Control of Seven-to-Three Phase Direct Matrix
Converter Using Model Predictive Control for
Multiphase Wind Generation
Omar Abdel-Rahim, IEEE Student member
Electrical and Electronic Dept.
Utsunomiya University
Utsunomiya, Japan, 321-0904
O.Abdelrahim@aswu.edu.eg
Abstract—the power conversion from variable AC voltage
into a desired AC voltage with fixed magnitude and fixed
frequency is attracting more attention especially in case of grid-
connected wind generation system. Indeed, the Direct Matrix
Converter (DMC) can be used as a suitable solution for such
AC/AC conversion to fulfill the requirement of the output voltage
with desired magnitude and frequency. This paper introduce
Model Predictive control for multiphase, more than three phases,
seven-to-three Direct Matrix Converter (DMC). This system is a
step towards using multiphase generation, especially in wind
generation. Seven-to-three direct matrix converter is used to
convert seven-phase input to three phase output. Model
predictive control is used in this paper control the three phase
output current injected into the grid to be sinusoidal and in phase
with the grid voltage. Current injected into the grid has a very
low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). The proposed system is
simulated using MatLab/Simulink Simulation to verify its
operation.
Keywords—Direct Matrix Converter; Model Predictive Control;
Seven-phase; Unity Power Factor.
I. INTRODUCTION
Inherent advantages of multiphase generators such as
higher output power, reduced phases losses, reduced sized for
the same amount of output power compared to three phase
generator make it attractive and a suitable solution for Wind
Energy Conversion System (WECS) [1-3]. The grid is a three-
phase system and hence deployment of multiphase generator
needs some sort of phase conversion system. The phase
conversion can be achieved by employing back-to-back
converter, with multiphase AC/DC and three-phase DC/AC.
This is two stage phase conversion and bulky dc link capacitor
is needed. Single stage phase conversion can be achieved by
using matrix converter [4]-[7]
Direct Matrix converter is able to convert ac voltage into ac
voltage with different amplitude, frequency and different
number of phases. It is considered as a powerful topology for
AC to AC power conversions, so that they receive considerable
attentions in recent times. They offer inherent advantages such
as bi-directional power flow, which is very important in
regeneration process, nearly sinusoidal input and output
978-1-4673-6487-4/14/$31.00 ©2014 IEEE
199
Ziad M. Ali, IEEE Member
Electrical Engineering Dept.
Aswan Faculty of Engineering
Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt, 81542.
Dr.ziad.elhalawany@aswu.edu.eg
waveform, controlled input power factor, output current
amplitude and frequency are also controllable, compact design
and lack of dc-link capacitors for energy storage. There are
many configurations that have been developed for matrix
converter in the literature [8]-[10].
Seven to three matrix converter is able to convert seven
phase input into three phase output. It has twenty-one switches
as each output phase is connected to all the input phases
through a bidirectional semiconductor switches, and hence,
there are in total 2^21 expected switching states.
To control those twenty-one switches and select the
appropriate switching states MPC is used in this paper. MPC is
considered one of the most interesting controller [11]-[15] due
to their simple implementation. Cost function determines the
required control criteria.
DMC provides a control of output voltage amplitude and
frequency and also enable controlling input current
displacement. Multiphase generation is promising but still there
is a limitation of using it, as the majority of the grids all over
the world is three phases. The choice of multiphase machine
comes from the inherent advantages of multiphase machine
such as higher power density with reduced size. In this paper,
DMC will be used to convert multiphase (seven-phase)
generation into three phases.
A schematic of the proposed system is depicted in Fig.1, as
shown in the figure the proposed system consists of seven-to-
three phase matrix converter used to convert seven phase input
voltage into three phase output voltage with output current’s
amplitude and frequency are controlled. Model predictive
control is used to control matrix converter and adjust the
switching sequence of the matrix converter’s switches. Input
filter which is an LC filter is used to reduce the harmonic
profile of the input current. The proposed system has some
inherent advantages such as, it enable the use of multiphase
machine in Wind Energy Generation Systems (WEGS) this
feature comes from using seven-to three phase matrix converter
and using MPC gives a fast dynamic response.
 performed. In the following sections those models are
developed for the proposed system.

SaA
SbA
L ia
ScA
a
C SdA iA
ib
L SeA
b A
C SfA
L ic
SgA
c
C
id
L
d SaB
C SbB
ie
e ScB
C SdB
if
f SeB iB
C B
SfB
ig
g SgB
C

