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The main standard for avionic equipment DO-160G defines a set of tests that require compliance before the employment of a device in aircraft. An important test involves the generator voltage and consequential current distortion of the three-phase load in the variable 360–800 Hz frequency grid. The main purpose of this paper is to present and analyze a systematic design methodology for three-phase boost and buck rectifiers in order to meet with the voltage distortion test requirement. For a given voltage harmonic profile, the current harmonic limits that have to be satisfied are translated into equivalent per-harmonic admittances and a profile of maximum rectifier input admittance versus frequency is obtained. The defined profile, due to normalization, is applicable to arbitrary power level with simple shifting by the base admittance governed by the converter nominal power. It is shown that for boost-type rectifiers there is a tradeoff between current controller bandwidth and input inductor size, while for the buck-type rectifiers main limitation lies in the input LC filter design used for differential electromagnetic interference filtering. The experimental results conducted on an SiC three-phase 10 kW VIENNA rectifier are tightly backing up the proposed theoretical analysis. This paper is accompanied by three videos demonstrating experimental measurement of d-axis open-loop duty cycle to inductor current transfer function, loop-gain of d-axis current controller with 3.8 kHz bandwidth and variable grid frequency 360–800 Hz operation of the converter under 0% and 10% input three-phase voltage total harmonic distortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper confirms that removing antiparallel silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) from SiC-based inverters offers positive effects without critical impact on inverter loss and electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues, moreover, the removal of SBDs reduces the inverter losses in many cases and noise emissions. This conclusion leads to the possibility to improve the power densities by removing SBDs. However, the removal of SBDs may cause some disadvantages such as an increase of the reverse conduction loss and influence of the body diode recovery phenomenon. Therefore, a comprehensive investigation of these advantages and disadvantages is necessary. In this paper, design criteria are proposed to clarify the conditions in which SiC-based inverters without SBDs have advantages over those with SBDs from the viewpoint of losses. On the other hand, to achieve the removal of SBDs, it is also necessary to confirm that removing SBDs does not cause severe EMI issues. The paper confirms that switching noises are reduced by the removal of SBDs; this is due to the larger damping effect of the SiC mosfets without SBDs than that of SiC mosfets with SBDs. The validity of the theoretical analyses and design criteria is confirmed with comprehensive experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a fault-tolerant operation for dual three-phase surface-mounted permanent magnet machines (SPMSMs) that were both electrically connected on three winding phases and mechanically connected on one shaft. The open-phase fault-tolerant operation is considered in dual three-phase SPMSMs drive thus combining motor drive of three-phase and single-phase. The proposed method controls the torque of each motor with different phases using a single inverter. In order to control these motors, the torque and current are distributed between the motors with the specific ratio. Methods for minimizing torque ripple and copper losses and maximizing the output torque of the three-phase motor are stated in this paper. Accordingly, a system with cost-effective and enhanced reliability is proposed without any configuration adjustment or auxiliary switching devices. The mathematical analysis and experiments are presented to verify the feasibility of the proposed method. After the fault, the resulting system is able to provide up to 75% of the rated torque, and up to 50% of the torque can be utilized without any torque ripple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the fault current behavior of full-bridge modular multilevel converters (MMCs) and hybrid MMCs, with a consideration of a non-simultaneous blocking of the two half-bridges in each sub-module. In order to protect insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBTs) in the full-bridge sub-module, both sides of a full-bridge sub-module are not blocked at the same time point. It is assumed that the first blocking of both sides is random in each sub-module, so there are many possible voltages in each arm after the first blocking. Because of this, there are also many possible fault current slopes after the first blocking. The influence of this sequential blocking on the maximum fault current is analyzed in the study. This paper also determines the threshold current, which has to be decreased due to this phenomenon. An optimization method of threshold current is also proposed. Other new MMC sub-modules can also use this new blocking method to reduce the stress of IGBTs, whose working principle is also introduced in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an open-end winding permanent magnet synchronous machines drive with single dc voltage source, zero-sequence current (ZSC) can lead to a high current stress of power modules and loss of motor. Therefore, some modulation strategies have been employed to alleviate ZSC by suppressing zero-sequence voltage (ZSV). However, ZSC still exists in the system because ZSV can also be generated by other nonlinear factors of inverter such as the dead time of system. In addition, zero-sequence back electromotive force in the zero-sequence path can also enlarge torque ripple and ZSC. In order to deal with above problems, first, this paper proposes a full-order adaptive zero-sequence observer to estimate future ZSC and ZSV, which are able to compensate one-step control delay. Second, to achieve the maximum voltage dc bus utilization, this paper proposes a novel deadbeat predictive current control (DPCC) scheme with alternate sub-hexagonal center pulsewidth modulation strategy to suppress ZSC and torque ripple simultaneously. Finally, this paper presents a comparative study of two types of methods, namely traditional DPCC scheme and the proposed DPCC scheme. Simulation and experimental results are demonstrated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed DPCC scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a wireless power transfer (WPT) system with a two-dimensional (2-D) magnetoinductive wave (MIW) device composed by two orthogonal sets of 1-D MIW devices woven together. The device is made by 112 double-spiral coils, a geometry that we have optimized to render a low attenuation propagation. This approach enables a charging area of 22 × 22 cm2 from which a receiver device can be supplied with energy with optimum efficiency from 32 different locations with the use of a single excitation port. We present a detailed optimization of the design and fabrication of the device. To describe the behavior of the device, we use a modeling method based on the impedance matrix that allows us to include all coupling interactions among the increased number of cells. With this method, we are able to find the optimal operating conditions like the location of the excitation and the coupling conditions of the receiver device. With the proposed 2-D MIW device, we can provide up to 5 W to a load of 5  $\Omega$  located at the optimal axial separation. We corroborate our