Power Electronic Circuits Research Articles

Hardware Implementation of Fully Controlled Bridge Rectifier with Rapid Control Prototyping Approach

In industrial applications, rapid prototyping of digital controls is important in terms of time, cost, and getting easier design steps. Especially the complexity of different power electronic converter circuits and their necessity of providing various operating conditions make digital control inevitable. However, developing a digital control system has many unknown details. In-the-loop simulation techniques evolved to simplify this stage during the last few decades. In this paper, a fully controlled bridge rectifier is designed and implemented by using a rapid control prototyping approach; its steps are accelerated with processor-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop tests. Launchpad F28379D from Texas Instruments is used as an interface between the designed rectifier hardware circuit and MATLAB/Simulink Embedded Coder platform. Additionally, a driver control board is developed to provide switching signals and analog to digital measurements. The performance of the system is experimentally tested on a 500W rectifier prototype with a closed loop PI controller for voltage regulation at different parametric variations.

Accurate design, simulation and implementation of AC/DC inductors for power electronic converters

AbstractThis article proposes a holistic and improved methodology for the inductors' design in power electronic circuits operating at high frequencies. This methodology includes an analytical design, a finite element modeling of the electromagnetic behavior with JMAG software, a simulation analysis in a Simulink environment, and experimental verification of the effectiveness of inductor design in a laboratory‐scale step‐up boost power converter prototype. The holistic approach allowed us to achieve all target specifications such as maximum power (300 W), minimum voltage (60 V), inductance (1.77 mH), and maximum current ripple (1 A). It guarantees the losses' minimization in core and copper (21.47 W), and marginal errors below 4% between the analytical, simulated, and experimental values.

Walrus optimizer-based optimal fractional order PID control for performance enhancement of offshore wind farms

Offshore wind farms (OWFs) play a crucial role in producing renewable energy in modern electrical power systems. However, to ensure that these facilities operate smoothly, they require robust control systems. As a result, this paper employed the newly developed Walrus Optimization algorithm (WaOA) to optimize the design parameters of fractional-order proportional-integral-derivative (FOPID) controllers in the power electronic interface circuits of the studied wind energy conversion system (WECS). In contrast to conventional optimization techniques like GA and PSO, the suggested approach proves more effective. The paper validates the WaOA application in optimizing FOPID controllers within a WECS comprising two, onshore and offshore, VSC stations at the two ends of an HVDC transmission system connecting OWFs to the mainland. The study shows that the WaOA outperforms GA and PSO, improving system stability and enabling quick recovery after disturbances. The study carried out using MATLAB/Simulink highlights the significance of newly recently introduced optimization techniques to ensure efficient and reliable operation of offshore wind energy systems, thereby expediting the transition to sustainable energy sources.

Machine learning based feedforward voltage control for buck converters in envelope tracking applications

Tracking the voltage envelope of 5G base station power supplies poses a significant long-term challenge. To achieve fast and accurate envelope tracking, an efficient and high-frequency power electronics circuit and an excellent voltage controller are essential. This paper presents a novel machine learning (ML) based feedforward control method for precise voltage reference tracking. The method is exemplified using a standard buck converter in both continuous conduction mode (CCM) and discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). A feedforward neural network (FNN) is trained to capture non-ideal and non-linear effects in real circuits. An automated data collection system, developed with MATLAB and Simulink, facilitates data acquisition and model training process. The trained FNN predicts the duty cycle for the buck converter to generate the targeted output voltage and output power. A simulation model is built to validate the effectiveness of the FNN controller in envelope tracking applications.

Study of performance evaluation of various characteristics of a single phase full bridge inverter circuit using surrounded channel junctionless field effect transistor

This paper reports the characteristics study of a single phase full bridge power electronic inverter circuit with a new type of technology namely surrounded channel junctionless field effect transistor (SCJLFET) as a switch. The inverter circuit has been designed using mixed mode simulation platform of TCAD device simulator. The transient characteristics for various temperatures and work functions have been analysed. In the steady state analysis the output current and voltage variation with input voltage with various temperatures and work functions have been studied. The power factor variations with gate oxide thickness and dielectric constant of gate dielectric. The simulation and designing process along with pros and cons have been characterized. The SCJLFET would be one of the strongest participants for advanced power electronics technology as a switches, with various virtues of high-speed operation, low power consumption and low budget process integration. It has also been found that single phase full bridge inverter is giving best results when made using SCJLFET.

A Comprehensive Review on Control Technique and Socio-Economic Analysis for Sustainable Dynamic Wireless Charging Applications

Dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) has garnered significant attention as a promising technology for electric vehicle (EV) charging, eliminating the need for physical connections between EVs and charging stations. However, the improvement in power transfer efficiency is a major challenge among the research community. Different techniques are investigated in the literature to maximize power transfer efficiency. The investigations include the power electronic circuit, magnetic coupler design, compensating capacitance and control technique. Also, the investigations are carried out based on the type of wireless charging system, which is either a static or dynamic scenario. There are a good number of review articles available on the power electronic circuit and compensator design aspects of WPT. However, studies on the controller design and tracking maximum efficiency are some of the important areas that need to be reviewed. This paper provides a comprehensive review of bibliometric analysis on the DWPT technology, design procedure, and control technique to increase the power transfer and socio-economic acceptance analysis. The manuscript also provides information on the challenges and future direction of research in the field of DWPT technology.

