MD RUHUL AMIN et al: PLL AND SELF-SYNCHRONIZED SYNCHONVERTER: AN OVERVIEW OF GRID-…

PLL and Self-synchronized Synchonverter: An Overview of Grid-inverter

Synchronization Techniques

Md Ruhul Amin Shamsul Aizam Zulkifli

Department of Electrical Power Engineering Department of Electrical Power Engineering
Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)
Johor, Malaysia Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: ruhulamineee@yahoo.com e-mail: aizam@uthm.edu.my

Abstract — In this paper, a brief summary of synchronization approaches is discussed sequentially from older techniques to latest
technology. There are many techniques that have been developed which focusing of synchronization, from basic grid evaluating
technique, phase-locked-loop (PLL) and later to synchronous reference-frame phase-locked-loop where is established on basis of
phase estimation and determination where it can give fast synchronization time. Recently, due to the advancement of inverter
control strategy which is based on the mathematical formulas derivation, a synchronous generator characteristic can be integrated
in the inverter controller design. As a result, the inverter will behave like the synchronous generator whereas known it has fast
synchronization time and known as synchronverter. At the end of this paper, a comparison table among the existing PLLs with
synchronverter in terms of efficiency will be addressed.

Keywords - Distributed energy; grid-inverter; synchronization; PLL; amplitude; phase angle; synchronverter.

of the grid voltage and of the SG is often called power angle.

I. INTRODUCTION The control of power angle as well as torque angle control
The locally introduced distributed energy resources and current vector control for VSI are mostly studied
(DERs) are connected with conventional grid for sharing methods. The real power flowing to the grid is controlled by
loads by means of inverters. For injecting quality power into the phase difference, called the power angle or torque angle,
the grid, there are many power electronic devices and control between the generated voltage and the grid voltage. The
mechanisms are employed between the conventional grid reactive power is controlled by regulating the amplitude of
and DERs. The synchronization between grid and inverter is the generated voltage and grid voltage [9]. As shown in
one of most important issue to deliver high class of power to figure 1, this conventional synchronization structure consists
the grid. The advanced control strategy of synchronization is of synchronization unit to synchronize with the grid in terms
required for preserving as well as improving the stability of of voltage and frequency.
the power system [1-3]. There are many studies have been
done on the field of power system control strategies for
sending the power from DERs to the conventional ac grid.
Most of DERs offer dc output and the dc-storage battery
bank is connected with existing alternating current grid
network through an efficient inverter [4]. Usually, current-
source inverter (CSI) and in case of standalone operation
voltage-source inverter (VSI) are used to supply energy to
the grid or utility. Amusingly, the VSI does not need external Figure 1. Typical grid-inverter connection structure
reference to keep synchronized [5], even it works with other
systems with regard to frequency and voltage droops that In the operation point of view of synchronous generator,
caused outlining microgrid [6]. During operation of VSI at several mathematical models and algorithms behave alike
grid connected mode, it acts like current source instead of synchronous generator that can be called virtual synchronous
voltage source. By maintaining inverter in synchronized machine, commonly the synchronverter has been suggested
condition, the inverter could inject good quality power into in [10] that give good synchronization between the inverter
the grid at reasonable change in terms of voltage, frequency and grid. At the same time, the power flow between them
and phase angle [7]. However, the synchronization unit often can be controlled. It can be run in the mode of grid-
needs to provide the value of frequency and the amplitude, connected in addition or stand-alone since it has ability to
with an addition the phase of the fundamental component of control voltage and frequency. Moreover, by maintaining
the grid voltage for the references for the power controller proper control topology and algorithm it is capable to share
[8]. In case of synchronous generator (SG) is connected with real power and reactive power depends on controlling
infinity bus, the power (torque) angle control method is facilities.
another control method. The phase difference between phase In case of three phase applications, there are further
demands such as estimations of the fundamental positive or

