3].
In this way, a Scott transformer is a widely used
transformer in order to convert the three-phase supply into
two single-phase power supplies, which are connected in
series, distributing the load between the primary-phases of
transformer, and reducing the unbalance problems [4].
In addition, power factor correction (PFC) converters have
been widely accepted in the power supplies for improving
power quality and to achieve the agreement with the
international current harmonic standards, like as the
IEC61000-3-2 and IEC61000-3-4, and can be used in
trolleybus applications to aid in the improvement of power
quality in the system [5-7].
One interesting PFC approach for the boost rectifier is
based on operating the boost converter in discontinuous
conduction mode (DCM). In this operation mode the
switching frequency is constant, and the diode reverse
recovery related effects are minimized, because there is no
stored charge in the boost diode at switch turn on. However,
it requires additional input current filtering and produces
peak currents that are at least two times the input current
averaged over the switching cycle, limiting this approach to
relatively low power levels applications. In this context,
these disadvantages can be alleviated and power rate can be
extended to high levels if two or more converters are
interleaved [8-10].

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Therefore, this paper proposes a DCM Boost interleaved


converter suitable for application in traction systems of
Trolleybus, operating as a front-end converter capable to
achieve high power factor, and compliance with the
restrictions imposed by the IEC 61000-3-4 standards, when
supplied by AC power net, in order to provide an
intermediate DC link for connection of DC or AC adjustable
speed drivers, sustaining its performance when supplied by
conventional DC distribution network.
II. TROLLEYBUS POWER DRIVE SYSTEM
This paper deals with results of a research and
development (R&D) project in cooperation with electric
power distribution company, where a 150kW power drive
system for Trolleybus have been evaluated in a city route
environment, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The overhead power lines in Trolleybus route
environment evaluated can be supplied by two types of
power substations, as shown in Fig. 1. The AC power
substation provides a single-phase sinusoidal voltage
waveform with rms value of 380V from a three-phase
distribution network, through a Scott transformer with
secondary windings connected in series. The conventional
DC power substation provides DC voltage with average
value of 600V, through three-phase ordinary multi-pulse
diode rectifier. Moreover, both types of power substations
may possibly present 10% of fluctuation in nominal voltage
waveforms in a two-wire system.
In this way, the proposed input stage should be flexible in
relation to input voltage feed characteristics, AC or DC,
providing proper DC output voltage range (400V up to
720V) required by intermediate DC bus for connection of
DC or AC adjustable speed drivers, as shown in Fig. 2.
When the input voltage of trolleybus power system is AC
the power factor correction rectifier (PFCR) should operate
providing DC voltage bus required by the system, and input
current waveform shaping with sinusoidal pattern.
Conditioning
Control Signals

Boost Cell
1

Fig. 1. Power system of Trolleybus.

Fig. 2. Concise block diagram of trolleybus power drive system.

If power system is DC according with designed amplitude


range of input voltage, the PFCR can operates as DC-DC
converter providing the DC output voltage allowed by the
system, or simply stays deactivated (remaining only the
double LC filter circuit) when the input voltage is already in
safe operation range.
III. THE DCM BOOST INTERLEAVED RECTIFIER
The proposed PFCR is composed by a single-phase boost
rectifier, with five cells in interleave connection, operating in
discontinuous conduction mode, and controlled by a Field
Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).
Figure 3 shows the proposed 3-D layout and a picture of
the evaluated low power scale 15 kW prototype, and Fig. 4
shows the proposed 3-D layout architecture for the 150 kW
DCM boost interleaved converter with five cells.

Output DC
Bus

Digital Control Board

Voltage Sensor
Boost Cell
2

Boost Cell
3

Boost Cell
4

Output
Capacitor

Baterry
Charger

Boost Cell
5
Input

Battery

(b) Picture of low scale prototype developed.


(a) 3D-CAD architecture of low scale prototype.
Fig. 3. Proposed 3D-CAD architecture and picture of low scale 15 kW DCM interleaved boost rectifier with five cells prototype.

