Using Frequency Coupling Matrix Techniques for the Analysis of Harmonic Interactions

This paper develops a simplified phasor model for predicting harmonics present at the point of common coupling between a voltage-source power converter and the utility network. It employs the frequency coupling matrix (FCM) modeling technique. The FCM is experimentally determined without requiring access to converter internal details, such as control and output filter parameters, which are generally not available for converters used in distributed generation systems. Experimental measurements are conducted on a commercially available two-stage, three phase, grid-tied photovoltaic inverter to assess the accuracy of experimentally determined FCMs to predict the harmonic behavior of grid-connected converters. This paper considers two grid conditions for the experimental analysis: 1) when the grid is stiff and contains only background voltage harmonics and 2) when the grid contains harmonic grid impedances as well as background voltage harmonics. In all cases, a close match between the results predicted by the FCM approach and experimental measurements is achieved, thus demonstrating the practical viability of using experimentally determined FCM models for harmonic predictions.