Assistant research scientist Dr. Morcos Metry presented his paper titled “Online Weight Factor Tuning for MPC Regulated Power Quality Compensators” at the IEEE 4th International Conference on Smart Grid and Renewable Energy (SGRE2024) oral presentation session in Doha, Qatar on January 8, 2024.

This paper improves the capacitor-less power quality compensator’s (CPQC) ability to provide long service life by reducing switching losses. While finite control set model predictive control (MPC) achieves high fidelity tracking for multi-objective cost functions, it results in high switching frequency, which increases losses and device stresses and reduces the overall converter reliability. This paper develops an auto-tuning approach for the MPC weighting factors that minimizes the switching frequency within IEEE harmonics standards, hence reducing switching stresses. This paper includes detailed parametric studies on the impact of different loading conditions and weight factor combinations on performance. The significance of this paper is the use of the load characterization of the system bus, to auto-tune the MPC weighting factors during operation.

This publication was made possible by NPRP grant # 13S-0213-200357 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.