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649

neglected. One can observe that main control task is


performed by three stages running simultaneously, namely
output voltage regulation, input current correction and
operation mode tracking.
The digital controller has been implemented using a low
cost FPGA XILINX device XC3S200, two Hall-effect
voltage sensors (LEM LV25-P), and two SAR analog-digital
converters of 8 bits (AD7810). The control algorithm has
been developed totally using a hardware description
language VHDL and fixed point arithmetic. The device
utilization after implementation was 72% of the total
resources.
A. Output Voltage Regulation
Fig. 4. Proposed 3D-CAD architecture of the 150kW DCM
interleaved boost rectifier with five cells.

KSENSOR

The output voltage regulation is based on a regular PI


compensator performing a low frequency component of
control. The small-signal control-to-output transfer function
of DCM boost interleaved is dependent of load resistance.
Thus, the PI controller zero is placed at two octaves above
the frequency of minimum load pole, the PI controller pole is
placed at origin, and the proportional gain is determined
equaling the loop gain for nominal load at crossover
frequency with unity.
The PI controller is showed in (1) for sample rate of 20
kHz and parameters described in Table I.
GC ( z ) = K P

Fig. 5. Block diagram of the control algorithm.

The input and output data, including the designed


parameters and components for a low power scale 15 kW
prototype, are summarized in Table I.
TABLE I
Input and Output design data and circuit parameters of
dcm boost interleaved rectifier.
Input and Output Design Data
Parameter
Magnitude
Vin [rms] or Vin[dc]
380 VRMS OR 600 VDC
VDC
680 V
PO
15 kW
fs
20 kHz
Number of Cells (i)
5
Angle of Phase-Shift [rad]
/5
Circuit Parameters
Parameter
Magnitude
SP-i and Di
Module SK60GAL128
Input Diode Bridge
Module SKB 52/12
Lin-i
118 H
Co
4700 F
Where: [i] is the cell number of DCM boost power cell

IV. CONTROL APPROACH


Figure 5 shows the simplified block diagram of digital
control algorithm developed, where protections (over
temperature, over output voltage, and over currents), softstart and remote control/monitoring algorithms were

978-1-4244-3370-4/09/$25.00 2009 IEEE

s + Z
s

s=

2 z 1

9.8242 9.8221 z
1 z

(1)

TS z +1

B. Input Current Correction


The control law of current correction is derived from the
behavior of line current averaged over a switching period
<iin>, as shown in (2).
d TS
2

iin =

vO

vin
(2)
2 L vO vin
Where: vo is the output voltage, vin is the input voltage, L
is the boost inductance, d is the duty cycle, and TS is the
switching period.
Basically, the right side of (2) is kept constant through the
variation of duty cycle along the AC line period when the
converter is operating as PFCR, compensating the amplitude
changes of input voltage.
Therefore, the main disadvantages related to PFCR boost
converter operating in DCM when the static conversion gain
is low near the unity, namely no compliance of input current
harmonic content with IEC 61000-3-4 due to significant
increase of low order components amplitude, are eliminated.

C. Tracking of operation modes due to power stations (AC or


DC)
During regular operation of trolleybus in bus routes
normally may occurs a change in type of power station
supplying the overhead power lines, and consequently
changing the characteristic of trolleybus supply voltage
waveform for AC or DC. Additionally, in process of

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switching between power station overhead lines, there is a


time interval in which the trolleybus power system feed
keeps unconnected (open) reflecting in null amplitude of
input voltage waveform for PFCR.
Usually the gap between the interconnection points of
overhead power lines may be length of 40cm up to 80cm,
and vehicle performs the trajectory with speeds between
5km/h and 80Km/h. Thus, the tracking algorithm for
detection of AC or DC input voltage modes should have a
definite(consistent) answer to control system in a time
interval lower than time wasted by the vehicle in worst case
(40cm and 80Km/h) around 18ms.
Despite the characteristics of each mode of operation (AC
or DC) are distant with regard to nominal input voltage
average value, AC around 342V and DC equal to 600V. The
algorithm cannot use only the average value or zero crossing
to accomplish determination because oscillations in input
voltage (20%) and severe input voltage sags (trolleybus
collectors disconnect the contact of overhead power line)
could lead to determination of incorrect operation mode.
In this way, the methodology used for tracking and
determination of operation modes is based on the use of
average value of input voltage waveform (Vin-avg), and the use
of average value of difference between input voltage average
value (Vin-avg) and instantaneous value of input voltage
waveform Vin(t), denominated VX(t )= Vin-avg(t)-Vin(t), as is
shown for digital simulation in Fig. 6.
Considering the costs related to logic cells utilization in
digital control implementation with FPGA devices a reduced
structure was adopted for implementation of average value,
particularly a single order IIR-Butterworth digital low-pass
filter with sample rate of 20 kHz, as shown in (3).
5.7318 5.7304 z 1
GC ( z ) =
1 z 1
(3)
Figure 6 illustrates a simulated case of operation mode
modification (AC to DC to AC) considering the input voltage
waveform with a moderate level of interference. The
waveforms show that for every transition of operation mode
there are a rise edge and a falling edge of average value
waveform. Furthermore, when the operation mode is AC the
VX waveform has a pulsating characteristic, and it keeps with
low amplitude for DC modes.
Rectified
InputVoltage
Voltage - Vin-(t)Vin(t)
Rectified
Input
1000

V. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
A low power prototype rated at 15 kW was developed in
laboratory in order to verify the feasibility of the proposed
converter for the development of nominal rate application at
150 kW. It should be noticed that the experimental results for
this prototype were obtained using loads with predominant
resistive characteristic.
Initially, two digital control strategies were evaluated for a
power rate around 5 kW, considering the compliance with
input current restrictions imposed by IEC 61000-3-4
standards and the required low static voltage conversion gain
near unity.
The input current and voltage waveforms for the proposed
PFC voltage rectifier considering only the regular PWM
modulation and power rate around 5 kW are shown in Fig. 7.
It can be observed that the input current waveform is in
phase with the input voltage waveform and the discontinuity
is eliminated due to interleaving technique.
Although the experimental power factor measured is near
unity (0.964), due to the low static voltage conversion gain
value the THD of input current was high (26.35%), and as
expected the harmonic content in third order components
exceeds the limit allowed by the IEC 61000-3-4, as shown in
Fig. 8.

Fig. 7. Input current and voltage for the proposed PFC boost
interleaved rectifier considering regular PWM modulation, during
one AC line period (Current Scale: 10A/div, Voltage Scale: 200
V/div, Time Scale: 2 ms/div).

800
600

Harmonic Limits IEC 61000-3-4

400

Input Current PFC Boost Interleaved

200
0
0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

0.45

0.5

0.3

0.35

0.4

0.45

0.5

VVin-avg
in-avg
800
600
400
200
0
0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

VX(t)=V
-V (t)
VX(t) =
Vin-avg
in-avg in - Vin(t)

600

400

11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25
Harmonic Order (n)

200

0
0

40.0%
35.0%
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25
Time [seconds]

0.3

0.35

0.4

0.45

0.5

Fig. 8. Harmonic current amplitudes from the proposed PFC boost


interleaved rectifier considering regular PWM modulation.

Fig. 6. Waveforms related to algorithm of tracking operation modes


considering an example of AC-DC-AC modes.

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651

Fig. 11. Input current THD and third order component as a function
of output power.

Fig. 9. Input current and voltage for the proposed PFC interleaved
rectifier considering current correction PWM modulation, during
one AC line period (Current Scale: 10A/div, Voltage Scale: 200
V/div, Time Scale: 2ms/div).
Harmonic Limits IEC 61000-3-4

Input Current PFC Boost Interleaved

25.0%
20.0%

Fig. 12. Power Factor as a function of output power.

15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%

11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25
Harmonic Order (n)

Fig. 10. Harmonic current amplitudes from the proposed PFC boost
interleaved rectifier considering current correction PWM
modulation.

Figure 9 shows the input current and voltage waveforms


for the proposed PFC voltage rectifier at same power rate,
considering the second control strategy, namely current
correction PWM modulation, where the duty cycle is
corrected in each switching period along the AC period.
The input current harmonic content resulted in a THD of
4.71%, totally in agreement with the limits of IEC61000-3-4
standards, as shown in Fig. 10. Moreover, the experimental
power factor measured for nominal load condition was equal
to 0.991.
Figure 11 shows the input current THD and the amplitude
of third component harmonic as a function of output power,
where one can verify that THD is dependent of third
component harmonic. In addition, the power factor behavior
as a function of output power is shown in Fig. 12.
The transients of the output voltage and input current due
to step load with variation from non load to 6 kW and viceversa are shown in Figs. 13 and 14. As it can be seen in Figs.
13 and 14, despite the significant load current step change,
the output voltage becomes stabilized after approximately six
periods for non load to 6 kW case, and approximately twenty
periods for 6 kW to non load case.
Furthermore, the output voltage overshoot and undershoot
registered during transients were around 3% of nominal
value not exceeding the maximum value allowed by safe
operation of following stage.

