An Average Model Predictive Control of Quasi-Z-Source Modular Cascaded Photovoltaic Converter

An average model predictive control (AMPC) is proposed for dc grid integration of the front-end isolated quasi-Z-source modular cascaded converter (qZS-MCC) photovoltaic (PV) power system. The qZS-MCC deals with PV maximum power point tracking (MPPT), dc grid integration, and dc-link voltage balance by the post-stage qZS half-bridge (HB) dc-dc converters, while a unified duty cycle is used in the front-end isolation converters of all submodules (SMs). Thus, it reduces the control resources while overcoming the dc-bus voltage limit because of the PV panel insulation demand. The proposed AMPC of qZS-MCC PV power system predicts the shoot-through duty cycle of each SM for dc-link voltage control, and the total modulation index for dc grid-connected current control; only one proportional-integral (PI) regulator for PV MPPT is required in each SM. Thus, PI regulators are significantly reduced, whereas system dynamic responses are improved, with low computation and simple implementation. Simulation and downscaled experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control.