SaC
SbC
ScC
SdC
iC
SeC C
Figure 1. Schematic of the proposed system. SfC
SgC
II. SEVEN-TO-THREE PHASE DIRECT MATRIX CONVERTER
Figure 2. Seven-to-Three Phase Matrix Converter Configurations.
Seven-to-three phase direct matrix converter is able to
convert seven-phase input into three-phase output with
required voltage amplitude and frequency. General topology of
the Seven-to-three matrix converter is depicted in Fig. 2. The
converter consists of seven-phase inputs and three-phase
outputs, so that there are twenty-one bidirectional power
switches; seven switches for every output phase. The
Switching pattern is defined as follow: S 1 for closed switch
and S 0 for open switch, with i={a, b, c, d, e, f, g} and j={A,
B, C}, and there is a switching constraint, to avoid short
circuiting supply voltage and interruption of output phases,
which is defined as follow:
S S S S S Sf S 1 (1)
According to this constrains provided in equation (1),
switching states will be limited to 133.
III. MODEL PREDICTIVE CONTROL
Due to the inherent advantages of MPC, it is used to control
the operation of the matrix converter. As shown in the
flowchart Fig. 3. Input current, source voltage, and voltage
after the input filter are sensed to control input current. Output
actual current and reference value also are measured and used
for the control purpose.
A prediction for the input and output current is performed
and their values are calculated, after that the cost function is
calculated and an optimization process is performed to enable Figure 3. MPC flowchart
the choice of the best switching state that give the value for the
predicted currents. For the predicted current calculation, a
model for input filter, matrix converter and load have to be

200
A. Matrix Model R T T
i k 1 1 i k v k
L L
(5)
Matrix Converter depicted in Fig. 2 uses a set of Where i k 1 is the predicted value of the current for
bidirectional switches to connect Seven-phase input supply sampling interval (k+1).
with three-phase load and enables bidirectional power flow
Equation (1) must be satisfied to avoid open circuiting load
terminal as this leads to overvoltage that can destroy the C. Filter Model
components, In addition, to avoid short circuiting supply side.
Then, the relation between input and output voltage of the The input filter model, based on the circuit shown in Fig. 5,
seven-to-three phase matrix converter is as follow can be described by the following continuous-time equations:
vA t
v t R i t L v t (6)
vB t
vC t i t i t C v t /R (7)
v
v WhereL and R are the inductance and resistance of the
SA SA SA SA SA SA SA v input filter, while C is the capacitance of the input filter.
SB SB SB SB SB SB SB . v (2) Considering the approximation for the derivative of the input
SC SC SC v current
SC SC SC SC
v
v (8)
T

The equation for predicting the source current is obtained

B. Load Model from substituting (8) into (6), which gives;

IO(t)
R T T
i k 1 1 i k v k v k (9)
L L

VO(t) IS(t)
Rf Lf
Iu(t)

e (t )
Rp
VS (t) Cf Vu(t)

Figure 4. Inductive load modeling. Ip(t)

Load model is very important in MPC as it’s used to enable

the prediction of the load current in the next sample interval. Figure 5. L-C input filter modeling.
Figure. 4 shows the model of the inductive load. Load current
could be obtained from Fig. 2 by applying Kirchhoff’s voltage
law as follow;
D. Cost Function
The key parameter of the MPC is the cost function as it
determines the required control functions. In the proposed
L v t R i t (3) system the required control function is to control output current
Where L and R are the inductance and resistance of the amplitude and frequency and also control input current to be
load. Using the discrete form of the current equation is as in-phase with supply voltage. For the required control criteria
follows: for the proposed system the cost function is given as;

(4) (10)
T

Where T is the sampling period. The equation for Where i currents and i are the real and imaginary parts
predicting the load current is obtained from substituting (4) into of the reference output current vector. Currents i and i are
(3), and the resulting equation is as follow: the real and imaginary parts of the predicted output current
vector calculated in equation (5). Currents i and i are the

201
real and imaginary parts of the reference source current vector.
Currents i and i are the real and imaginary parts of the
predicted source current vector calculated in equation (9). The
reference source current could be calculated as cited in [15], as
follows
(11)
where, is the instantaneous conductance calculated as
follow (12)

Where P the average source power and || || is the 2-norm of

vector V .
This cost function doesn’t need for weighting factor.
Elimination the weighting factor from cost function make it
simpler and more reliable, as the process of choosing the Figure 7. Reference and actual output current.
weighting factor not a straight way and it requires to try many
times before reaching to the best value.
IV. SIMULATION RESULTS
Simulation of the proposed system has performed under
MATLAB/Simulink environment. The parameter of the
proposed system is given in Table I, output three-phase current
of the proposed system is depicted in Fig. 6. As shown in the
figure a step change is done at 0.15 sec. the current is
sinusoidal and has a low harmonic profile. As depicted in Fig.
7 MPC controller has a very fast dynamic response and able to
control output current, as shown in the figure output current
follows reference current. Input current control is also satisfied
in Fig. 8.
TABLE I. SIMULATION PARAMETERS Figure 8. Input voltage and input current.

Variables Description Simulation Values

Input Voltage 100 V CONCLUSION
Input Frequency 50 Hz
Input Filter Inductance 8 mH This paper present Seven-to-three phase direct matrix
Input Filter Resistance 0.5 Ω converter as a solution for connecting multiphase generator
Input Filter Capacitance 20 µf into the three-phase grid. Principle of operation of a seven-to-
three phase matrix converter is discussed in the paper. MPC is
Parallel Resistance 60 Ω
used as a powerful control technique to achieve the following
Load Resistance 10 Ω goals; control input current at unity power factor, control
Load Inductance 10 mH amplitude and frequency of output current and finally convert
Sample Time 10 µs seven- phase input into three-phase output. A cost function is
used to achieve the required objectives. The advantages of the
cost function used here is that it doesn’t include a weighting
factor.

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