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Fig. 13. Output voltage (AC mode) and input current waveforms
during transient process related to load step from no-load to 6 kW
(Current Scale: 10A/div, Voltage Scale: 20 V/div, Time Scale:
50ms/div).

Fig. 14. Output voltage (AC mode) and input current waveforms
during transient process related to load step from 6 kW to no-load
(Current Scale: 10A/div, Voltage Scale: 10 V/div, Time Scale:
20ms/div).

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On the other hands, start-up processes, namely, the regular


one due to the first power-on, and those start-up processes
after the transition of input power modes, represent critical
operation points for the converter due to the proper DC
output voltage must be inside the range required by DC or
AC adjustable speed drivers, and high input current stresses.
On these circumstances, an inrush circuit can act when
necessary to mitigate the capacitor initial charge, and then
the digital controller provides the increase of the output
voltage through soft-start strategy, as showed in Fig 16.
VI. CONCLUSION

Fig. 15. Example of operation due to modification of input voltage


power supply mode from AC to DC, and DC to AC (Current Scale:
10A/div, Voltage Scale: 100 V/div, Time Scale: 400ms/div).

Fig. 16. Detail of start-up process in emulated AC supplying power


station mode (Current Scale: 20A/div, Voltage Scale: 100 V/div,
Time Scale: 200ms/div).

Slower digital controller response was set on purpose to


guarantee during transients low input current distortion and
to sustain the output voltage in the safe operation range
required by DC bus. A faster response of digital controller
can lead to deterioration of input current waveform due to
inherent distortions.
The type of power station supplying the overhead power
lines in trolleybus routes will change during the regular
operation. Thus, in order to verify the converter operation
dynamic due to power station commutations a programmable
single-phase voltage power source model 5000iX from
California Instruments was used to emulate the practical
behavior of the variation of supplying voltage from AC to
DC and DC to AC modes.
However, the emulated cases were accomplished
considering the maximum rates allowed by programmable
power source operation (5kVA, 248VAC and 270VDC) and the
same static voltage gain conversion value for the regular
converter operation in AC nominal mode.
Figure 15 shows an example of operation due to emulation
of modification of input voltage power supply mode by
programmable power source from both AC to DC and DC to
AC modes.

978-1-4244-3370-4/09/$25.00 2009 IEEE

In this paper was investigated the development and


experimental analysis of a new concept of power drive
system suitable for application in traction systems of
electrical vehicles pulled by electrical motors, which can be
powered by urban DC or AC distribution networks.
The proposed front-end structure, five boost power cells in
interleaving connection and operating in discontinuous
conduction mode, is capable of providing significant
improvements in trolleybus systems, such as, increase of
efficiency, reduction of costs, and allowing a novel AC
distribution network philosophy for this application.
With the purpose of ratify the feasibility of the proposed
topology for nominal power rate used in Trolleybus power
drives a low power scale prototype rated at 15 kW was
developed and analyzed in the laboratory, considering the
different environments of operation (AC and DC modes),
and static voltage conversion gain near unity.
When the system is supplied by novel AC distribution
network, the proposed converter due to the use of PWM
correction algorithm is capable to provide input power factor
nearly the unity with input current harmonic content totally
in compliance with the IEC61000-3-4 standards, even with a
static voltage conversion gain near the unity.
Finally, the transient response under changing line and
load conditions ratifies that the proposed converter is capable
to accomplish all features required by the input stage of
trolleybus, in order to provide an intermediate DC link for
connection of DC or AC adjustable speed drivers, sustaining
its performance when supplied by conventional DC
distribution network.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to thank for the financial support
provided by ANEEL-AES Eletropaulo Metropolitana
Eletricidade de So Paulo SA.
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