# US 12,224,658 B2 · Power conversion device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,224,658 B2 - Document ID: US12224658B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/271,308 - Filed: 2021-01-15 - Published: 2024-02-15 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-01-15 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Sadayuki Inoue; Koki Matsumoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224658B2 ## CPC - H02M 1/12: Arrangements for reducing harmonics from AC input or output - H02J 3/32: using batteries or super capacitors with converting means - H02J 3/38: Arrangements for feeding a single network from two or more generators or sources in parallel; Arrangements for feeding already energised networks from additional generators or sources in parallel - H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators} - H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter} - H02M 1/0025: {Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter} - H02M 7/42: Conversion of DC power input into AC power output without possibility of reversal - H02J 2101/22: Solar energy - H02J 2101/24: Photovoltaics - H02M 1/007: {Plural converter units in cascade (push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826)} - H02M 3/00: Conversion of DC power input into DC power output - H02M 7/44: by static converters - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract A power conversion device includes a converter, an inverter, a converter control circuit, a virtual synchronous generator control circuit to impart a transient characteristic of a synchronous generator to the inverter, and an inverter control circuit to control the inverter. The virtual synchronous generator control circuit calculates a switching frequency at which charge/discharge of the distributed power source is switched, based on information necessary for virtual synchronous generator control. The converter control circuit uses the switching frequency to create a frequency range of AC system voltage for providing a dead zone in which charge/discharge power of the distributed power source is zero in a drooping characteristic of the power conversion device, or a hysteresis in switching of charge/discharge of the distributed power source. The converter control circuit performs control such that charge/discharge power of the distributed power source becomes zero in the frequency range. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power conversion device connected to an AC system and equipped with virtual synchronous generator control, the power conversion device comprising: a converter to convert a first DC voltage output from a distributed power source into a second DC voltage; an inverter to convert the second DC voltage output from the converter into an AC voltage and output the AC voltage to the AC system; a communication circuit to receive information necessary for the virtual synchronous generator control given from a management device that manages the distributed power source; a first voltmeter to measure the second DC voltage; a second voltmeter to measure an AC system voltage of the AC system; a converter control circuit to control the converter; a virtual synchronous generator control circuit to impart a transient characteristic of a synchronous generator to the inverter; and an inverter control circuit to control the inverter as a voltage source, based on AC system voltage information input from the virtual synchronous generator control circuit, wherein the information necessary for virtual synchronous generator control includes a power target value of the power conversion device, the virtual synchronous generator control circuit calculates a switching frequency at which charge/discharge of the distributed power source is switched, based on the information necessary for virtual synchronous generator control, and the converter control circuit uses the switching frequency to create a frequency range of the AC system voltage for providing a dead zone in which charge/discharge power of the distributed power source is zero in a drooping characteristic of the power conversion device, or a hysteresis in switching of charge/discharge of the distributed power source, and the converter control circuit performs control such that charge/discharge power of the distributed power source becomes zero in the frequency range. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual synchronous generator control circuit includes a governor control circuit to mimic a governor function of a synchronous generator, and a mass system computing circuit to mimic a swing equation of the synchronous generator, the governor control circuit calculates an offset value to be added to the power target value, based on a reference frequency of the AC system voltage and a frequency of the AC system voltage, and outputs an addition value of the power target value and the offset value to the mass system computing circuit, and the mass system computing circuit generates a frequency and a phase of the AC system voltage such that a deviation of an effective power of the AC system from the addition value is zero, and outputs the generated frequency and phase to the inverter control circuit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2) The power conversion device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inverter control circuit generates a target AC voltage, based on the AC system voltage information input from the virtual synchronous generator control circuit, and controls the inverter as a voltage source, based on the generated target AC voltage and the AC system voltage measured by the second voltmeter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1, 2, 3) The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the converter control circuit controls charge/discharge power of the distributed power source such that the second DC voltage measured by the second voltmeter attains a predetermined voltage, and when a frequency of the AC system voltage falls within the frequency range, the converter control circuit performs control such that charge/discharge power of the distributed power source becomes zero. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4) The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when detecting that charge/discharge power of the distributed power source is zero, the converter control circuit determines that a frequency of the AC system voltage falls into the frequency range, and performs control such that charge/discharge power of the distributed power source becomes zero, and when detecting that the frequency of the AC system voltage falls outside the frequency range, the converter control circuit performs control such that charge/discharge for the distributed power source is resumed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an AC frequency detecting circuit to detect a frequency of the AC system voltage, wherein the converter control circuit detects that the frequency of the AC system voltage falls outside the frequency range, based on a detection result of the AC frequency detecting circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The power conversion device according to claim 2, wherein the converter control circuit detects that the frequency of the AC system voltage falls outside the frequency range, based on the addition value input to the mass system computing circuit or frequency information of the AC system voltage output from the mass system computing circuit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The power conversion device according to claim 2, wherein the converter control circuit detects that the frequency of the AC system voltage falls within the frequency range, based on the addition value input to the mass system computing circuit or frequency information of the AC system voltage output from the mass system computing circuit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: an ammeter to measure an AC current of the AC system; and an effective power calculating circuit to calculate an AC effective power output by the inverter, based on measurement values of the ammeter and the second voltmeter, wherein the virtual synchronous generator control circuit calculates the drooping characteristic of the power conversion device, based on a capacity of the inverter, the power target value, and a control parameter for virtual synchronous generator control, the drooping characteristic indicates a relation of a differential frequency of a frequency of the AC voltage output by the inverter from a reference frequency of the AC system voltage, to a differential power of the AC effective power from the power target value, and the virtual synchronous generator control circuit calculates the switching frequency, using the drooping characteristic. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The power conversion device according to claim 9, wherein when the power target value corresponds to discharge of the distributed power source, the converter control circuit sets the switching frequency to a lower limit frequency of the frequency range and performs control such that discharge power of the distributed power source becomes zero in the frequency range, when the power target value corresponds to charge of the distributed power source, the converter control circuit sets the switching frequency to an upper limit frequency of the frequency range and performs control such that charge power of the distributed power source becomes zero in the frequency range, and when the power target value is zero, the converter control circuit sets the switching frequency to zero, sets the frequency range with the switching frequency at center, and performs control such that charge/discharge power of the distributed power source becomes zero in the frequency range. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The power conversion device according to claim 9, wherein when the distributed power source is switched from discharge to charge, the converter control circuit performs control such that charge power of the distributed power source becomes zero, until a frequency of the AC voltage output by the inverter exceeds a frequency obtained by adding a width of the hysteresis to the switching frequency, and when the distributed power source is switched from charge to discharge, the converter control circuit performs control such that charge power of the distributed power source becomes zero, until a frequency of the AC voltage output by the inverter becomes lower than a frequency obtained by subtracting the width of the hysteresis from the switching frequency. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the converter control circuit receives information on a width of the dead zone or a width of the hysteresis from the management device.