An Efficient Half-Bridge MMC Model for EMTP-Type Simulation Based on Hybrid Numerical Integration

Electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulation is critical and fundamental in the design and operation of the modular multilevel converter (MMC). This article proposes a highly efficient EMT simulation model for MMC based on hybrid numerical integration. The topology and operational principle of MMC are elaborated first. Based on this, an efficient simulation model for MMC is proposed. Each arm of the MMC is reduced to a two-node Norton equivalent circuit in the main network simulation. The computation of the capacitor dynamic equations is decoupled from that of the arm inductor dynamic equation. They are computed in a leapfrog manner. This makes the equivalent conductance of the MMC arm constant and greatly improves the simulation efficiency. Moreover, the dynamic equations of the capacitors are also decoupled from each other. Various operational conditions of the MMC are also considered, and accuracy and adaptability are thus ensured. Extensive studies on power systems with different scales verify the accuracy and improved efficiency of the proposed EMT simulation model for MMC.