A passivity-based multilevel active rectifier with adaptive compensation for traction applications

The control of a single-phase multilevel H-bridge rectifier suitable for traction applications is considered. Such a converter often presents instability problems making difficult its design and uncertain its behavior. In this paper the use of a passivity-based controller is experimentally investigated. Such a controller achieves stability, unity power factor, good balancing between the two DC links, and satisfactory behavior even in the presence of load changes. A right choice of the damping parameters allows the fulfilling of system requirements in terms of DC-link voltage error and grid current distortion.