calculations with vector network analysis and dc output power measurements. Furthermore, we demonstrate the device supplying to distinct types of loads simultaneously. This paper is accompanied by a supplementary file showing the required MATLAB script and input files to calculate the mutual inductance between a receiver and the cells of the pad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an overload and short-circuit protection method is proposed for voltage source inverter-based uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system. In order to achieve high reliability and availability of the UPS, short circuit and overload protection scheme are necessary. When overload or short circuit happens, using the proposed control method, the amplitude of the output current can be limited to a constant value, which can be set by the customer to avoid the destruction of the power converter, and to obtain a faster recovery performance as well. The detailed principle of the proposed protection method is discussed in this paper. It mainly contains three parts in the control diagram for current limit, first is the anti-windup in the voltage and current controllers, then the feedforward of the capacitor voltage to the current control loop, the last is the fast reset of the resonant part of the current controller when overcurrent happens. The procedure of developing the control method is also presented in the paper. Experimental results on a commercial UPS system are presented to verify the effectiveness of the control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dual-active bridge (DAB) topology is commonly preferred in bidirectional applications due to several attractive features, including auto-adjust of power flow, galvanic insulation, wide voltage gain, and zero voltage switching (ZVS) capability over some power ranges. However, the efficiency of the converter drops at light loads because the ZVS range is directly dependent on the circulating current. Assuming that the processed power is variable, the DAB converter's design must find a compromise between extending ZVS ranges and reducing the reactive power processing to ensure higher efficiency. Aiming this compromise, many papers propose hybrid approaches in which the modulation strategy is selected according to the processed power. However, this is not a simple solution because it demands multivariable control and offline optimizations. This paper proposes a modulation strategy to ensure ZVS and reduce the circulating current for the DAB converters. While the usual phase-shift modulation provides ZVS operation in a range of 40% to 100% of rated power, the proposed asymmetrical pulse-width modulation can obtain ZVS operation in a range of 2% to 100% of rated power. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed strategy improves the converter efficiency for all power ranges, especially at light loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes two fault-tolerant dual-multiphase motor drives, a series-connected topology, and a standard H-bridge topology. Previous studies have shown that the series connected topology is appropriate to an aerospace application and has lower peak current in degraded mode in comparison with the H-bridge topology, which may consequently diminish the system's weight and cost. This paper extends the study to compare different control strategies of these structures under two fault conditions: short-circuit of an inverter's switch and an open-phase of the machine. The control strategies analyzed in this paper do not impact the fundamental current or the torque generation, but the amplitudes of some harmonics in degraded mode are expected to be narrowed down in order to reduce the inverter's size. Some analyses of maximum voltage and peak current in degraded mode have been used for inverter dimensioning. Experimental results are shown and compared to the simulated ones to confirm the validity of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As a flexible and reliable way for distributed energy consumption and integration, the converters-dominated microgrid has attracted more and more attention recently. Owing to the low inertia and high nonlinearity of power converters, the islanded microgrid under large-signal disturbances is easily suffer to transient stability problems. To support the stable operation of microgrid, grid-forming converters are extensively investigated and applied. In this paper, an improved equal area criterion (IEAC) is proposed for the transient stability analysis of a simple microgrid equipped with both grid-following and grid-forming converters. Firstly, a simplified second-order model of the microgrid is established, which contains a nonlinear damping term relying on the power angle. Then, the limitation of conventional equal area criterion (EAC) for transient stability analysis is revealed, which completely ignores the unfavorable influence of negative damping and may lead to erroneous judgement. To fill this gap, an improved equal area criterion is proposed to derive the transient stability conditions for islanded microgrid, which could improve the estimation accuracy of stability boundaries. Moreover, impacts of system parameters and controller parameters on transient stability are studied, which provides useful guidelines for the parameter optimization of grid-forming and grid-following converters. Eventually, simulation and hardware-in-loop experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a balancing algorithm for the so-called Director Switch, a controlled, reverse conducting, self-powered, high-voltage switch, using series-connected insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). This is a key component on two new voltage-source, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter topologies. These, which promise efficiency, cost, and size reductions, are an alternate arm converter and a series bridge converter. One of the main design challenges of the director switch is how to supply the IGBT gate drivers, and other auxiliary electronics while overcoming the high-voltage insulation barrier to ground level. In this paper, this is achieved by using the energy stored in a capacitive clamp snubber circuit, which also helps with the overvoltage mitigation during rare hard-switching events. However, the clamp capacitor and by proxy the IGBT voltages become highly unbalanced during operation, compromising the integrity of the switch. This paper presents a balancing strategy that consists in applying a controlled delay in the switching of the IGBT levels, in a way that forces a voltage balance on all the switch levels. The paper explains the unbalance. Then, the balancing strategy is explained and validated on simulation and on a high-voltage experimental rig, on switches comprising two and three series-connected IGBTs, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a methodology for active thermal control of power electronic modules in ac applications, which includes a loss manipulation unit, a thermal observer structure, and an active thermal cycle reduction algorithm. It aims to reduce the thermo-mechanical strain in the inter-connects of the module in order to enhance its reliability and lifetime. The loss manipulation unit operates in a minimally invasive manner by manipulating adaptive gate resistances and the pulsewidth modulation frequency. This allows the individual thermal control of multiple devices within a power module, which has not been achieved in prior work. A thermal observer structure that estimates averaged junction temperatures by combination of a thermal model and sensor information is introduced. The observer