Modular Multilevel Converter Based Reconfigurable Ac Load Emulator

Numerous testing of power electronics converters with various load types/conditions shall always be conducted before finalizing the design parameters, wherefore load emulator, also known as active power electronics load or dc/ac electronic load, is superior to passive load and real load in terms of testing flexibility and cost especially in high voltage, high power applications. This paper proposes a concept that by paralleled operation of modular multilevel converters, a versatile testing platform for dc-ac/ac-dc voltage source converters, so called Reconfigurable Ac Load Emulator, can cover extremely wide range of operation voltage and frequency while effectively emulating different types/conditions of load. The emulator enables faster, more efficient and flexible testing of power electronics converters. Both simulation and experiments prove the feasibility.