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 MD RUHUL AMIN et al: PLL AND SELF-SYNCHRONIZED SYNCHONVERTER: AN OVERVIEW OF GRID-…

negative sequences [11], whose characteristic applications hand, this scheme cannot be applied to single phase systems
are the flexible power control [7] of grid-interfaced in an up-front manner [17]. Conversely, it affords a
converters for distributed power generation from distributed beneficial structure for single-phase PLLs as long as the 90
energy resources [12] and active power filters [13] under the degree shifted orthogonal component of the single phase
distorted and unbalanced circumstances. In addition, fast and input signal is created [18]. The instantaneous real and
precise synchronization are forthright requirement having imaginary power theory (PQ-PLL) has the alike arrangement
wide range of reactive and real power controlling options to the conventional SF-PLL [18]. Figure 3 shows the PQ-
[11]. In this paper, various synchronizing techniques of PLL block diagram.
converter have been discussed in the synchronization means
with grid and converter and the details on the synchronverter
also been discussed.
II. CONNECTIONS AND SYNCHRONIZATION TECHNIQUES
The most important and basic conditions for such
applications are to possess inverter synchronized with the
grid before and after the inverter being connected to the grid.
So that, 1) an inverter can be connected to the grid, and 2)
the inverter can feed the right amount of power to the grid Figure 3. Block diagram of PQ-PLL
even when the grid voltage changes its frequency, phase, and
amplitude [14]. Moreover, the concept of “plug and play” This PQ-PLL can be easily understood from as a
distributed microsources is the key to microgrids. To instantaneous power theory concept. The fundamental
accomplish this goal, the ideas of active-power/frequency positive-sequence component is obtained as a by-product.
and reactive-power/voltage droop controls will be used. Its Sometimes, PLL fails in tracking the system voltage during
allow microsources to share power and maintain stability initialization under some opposing conditions, and
without the need for fast communications [14]. However, it oscillations is caused by the existence of subharmonics pulls
has been a norm to adopt a synchronization unit, e.g. PLL to the stable point of operation synchronized to the
make sure that the inverter is synchronized with the grid. subharmonic frequency. In order to settle these problems, a
This practically adds an outer-loop controller (the robust PQ-PLL is presented to maintain synchronization in
synchronization unit) to the inverter controller [15] such as presence of subharmonics, harmonics, and negative
shown in Figure 1.
sequence unbalances [19].
III. PLL AND SYNCHRONIZATION
Moreover, Double Synchronous Frame PLL (DSF-PLL)
The most extensively acknowledged for synchronization is constructed based on both transformation on the positive
procedure in time domain is shown in figure 2. It shows, the and negative sequence components of the utility voltage into
difference between input phase angle Vin and the output the double synchronous frame, which can entirely disregard
signal ð are measured by the Phase Detection (PD) and the detection errors of the conventional SF-PLL [20-21]. On
passed through the Loop Filter (LF). The output signal of LF the other hand, Sinusoidal Signal Integrator PLL (SSI-PLL)
triggers the Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO) to generate tracks the utility voltage by extracting the fundamental
the output signal, which would monitor the input signal from positive sequence to the SF-PLL [22-23]. Consequently, it
the inverter voltage. operates under voltage distortions as well as imbalances
condition. The block diagram of SSI -PLL is shown in figure
4, whereas the constant K regulates the bandwidth and the
speed-response of the SSI-PLL.

Figure 2. Typical synchronization structure

As known, Synchronous-Frame PLL (SF-PLL) in three-

phase systems is effectively synchronized grid-inverter
connection due to keep reference voltage locked to utility
voltage vector phase angle. In the event of utility voltage is
distorted which having high-order harmonics, PLL Figure 4. SSI-PLL block diagram
bandwidth reduction is not satisfactory in the presence of the
unbalanced utility voltage [16]. It should be noted that, A sequence detector chooses the sign of Vα+ and Vβ+.
Synchronous Reference Frame PLL (SRF-PLL) does not When the voltage sequence at the PCC is recognized in
provided individual values of the amplitude, phase and advance, the sequence detector can be abolished. The main
frequency rather than average information. On the other advantages of SSI-PLL are invulnerability to the voltage

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 MD RUHUL AMIN et al: PLL AND SELF-SYNCHRONIZED SYNCHONVERTER: AN OVERVIEW OF GRID-…