technology makes this paper the first to realize closed-loop control of averaged temperatures achieving an increased robustness and insensitivity to modeling errors. A key element of the active thermal cycle reduction algorithm is the virtual heat sink that derives feasible and stress-relieving thermal trajectories. The trajectories are applied with a unique thermal feedback control that smoothly manipulates the averaged junction temperature of the power module even in the presence of loss manipulation limits. The active thermal control methodology is evaluated experimentally with a state-of-the-art insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new methodology for automated design of power electronic systems realized through the use of artificial intelligence. Existing approaches do not consider the system's reliability as a performance metric or are limited to reliability evaluation for a certain fixed set of design parameters. The method proposed in this paper establishes a functional relationship between design parameters and reliability metrics, and uses them as the basis for optimal design. The first step in this new framework is to create a nonparametric surrogate model of the power converter that can quickly map the variables characterizing the operating conditions (e.g., ambient temperature and irradiation) and design parameters (e.g., switching frequency and dc link voltage) into variables characterizing the thermal stress of a converter (e.g., mean temperature and temperature variation of its devices). This step can be carried out by training a dedicated artificial neural network (ANN) either on experimental or simulation data. The resulting network is named as $\text{ANN}_{1}$ and can be deployed as an accurate surrogate converter model. This model can then be used to quickly map the yearly mission profile into a thermal stress profile of any selected device for a large set of design parameter values. The resulting data is then used to train $\text{ANN}_{2}$ , which becomes an overall system representation that explicitly maps the design parameters into a yearly lifetime consumption. To verify the proposed methodology, $\text{ANN}_{2}$ is deployed in conjunction with the standard converter design tools on an exemplary grid-connected PV converter case study. This study showed how to find the optimal balance between the reliability and output filter size in the system with respect to several design constraints. This paper is also accompanied by a comprehensive dataset that was used for training the ANNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy harvesting has attracted increased attention recently. Energy sources are present all around us, such as, mechanical vibrations, stress, strain, waste heat, sunlight or room light, electromagnetic rays, and chemical or biological sources. Vibration generators based on piezoelectric elements have been highlighted as low-power sources; however, their output power is very low, around the milliwatt or microwatt level, and thus, improving their performance is necessary to make the generated power usable. This paper investigates the use of passive devices to improve output characteristics of the vibration generators. The proposed circuits are a resonator and a passive rectifier. The proposed resonator consists of a parallel inductor and capacitor for $LC$ resonance. The $LC$ resonance equivalently reduces the internal capacitor of the piezoelectric elements. As a result, the output voltage and power are increased compared with that of conventional circuits. In addition, a boost-type current-improving passive rectifier is applied as the passive rectifier. The validity of the proposed circuit is numerically and experimentally verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchronverters have gained interest due to their capability of emulating synchronous machines, offering self-synchronization to the grid. Despite the simplicity of the control structure, the adoption of an LCL filter makes the overall model complex again, posing questions regarding the tuning of the synchronverter and its robustness. The multi-inputs multi-outputs (MIMO) formulation of the problem requires multivariable analysis. In this paper, the effects of control parameter and grid conditions on the stability of the system are investigated by means of structured singular values (or $\mu$ -analysis). A step-by-step design procedure for the control is introduced based on a linearized small-signal model of the system. Then, the design repercussions on the stability performance are evaluated through the performed robustness analysis. The developed linearized model is validated against time-domain simulations and laboratory experiments. These have been carried out using a power hardware-in-the-loop test bench, which allows as to test the synchronverter under different grid conditions. As a conclusion, this paper offers a simple guide to tune synchronverters but also a theoretical solid framework to assess the robustness of the adopted design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents two high-voltage direct-current circuit breakers that have the capability of interrupting a short-circuit current within several milliseconds. They consist of a current-limit inductor, a current-control inductor, one or two mechanical switches, and a multilevel converter with phase-shifted-carrier pulsewidth modulation. The two breakers can commutate an almost zero current from the main branch to the auxiliary branch. This paper proposes an original breaker with low-voltage and high-voltage mechanical switches connected in series, followed by a simplified breaker with a single high-voltage mechanical switch. Finally, this paper includes experimental verification by two slightly different downscaled breakers rated at 300 Vdc and 150 Adc, as well as confirmation of an actual original breaker by circuit simulation using the “PSCAD/EMTDC” software package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the driving range and reduce the cost of battery electric vehicles through a higher efficiency, this paper proposes to adopt multilevel converters using low-voltage Si mosfets in the electric powertrains. A multilevel Si mosfet inverter, a conventional insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) inverter, and a SiC mosfet inverter are modeled and compared using a reference vehicle over various driving cycles. The costs of the three solutions are also compared. It is shown that the multilevel Si mosfet inverter has a rather high efficiency and realizes the lowest cost among the three solutions even when the worst case of cost is considered. Sensitivity analysis also shows that the multilevel Si mosfet inverter is suitable for a wide range of vehicle concepts in addition to the reference vehicle. Moreover, the multilevel topology also features lower electromagnetic interference and provides modularity. Therefore, Si mosfet-based multilevel inverters are proved in this paper to be an appropriate option to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of electric powertrains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an air-core transformer integration method, which mounts the transformer straight into the multilayer printed circuit board (PCB), and maintains a proper distance between the inner transformer and other components on the top layer. The integration method reduces the PCB area significantly, ensuring higher power density. The design of the complete structure is accomplished with finite element analysis (FEA) to ensure that the unconstrained transformer magnetic field does not affect other components. It is applied to three