Constant Power Generation in Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter-based Photovoltaic Systems Based on Flexible Power Point Tracking

Traditionally, photovoltaic power plants use Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms to produce maximum electrical energy. However, with the increase of grid-installed photovoltaic power plants, power system operators have faced new challenges such as overload, overvoltage, and proper performance during grid voltage disturbances. As a result, network standards and codes have been updated in the direction of photovoltaic systems that are more controllable and compatible with the network. To provide various grid support functions, such as frequency response and voltage support, the Constant Power Generation (CPG) control algorithm is established by grid codes. For this purpose, MPPT algorithms have been replaced by flexible power point tracking (FPPT) algorithms. This paper proposes an algorithm to control photovoltaic systems based on a multi-level cascaded full-bridge (CHB) inverter to achieve constant power generation control by the FPPT method. The required power reference is distributed among the sub-modules of the CHB converter according to the available power of each sub-module in such a way that, as much as possible, each sub-module is loaded equally. Then, the FPPT algorithm with an adaptive voltage step is used to set the power of each sub-module in its reference value. The voltage step is calculated adaptively based on the observed condition (transient or steady state) so that the tracking performance has fast dynamics. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is evaluated by simulating a 500-kW photovoltaic system directly connected to a 4.7 kV grid.