distortion and unbalance conditions. In addition, it can be IV. SYNCHRONVERTER

extended into the single-phase system applications with a
few modifications successfully. Similar, Double second A synchronverter is an inverter that mimics a
order generalized integrator (DSOGI-PLL) extracts the conventional synchronous generator. Synchronverters are
fundamental positive sequence to the SF-PLL whereas it grid-friendly inverters that mimic synchronous generators
operates a double second order generalized integrator to (SG) [10]. Mathematically, a synchronverter is a model,
implement the quadrature-signals generator [24]. Therefore, which behaves as in same as synchronous machine to deliver
the precise sequence component extraction here requires 900 a voltage supply. Since, PLLs are characteristically
phase shift for Vα+ and Vβ+. There are two solutions for this nonlinear, difficult and time-consuming to tune the PLL
purpose, the transport delay buffer method and the all pass parameters to reach satisfactory performance while
filter method. Proper mixing Band Pass Filter (BPF) and controlling the inverter in power system. It affects not only
Low Pass Filter (LPF) remove the harmonics and 90 phase control performance and degrade system stability but also a
shift by recognizing the angular frequency ω. Figure 5 shows complex synchronization unit is often computationally
the DSOGI-PLL block diagram. On the other hand, intensive. The controlling principle of a power controller is
Enhanced PLL (EPLL) is a frequency-adaptive nonlinear combined capability of controlling the voltage and frequency
synchronization approach [25]. The main progress over the parameter. So it is able to achieve real power control,
conventional PLL lies in the PD mechanism is it permits reactive power control, frequency regulation, and voltage
more flexibility and provides more facts such as amplitude regulation. Consider a round rotor machine has stator
and phase angle. inductances are constant. The mathematical equations for
the generator can be written by assuming there is no damper
windings in the rotor, that there is one pair of poles per phase
without having any magnetic-saturation effects in the iron
core as well as no eddy currents. The phase voltage v of
terminal can be obtained below.

d di
v   R Si    R S i  LS  e (1)
dt dt
di
e  M f i f   sin    M f f  cos  
dt (2)
Figure 5. DSOGI-PLL block diagram 1

  (Tm  Te  D p  )
EPLL also provides higher degree of resistance and J (3)
insensitivity to noise, harmonics and unbalance of the input Te  M f i f  i sin  
signal. Whereas, Three Phase Multi-PLL (3MPLL) (4)
adaptively tracks and estimates the magnitude, phase angle, e   Mf if sin 
and frequency of the input signal [26]. The operation
(5)
principle of Quadrature PLL (QPLL) is stated in [27] where
this method is based on estimating in-phase and quadrature- Q   Mf if  isin  
phase amplitudes of the fundamental component of the input (6)
signal. In advantage, it is applicable for both in distributed
generation and communication system applications. In case Where Tm, Te, e, θ, and Q are the mechanical torque
of wide-range of synchronization, the Predictive PLL (PPLL) applied to the rotor, the electromagnetic torque, the three-
comprises of a predictor, oscillator, and phase-shifter and phase generated voltage, the rotor angle, and the reactive
data acquisition blocks [28]. It has phase locking mechanism power. Figure 6 shows that Electronic part of synchronverter
similar to the conventional PLL while PPLL locks to the with controller. Assume that figure 7 is the per-phase model
phase of input signals, however, it works the systematic of a synchronous generator is connected to an infinite bus.
expressions for computing the frequency, amplitude and
phase difference in a predicted manner [29]. In addition, the Frequency droop
synchronize information can be determined within two
cycles of the input signal period in the poor condition for Equation (3)
example perturbations in frequency, amplitude and phase Grid current Equation (4)
angle. There are some other PLL have been developed on and voltage Equation (5) & (6)
e
linear and non-linearity basis as well as adaptability in
Adaptive Linear Combiner (ALC) [30], Multi-rate-PLL Voltage droop
(MR-PLL) [31], Adaptive PLL (APLL) [32] and more basic
zero-crossing detector (ZCD) method for stable and Figure 6. Synchronverter with control
sinusoidal input signal [32].

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 MD RUHUL AMIN et al: PLL AND SELF-SYNCHRONIZED SYNCHONVERTER: AN OVERVIEW OF GRID-…

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Universiti
Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) for UTHM Scholarship
funding and RAGS (R037) to undertake this research
activity.
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TABLE I. BRIEF COMPARISONS OF SYNCHRONIZATION SCHEMES FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS

Type of Design Frequency Distortion insensitivity Unbalance insensitivity Timing Aptness to

schemes Simplicity adaptive & range Single-phase
SF-PLL Good Average Average Poor Average Average
PQ-PLL Average Average Average Poor Average -
DSF-PLL Average Average Good Good Good -
SSI-PLL Average Average Good Good Good Good
DSOGI-PLL Average Average Good Good Good Good
EPLL Average Average Good Good Good Good
PPLL Average Good Good Good Good Good
MR-PLL Average Average Good Theoretically Feasible Good Good
ZCD Good Poor Poor Poor Poor Good
Synchronverter Very Simple Very Good Very Good Good Very Good Good

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