resonant flyback converters operating at 20 MHz with Si mosfets, 30 MHz, and 50 MHz with enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN) high-electron mobility transistors, respectively. The 30-MHz eGaN prototype achieves the full load efficiency of 80.1% (an increase of 1.1% compared with the 20-MHz Si prototype) and power density of 32 W/in3 at 5-V input and 5 V/ 2 W output. The 50-MHz eGaN prototype achieves the power density of 39.4 W/in3, which is 41% higher than the 20-MHz Si prototype. With the similar efficiency, the overall height of the converters in this paper is less than half of the commercial products, very suitable for low thickness and profile applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial induction heating (IH) is a key manufacturing process due to its benefits in terms of efficiency, accurate output power control, and high performance. These features have made possible the extension of this technology to a wide range of industries from automotive to aeronautic, domestic, or renewable energies. One of the main challenges still present is the design of a high-performance and cost-effective process for those induction targets with complex geometries exposed to the magnetic field, being the most representative example gears present in most mechanical systems. Usually, in order to optimize the heating process, multifrequency IH systems are used, being often expensive and/or difficult to tune and control. The aim of this paper is, consequently, to propose a family of power converters able to supply the inductor system with two simultaneous frequencies in order to improve the heating process of the induction target. The proposed converter takes advantage of a multiresonant network allowing full control of the output power delivered at each frequency and, at the same time, a compact and cost-effective implementation. The proposed converter is analyzed, designed, and implemented, and experimental verification of its operation is provided in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a high-efficiency single-phase T-type boundary conduction mode (BCM) microinverter. The conventional full-bridge BCM microinverter has achieved zero voltage switching (ZVS) and thereby improved the efficiency, but it suffers from high switching losses under light load conditions. The proposed T-type BCM microinverter reserves ZVS and uses a multilevel technique to further decrease the switching losses. The BCM operation with multilevel technique will have too low switching frequency when the grid voltage approaches half of the dc link voltage. To solve this problem, this paper adopts a third operation mode for the T-type switching leg to maintain the switching frequency above a minimum value. The corresponding mode transitions are also detailed to ensure a smooth operation. Because of the turn-offdelay of the freewheeling transistor, the actual lower current boundary deviates from the programmed one, which will distort output current. To address this issue, this paper also proposes a boundary compensation method. A prototype has been built for performance verification, which can test both full-bridge and T-type topology. Compared with the full-bridge BCM microinverter, the proposed T-type BCM microinverter has a higher efficiency over the whole load range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel kind of direct-current and alternate-decay-current hybrid integrative magnetization and demagnetization power supplies applied to transformer dc bias treatment based on a nanocomposite magnetic material. First, according to the single-phase transformer structure, one dc bias magnetic compensation mechanism was provided. The dc bias flux in the transformer main core could be eliminated directionally by utilizing the material remanence. Second, for the rapid response characteristic of the magnetic material to an external magnetic field, one positive and negative dc magnetization superimposed decaying ac demagnetization hybrid integrative power supplies based on single-phase rectifier circuit and inverter circuit was designed. In order to accurately control the magnetic field strength by which a good de/-magnetization effect could be achieved, this paper adopts the double-loop control technology of the magnetic field strength and magnetizing current for the nanocomposite magnetic state adjustment. Finally, two 10 kVA transformers and the experiment module of the hybrid integrative power supplies were manufactured and built. Experimental results showed that the integrated power supplies have good de/-magnetization effect and practicability, proving the validity and feasibility of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel platform for accurate mathematical modeling of the propulsion system of electric cars. It provides, for the first time, a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) real-time experimental verification case study of a General Motor Chevrolet Volt for power, control systems, and the mechanical systems. The contribution of this paper can be categorized into three approaches: First, each component of the powertrain is accurately modeled taking transient dynamics of all components of the electric vehicle into consideration. Further, a PSIM simulation platform is consequently developed to demonstrate the validity of this mathematical modeling. Finally, the Typhoon HIL is used to provide the experimental verification of the proposed model in real time, which precisely validates the viability of the model. HIL technology is used to prototype and test the proposed control system while simulating the power circuit on the HIL module platform. The permanent magnet synchronous motor and the power electronics hardware components are simulated in real time at which the parameters can be changed during the simulation. However, the control algorithm is generated as a C code and downloaded to the TI controller that exists on a digital signal processing board. The results from the simulation based on PSIM environment and hardware validations using HIL are in agreement, which validates the developed model. The performance has been investigated under different load operating conditions in real time to verify its robustness. The case study can be extended for any electric car as it provides a generic platform for modeling any propulsion system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide-range ubiquitous wireless power environment, called a ubiquitous Wi-power zone, where any electric devices can be charged by three-dimensional (3-D)-omnidirectional wireless charging, is newly proposed in this paper. By virtue of the proposed direct-quadrature (DQ) transmitting (Tx) coils composed of multiple Tx modules with same size, a ubiquitous Wi-power zone having the transmitting (Tx) coils can be provided over wide-range 3-D space. In this area, a number of electric devices can be simultaneously charged during operation. Therefore, the proposed IPT is expected to be the next generation of wireless power transfer (WPT), as the internet of things (IoT), mobile devices, and sensor technologies evolve. For magnetic shielding behind the Tx coils and high power efficient operation of the proposed DQ Tx coils, providing an evenly distributed magnetic field, a conductive plate is adopted, and the effects of the conductive plate for the dipole coil structure were thoroughly evaluated by a 3-D FEM simulation. To create the proposed ubiquitous Wi-power zone, simulation-based optimum design procedures are established based on four design considerations and the optimized number of modularizations for the DQ Tx coils can be found by an optimum point of figure of merit (FoM). The DQ Tx module composed of the DQ Tx coils and series resonant capacitors was adopted as a standard unit of the proposed IPT so that different sizes and shapes of 3-D space can be utilized for universal use of the proposed ubiquitous IPT; hence, a general solution to create the proposed ubiquitous IPT is provided in this paper. A prototype 5 × 5 modularized IPT composed of 25 DQ Tx modules having the same size of ${\text{10 cm}} \times {\text{10 cm}}\times {\text{2 cm}}$ was fabricated and experimentally verified for a ${\text{1 m}}\times {\text{1 m}}\times {\text{0.7 m}}$ ubiquitous Wi-power zone. Experimental results showed that 95.5%, 92.1%, and 98.8% of high magnetic field uniformity for $z_{1}= {\text{25}}$  cm, 50 cm, and 75 cm, respectively, and 3-D omnidirectional wireless power delivery have been achieved; thus, meeting essential requirements for the proposed ubiquitous Wi-power zone. Nine Rx coils can be simultaneously charged with 14.2 W of total received load power and 8.2% power efficiency at $z_{1}= {\text{70}}$  cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents nonlinear optimization-based position and speed estimation scheme for IPMSM drives with arbitrary signal injection generated by inherent switching ripples associated with finite control set model predictive control (FCSMPC). The existing standard sensorless techniques are not suitable for FCSMPC which applies voltage vectors directly to an electrical machine without a modulator. The proposed method optimizes the nonlinear cost function derived from the standard IPMSM model with respect to position and speed at every sampling interval. This method can be applied to any type of signal injection and, hence, an ideal candidate for sensorless FCSMPC. In this method, the signal injection is needed only to generate persistent excitation to maintain the observability at low speeds. A strong persistent excitation is always present with FCSMPC except at standstill where the control applies null vector when the reference currents are zero. This situation is overcome in this paper by introducing a small negative $d$ -axis current at standstill. Thus, the proposed method can estimate the position and speed over a wide speed range starting from standstill to the rated speed without a changeover or additional signal injection. This paper also presents detailed convergence analysis and proposes a compensator for standstill operation that prevents converging to saddle and symmetrical solutions, and therefore, also eliminates the well-known ambiguity of $\pi$ rad in position estimation. The performance of the proposed sensorless scheme is experimentally verified for a wide range of operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased power and voltage ratings of semiconductors fosters the use in medium voltage components, such as ac–dc converters. With a bipolar medium frequent rectangular (MF RECT) voltage, the converter size can be reduced and the efficiency increased. Possible insulating materials for medium voltage transformers are oil and insulation paper. The breakdown voltage of insulation materials is depending on the frequency and the shape of the voltage curve. Until today, only a few investigations of the breakdown voltage of insulating materials at sinusoidal and RECT voltages up to a few tens of kilohertz have been published. To design and optimize MF transformers at RECT voltages, further investigations are necessary. Therefore, a test bench for measuring the breakdown voltage at RECT voltages in the frequency range between one and ten kilohertz up to several tens of kilovolts is developed. The test bench is inspired by a Marx generator, which is a high voltage source for impulse voltages. By substituting resistances and spark gaps by IGBTs and adding galvanically insulated power sources, a medium frequent bipolar voltage can be generated. The test bench is characterized with respect to slew rate, input power, frequency, and voltage amplitude. Its usability is shown in first breakdown voltage measurements of insulation papers, used for transformer insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel polygonal voltage space vector structure (SVS) having 30 sides, for a star-connected induction motor drive. The SVS eliminates the presence of harmonics up to 25th order from motor phase voltage throughout the entire modulation range, providing a torque profile devoid of lower order pulsations. Linear modulation is extended till 99.63% of base speed without exceeding the motor phase voltage rating. Topology consists of a dc-link fed primary inverter and two equal low voltage modular capacitor fed secondary inverters. Here the harmonics generated by the primary inverter is canceled by the secondary inverter which acts as a switched capacitive filter. Detailed description of the SVS generation and timing calculations are provided in this paper. Effectiveness of the proposed scheme is validated using experimental results, inverter loss calculations, and harmonic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an insulated two-stage ac–dc converter to be applied in unidirectional power flow systems. The two-stage structure is the combination of a Hexverter and a series-type 12 pulse rectifier. The key features of the proposed structure are inherited from the modular multilevel converter concept such as modularity, scalability, and expandability. Besides the topology, this article presents a complete control strategy based on the output (dc) voltage regulation and Hexverter's stored energy. In particular, an unusual method to regulate the Hexverter's branch energy unbalances is proposed. All currents in the Hexverter are controlled which increases the robustness for operation in harsh environments such as subsea systems. Mathematical analysis of the control loops is carried out to develop the necessary control-oriented models for each control loop. The converter and the control strategy are verified through experiments in a 24 cells Hexverter and a current-fed series-type 12-pulse rectifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symmetrical ac-side current control is widely used for grid-connected modular multilevel converters (MMCs) under grid fault conditions. However, it is revealed that this control method can lead to unbalanced arm currents and consequently asymmetrical electrical stresses and nonuniform temperature distributions. This paper aims to analyze the mechanism of the unbalanced arm currents and propose an effective method to solve this problem. First, the electrical quantities inside MMCs are analyzed under unbalanced grid fault conditions. The analytical expressions of the unbalanced arm currents are derived considering different fault severities and operating conditions to reveal the “side-effects” of the symmetrical ac-side current control. After that, a zero-sequence ac voltage injection method is proposed. The injected voltage is directly derived from negative-sequence ac current controller and ac-side current with pure mathematical manipulations, which can be easily obtained without extra controllers. The effect of the injected voltage on the original modulation index is very limited according to an accurate quantitative analyzation. Moreover, the proposed method does not affect the already achieved symmetrical ac-side current control and the circulating current suppression. The effectiveness and performance of the proposed analysis and control method are verified by both simulation and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular multilevel converters (MMCs) can be configured to perform ac/ac conversion, which makes them suitable as railway power