Common-mode voltage cancellation in single- and three-phase transformer-less PV power converters

Abstract

Electrical Energy generation is an issue that is continuously cause of concern around the world. Many efforts have been done in this sense to cover the requirements of the constantly growing in the electrical energy demand. But not only the electrical energy demand is growing but also clean electrical energy demand. In this sense, many countries are taking advantage from the renewable energy generation systems, considering mainly wind and solar energy. Solar energy systems provide a high percentage of the total energy production, according with the latest report of the International Energy Agency (IEA) regarding Photovoltaic Power System Program (PVPS), the cumulative installed PV power at the end of 2009 it was around 20.3 GW out of which 6.188 GW were installed in 2009. From the total PV power installed in 2009, 6.113 are grid connected systems. The growing of the PV systems is due to the new technologies and developments that have permitted to reduce costs in the total design and installation of a PV source. As the major percentage of the total PV energy installed is from grid connected systems, this thesis work deals with the analysis and proposals in the transformerless grid-connected PV systems which can provide higher efficiencies regarding PV system with transformer. In this sense, when there is not transformer between the electrical grid and the power converter, a problem regarding leakage ground currents appears, this is the main issue in this thesis work. The main research task in this thesis work is to analyze and evaluate the operation of the different transformerless topologies presented in the bibliography and then to provide some solutions to minimize the leakage ground current phenomenon in order to comply with the standard requirements.