supplies. In this paper, a hierarchical control scheme for ac/ac MMCs for railway power supplies is devised and evaluated, considering the requirements and the operating conditions specific to this application. Furthermore, admittance models of the ac/ac MMC are developed, showing how the suggested hierarchical control scheme affects the three-phase and the single-phase side admittances of the converter. These models allow for analyzing the stability of the interconnected system using the impedance-based stability criterion and the passivity-based stability assessment. Finally, the findings presented in this paper are validated experimentally, using a down-scaled MMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a pulsewidth modulation (PWM) control strategy for the efficient operation of the three-phase three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) inverters based on a bootstrap gate drive circuit. The bootstrap circuit used in the three-level NPC inverter has advantages in terms of the cost reduction and the compact circuit design. However, the bootstrap circuit has a drawback due to the low gate-emitter voltage during the low-frequency and variable load condition of the inverter system. This problem leads to lower efficiency and reliability of the inverter. Therefore, this paper analyzes the causes of the voltage decrease in bootstrap capacitors and proposes PWM control strategy to increase the voltage level of bootstrap capacitors for the efficient operation of the inverter. The proposed PWM control strategy provides efficient and stable operation of the inverter system by selecting the unipolar, dipolar, or partial-dipolar modulation methods according to the fundamental output frequency and load current of the inverter system. Furthermore, this paper proposes a design method of the size of bootstrap capacitors for the optimal circuit design. The effectiveness of the proposed PWM control strategy is verified using the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a dynamic model based on the sampled-data method is presented for a wireless power transfer (WPT) system. The orders of the derived model are equal to the orders of a system. The modeling is different from the existing dynamic modeling for WPT systems, which almost double the model's order. Furthermore, the systematic analysis process is suitable for any WPT topologies and without the higher harmonics neglected and low-frequency approximation. Meanwhile, the state variables are allowed to vary up to twice the switching frequency, since the half-period symmetry property is exploited. In this paper, the series–series (SS) compensated WPT system is chosen as an example and the large-signal model and the steady-state operation point are determined. The small-signal responses perturbed by the phase-shift angle, switching frequency, and input voltage are obtained. The derived model is more adequate with simulation and experimental validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrical transient model (ETM) of insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT)-diode switching cell is developed by coupling a temperature-dependent IGBT model with power loss model. The nonlinear behavior of IGBT and the reverse recovery characteristic of the diode are considered in this model to simulate the transient switching waveforms. Based on the transient waveforms of ETM under various operating conditions, the power loss estimation method (PLEM) for IGBT is developed. In addition to traditional modeling techniques that only uses ideal switch, this paper uses the model to replicate the power loss behaviors of semiconductor devices in circuit simulation by looking up tables. The proposed ETM is simulated in PSCAD/EMTDC with nanosecond time step, whereas the overall system application can be simulated with conventional time step in range of microsecond. By this way, the model can promise reasonable accuracy as well as an acceptable fast solving speed. The proposed ETM and PLEM have been implemented in PSCAD/EMTDC simulator and validated by experimental results using a double pulse test bench and boost converter test platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active damping is a common way to stabilize the current control of LCL-filtered converters. In this paper, the stable region of −180° phase crossing is first identified within a predefined range of grid impedance and LCL parameter variations. Once the phase of the current control loop is in the identified region, a stabilization control can be attained. Subsequently, digital filters can be adopted to achieve active damping by reshaping the open-loop phase. Various digital filters are selected and benchmarked in this paper. It is confirmed that the all-pass filter has a unity gain and adjustable lagging phase before the Nyquist frequency, thereby being a promising solution to the phase reshaping. Therefore, the all-pass filter is employed to move the phase of the open-loop control (i.e., −180° phase crossing) into the targeted region for active damping. Notably, the current controller and the all-pass filter-based active damping can be separately designed, indicating the easy implementation of the active damping. Experimental tests demonstrate that the proposed method can ensure the system stability over a wide range of parameter variations (e.g., grid impedance changes and LCL-filter parameter drifts) while maintaining fast dynamics with the grid-side current control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demanding higher power, higher power quality, lower switching loss, and eliminating interface transformers in industrial applications caused significant attention toward multilevel converters. This paper presents current control of a seven-level topology for medium-voltage high-power applications. This topology has fewer active switches and components, and less control complexity in comparison to the other existing classic and advanced seven-level topologies. A comprehensive review has been done on seven-level topologies to demonstrate the advantages of this topology in this paper. A control method based on model predictive control (MPC) is developed to balance the flying capacitors of this topology at their desired values and control the output currents without the need of pulsewidth modulation blocks, and proportional-integral (PI) controllers, which is the advantage of MPC in power electronics applications. In order to evaluate the performance of the seven-level topology and the developed control method effectiveness, experimental results are shown for different conditions, which demonstrate the feasibility of the seven-level topology and the developed control technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel modulation technique for the bidirectional operation of the phase-shift full-bridge (PSFB) dc/dc power converter. The forward or buck operation of this topology is well known and widely used in medium-to-high-power dc-to-dc converters. In contrast, backward or boost operation is less typical since it exhibits large drain voltage overshoot in devices located at the secondary or current-fed side—a known problem in isolated boost converters. For that reason, other topologies of symmetric configuration are preferred in bidirectional applications. In this work, we propose a modulation technique overcoming the drain voltage overshoot of the isolated boost converter, without additional components other than the ones in a standard PSFB and still achieving full or nearly full ZVS in the primary or voltage-fed side devices along all the load range. The proposed modulation has been tested in a bidirectional 3.3 kW PSFB achieving a 98% of peak efficiency in buck mode (380 V input, 54.5 V output), and a 97.5% in boost mode (51 V input, 400 V output). This demonstrates that the PSFB converter may become a relatively simple and efficient topology for bidirectional dc-to-dc converter applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the modeling of storage elements and a unified theory liberated of the I–V characteristics of a specific technology is developed. First, the definition of an ideal storage element with limited energy capacity is presented, then the semiideal storage properties are discussed. The addition of power conservative two-port network denoted POPI (Pout = Pin) is added in order to define a flexible storage element in terms of characteristics. The paper demonstrates the theory by examples of storage elements integrated in power electronics systems. The ideas and methodology presented in this work can be applied to power electronics applications as well as power systems, smart grids, and microgrids, where storage is an important factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese–zinc (MnZn) power ferrites own significant applications in inductors and transformers for power conversion. The performance of these components is dependent on permeability, saturation induction, core losses, and dc bias superposition characteristics of MnZn ferrites. It is worth emphasizing that excellent dc bias superposition characteristics of ferrites are beneficial for the stability and efficiency of power converters operated with both ac and dc signals. In this paper, Co2O3-doped MnZn ferrites are fabricated using a solid-state reaction method and used to investigate dc bias superposition characteristics of permeability and core losses. More importantly, the physical mechanism of the dc bias superposition characteristics is clarified. Furthermore, the effect of Co2O3 doping on the efficiency of buck circuit was also investigated. The dc bias superposition characteristics suggests potential application in power components and systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymmetrical CLLC-type dc transformers (ACLLC-type DCTs) are becoming more and more popular in the renewable energy system, thanks to the bidirectional power transmission (PT), high power density, and low-cost sensorless open-loop control. Nevertheless, the resonant frequency is not constant due to variations of the operation power and temperature in practice, which may make DCT lose its required voltage conversion gain and deteriorate the PT ability. This poses a challenge on the design of circuit parameters, especially when the open-loop scheme is usually recommended for the ACLLC-type DCT in the renewable energy system. Therefore, a semi-artificial intelligence (semi-AI)-based simplified parameter design approach is put forward in this paper for ACLLC-type DCT. It replaces all unknown parameters with two intermediate parameters through certain manipulations, and then utilizes a very simple computer-assisted procedure to optimally design the parameters of the ACLLC-type DCT. In addition, a detailed design example with a special planar transformer is presented via the aid of ANSYS Maxwell to achieve the desired resonant parameters of the ACLLC-type DCT. Finally, the proposed semi-AI-based method is experimentally demonstrated in a real renewable energy system prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of three-dimensional (3D) thermal simulations of magnetic components for power converters is limited to validation of final designs due to time consumption. A two-step homogenization is proposed to simplify them, while keeping good accuracy. The required equations and some guidelines are described in this paper. It can be applied to solid round wire, litz wire, or foil wound magnetic components. Considerations to extend its use to transformers, including the use of interleaving techniques and insulating tape, are explained. This method can reduce the computation time of 3-D simulations (seven times faster than usual simulations) while the convergence is assured even for complex structures or cases with litz wire. Finally, the method is experimentally validated with DC and AC excitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with one of the most challenging problems in nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs) of several multifaced and sometimes contradictory objectives that is the energy management. Specifically, aim of the paper is to propose an integrated control strategy (ICS) based on genetic algorithms that can provide an optimal balance between the objectives of energy saving, comfort of the building residents and maximum exploitation of the generated electric energy by the renewable energy sources through the proper utilization of a battery storage system (BSS). The above can be attained by optimizing a comprehensive cost function that considers the most important factors that may affect the performance of an nZEB, i.e., real-time electricity price, generated/consumed electric energy by each device, user preferences, state-of-charge, and energy price of the BSS, weather forecast and the nZEB's construction characteristics. The outcome of the ICS is the proper task scheduling and control of the electric loads as well as the regulation of the BSS operation so as the nZEB's performance is improved. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed ICS are verified in a hardware-in-the-loop system and selective experimental results are presented to demonstrate the operational improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with near magnetic field characterization of power electronic modules. The purpose is to relate near-field (NF) measurement to switching behavioral characteristics. An elementary magnetic sensor is presented and its characterization is detailed. Isolated antenna simulations are computed, thanks to an equivalent lumped parameter model of the antenna. Experimental characterizations are also provided to be compared to simulations. Following that, the characterized antenna is integrated into a specific power electronic device. NF measurements allow us to compute magnetic field mappings of the device under test. Time and frequency analyses of the sensor output data are discussed based on current measurements and magnetic simulation of the power electronic device. Finally, NF measurement enables access to switching details, disturbance propagation paths, and radiation distribution of a power electronic module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main technical challenge of the medium-voltage motor drives with modular multilevel converter (MMC) is the serious low-frequency fluctuation on the capacitor voltages, and the existing suppression methods inevitably inject high-frequency circulating currents in MMC. However, the output currents are evidently distorted by the large injected components, while little research has been done to study and solve this problem. This paper analyzes and proves the essential interactions between the output current distortion and the injected components, and the specific dominant output harmonic groups are derived and summarized, revealing the nature of the problem, and it can be taken as a favorable reference for the controller designing. Based on the derivations, this paper proposes a novel suppression method for the greatly improved harmonic characteristics of the output currents during the low-frequency operation. The output harmonics can be accurately measured by the proposed control and effectively suppressed for much lower current total harmonic distortion, benefiting for the superior output control performances with improved efficiency. The simulation results on PSCAD/EMTDC and experimental verifications on a 2.2 kW MMC-based motor drive prototype prove the validity of the presented harmonic analysis and suppression method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the power density of a power converter has many benefits for systems integration. Aspects such as thermal management, weight, conformation to mounting locations, and the footprint of the converter all become critical factors as systems continue to scale down in size. The flying capacitor multilevel converter topology is of interest because it has characteristics which contribute to high power density. This paper presents a quasi-square-wave zero-voltage switching (ZVS) multilevel dc–dc converter. ZVS greatly reduces switching losses and enables high-frequency operation of the converter. A hardware prototype is implemented, built on a flexible polyimide substrate circuit board. Experimental results show a peak system efficiency above 98.1%, an effective switching frequency of up to 3 MHz, and a power output of 250 W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent signal injection in traditional sensorless methods leads to loss, noise, reduction of the starting torque of the main generator (MG) of the brushless synchronous starter/generator (BSSG), and complicated demodulation methods. Moreover, the reversible magnetic saliency of MG and multiple rectification modes of the rotating rectifier cause errors to most existing sensorless solutions of BSSG. To avoid these drawbacks, this paper proposes a novel method to estimate the rotor position of MG for zero- and low-speed operation. Since MG and the main exciter (ME) are mounted on the same shaft, ME is used as a position sensor, eliminating concerns of the reversible magnetic saliency of MG. With reliable indicators in all rectification modes, the position of ME is extracted from the hexagonal trajectory of the rotor current space vector of ME, which is caused by the rotating rectifier. With the estimated position of ME and signal injection into the stator of MG at standstill, the initial position of MG is detected. Then, signal injection is no longer needed and the continuous position of MG is obtained from the estimated rotation angle of ME and initial position of MG. Finally, the effectiveness of this method is verified by experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miniature power semiconductor devices mounted on printed circuit boards (PCBs) are normally cooled by means of PCB vias, copper pads, and/or heatsinks. Various reference PCB thermal designs have been provided by semiconductor manufacturers and researchers. However, the recommendations are not optimal, and there are some discrepancies among them, which may confuse electrical engineers. This paper aims to develop analytical thermal resistance models for PCB vias and pads, and further to obtain the optimal design for thermal resistance minimization. First, the PCB via array is thermally modeled in terms of multiple design parameters. A systematic parametric analysis leads to an optimal trajectory for the via diameter at different PCB specifications. Then, an axisymmetric thermal resistance model is developed for PCB thermal pads where the heat conduction, convection, and radiation all exist; due to the interdependence between the conductive/radiative heat transfer coefficients and the board temperatures, an algorithm is proposed to fast obtain the board-ambient thermal resistance and to predict the semiconductor junction temperature. Finally, the proposed thermal models and design optimization algorithms are verified by computational fluid dynamics simulations and experimental measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless power transfer (WPT) via near-field magnetic coupling is an enabling technology for many applications. A few WPT standards are under development with frequencies ranging from kilohertz (kHz) to megahertz (MHz). Operation in kHz offers a higher power rating and that in MHz offers a smaller size. This paper presents a dual-band WPT architecture with novel transmitter and receiver topologies that can achieve high performance at both 100 kHz and 13.56 MHz with low component count and decoupled power delivery at different frequencies. On the transmitter side, we introduce an enhanced push–pull Class-E topology together with a reactance steering network (RSN), which can seamlessly compensate the load impedance variation for MHz wireless power transmitters. On the receiver side, we present a reconfigurable dual-band rectifier that can achieve a power density of 300 W/in $^3$ with low component count and low total harmonic distortion. A complete dual-band WPT system comprising an RSN-based dual-band transmitter and multiple reconfigurable receivers has been built and tested. The WPT system can simultaneously deliver a total of 30 W of power to multiple receivers (15 W maximum each) with 82.5% efficiency at 100 kHz and 74.8% efficiency at 13.56 MHz with 2.8 cm of coil distance and up to 5 cm of coil misalignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to increase the efficiency of modern microprocessor power supplies used in data centers, 380-V dc power distribution systems have been attracting attention due to their high efficiency and high reliability. This paper presents an innovative single-stage approach for 380-V voltage regulator modules (VRMs) based on a quasi-resonant multilevel topology constant on-time operation. The proposed topology inherently integrates the multiphase approach, providing fast phase shedding and flat high-efficiency curves even at light-load conditions. This is a unique advantage, which is not possible to establish in the two-stage approach, which is very important in server architectures, and where high efficiency is required even at light-load conditions. This paper analyzes the circuit topology and proposes a control architecture for fast transient response, including current-sharing capabilities. The digital controller has been implemented in 0.16- $\mu$ m lithography together with a digital pulsewidth modulation with a 195-ps resolution and a 40-MS/s 7-bit analog-to-digital converter. Experimental results show an efficiency of 93% for a 120-A 380–1.8-V VRM power supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing penetration of the wind power, the stability issues of the weak AC grid-connected doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind turbines during low-voltage ride through (LVRT) cannot be neglected. In order to explore the instability mechanism of DFIG system during weak grid fault, the small signal state-space model is established in this paper. The results of the modal analysis show that the dominant unstable poles are mainly impacted by the phase-locked loop (PLL), rotor current control loop, and terminal voltage during the fault, where the PLL is the dominant factor. Furthermore, the impact of each factor on the system dynamic stability is comprehensively evaluated, which indicates that the controller bandwidth under normal grid condition is no longer applicable to the fault condition due to the interaction between the controller and grid. Then, the optimal current proportion which can significantly improve the system stability is deduced. Finally, based on the analysis, this paper proposes the improved LVRT control schemes from two aspects of either injecting active current or decreasing PLL bandwidth to enhance the small signal stability of the system. The effectiveness of the proposed LVRT control strategies is validated by the simulation and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]