A novel field plate with arcuate end for improving GaN HEMTs

AbstractA new field plate (FP) is proposed for gallium nitride high‐electron‐mobility transistors (HEMTs). It features an innovative arcuate end (AE), which allows the induced charges that originally gathered at the FP end to diffuse over a wider area. Hence, not only is the electric field in the channel at the gate edge alleviated due to the induced charges, but also that concentrated at the FP end is reduced by means of AE. The simulation results indicate that by upgrading a source FP with AE, HEMT gains a 99% increase in breakdown voltage while remaining unaltered in specific on‐resistance. It also gets a 43.41% decrease in power loss during one cycle while maintaining the same breakdown voltage, which greatly contributes to enhance the efficiency of power electronic circuits.

A chaos game optimization algorithm-based optimal control strategy for performance enhancement of offshore wind farms

This paper presents a novel application of the chaos game optimization (CGO) algorithm to optimally design PI controllers for power electronic interface circuits of offshore wind farms (OWF) consisting of a permanent magnet synchronous generator powered by a variable-speed wind turbine. The OWF is linked to the network via a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system. The CGO metaheuristic method is employed to fine-tune voltage source converter (VSC)-based HVDC transmission systems’ proportional-integral controller gains. The study explores multiple strategies to extract the highest power from the system while ensuring stability under symmetrical and unsymmetrical fault conditions. The CGO algorithm consistently yields superior results to other algorithms, improving system regaining and stability post disturbances. Consequently, the technique enhances the dynamic and transient stability of the OWF. The detailed study is implemented using MATLAB/Simulink.

Multilevel inverter: harmonic analysis with and without filters for RL load using SPWM techniques

Multilevel inverter (MLI) gains more attraction compared to conventional inverter as it generates a staircase output voltage that mimics sine waves of desired output voltage. Cascaded H-bridge (CHB) topology is taken into consideration owing to several benefits over conventional inverters. Various levels of CHB (3 and 5 level) inverters are compared on diverse parameters. In this paper level shift sinusoidal pulse width modulation technique is considered resulting in reduced lower order harmonic (LOH) distortion and improve the quality of output current and voltage depending on the load. Since, the LOH are too dangerous for power electronic circuits. An attempt to shift all the LOH above 50th order depending on the modulation technique with analogy for selecting an appropriate switching frequency is highlighted. The effect of change in switching frequency and modulation index (MI) on RMS output voltage, % voltage total harmonic distortion (VTHD), output power factor with different modulation techniques such as phase disposition pulse width modulation (PsD PWM), phase opposite disposition (POD PWM), alternative phase opposition disposition (APOD PWM) is portrayed in the paper. Further, to boost the performance a unique filter circuits with optimal design values of Inductance and capacitance driven with IEEE 519-2022 standards. The effectiveness in terms of with and without filter is verified and validated using MATLAB.

Partial Discharge Characterization of Ceramic Power Electronics Circuit Carriers Assisted by Machine Learning

This paper presents an approach for transferring knowledge about partial discharges in polymer insulators to ceramic insulators with the aid of machine learning. It is shown how various machine-learnable features can be generated from partial discharge measurement data and processed in varying artificial neural networks for classification. It is found that polymer- based partial discharges can be classified using this method. In addition, the Long Short-Term Memory based artificial neural network enables partial discharge cause finding and thus fault detection in ceramic power electronics substrates.

Production of 2 μm-thick 6.5 % Si-Fe cold rolled sheet

Although 6.5% Si-Fe alloys have excellent magnetic properties, they have not been used in practical application because they are mechanically hard and brittle. In this study, we attempted an extremely thin 6.5% Si-Fe to realize a high-frequency, low-loss magnetic material, which is highly demanded for next-generation power electronic circuits. It was found that 6.5% Si-Fe with a thickness of 20 µm prepared by the liquid quenching method could be rolled down to 2 µm under certain conditions. The conditions under which the rollability was achieved were investigated in detail, such as grain structure, grain size, crystal orientation, etc. Since the eddy current loss of the 6.5% Si-Fe alloy with a thickness of 2 µm is expected to be extremely low, this material is very promising as a next-generation magnetic material for high frequency applications.

Investigation on battery-less voltage of piezoelectric V-shape cantilever beam energy harvester using FEA method for pacemaker

AbstractThis paper presents an investigation on a battery-less voltage of Piezoelectric (PZT) V-shape cantilever beam Energy Harvester (EH) using human body vibration. The frequency ranges are walking (0–5 Hz), running (6–10 Hz) and motions (11–15 Hz) for human movement. Pacemaker devices typically require a lower resonant frequency with higher voltage which is powered by batteries. The battery has a limited duration during its working process and the battery is difficult to replace in the human body. To address the aforementioned issue, a V-shape cantilever beam EH has been developed as a solution to overcome these limitations. The cantilever beam was designed in COMSOL Multiphysics software 5.5 version using the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method for experimental investigations followed by three categories of frequency ranges of the human body. The simulation results showed that the generated battery-less higher voltage was 269 mV (AC) at the resonant frequency of 14.37 Hz in the motion range of 11–15 Hz. Later, an Ultra Low Power (ULP) electronic circuits will be designed and simulated in the LTSPICE software to convert and boost-up from 269 mV (AC) to DC voltage attained. The estimated output power of the energy harvester system can be powered up (4.7 µW) for modern pacemaker applications.

Design considerations of series type hybrid circuit breaker (S‐HCB)

AbstractThe series‐type direct current (DC) hybrid circuit breaker (S‐HCB) concept was previously reported to offer better performance than solid‐state circuit breakers (SSCB) and hybrid circuit breakers (HCB). S‐HCB offers low conduction power loss like an HCB and ‐scale interruption time, which is even faster than an SSCB. It uses a pulse transformer to isolate the lower‐voltage high‐inductance power electronic circuit from the high‐voltage, low‐inductance main power loop. This paper provides analysis of the impact of the S‐HCB circuit components on the overall system performance and a scalable S‐HCB design guide for different DC system voltage and current ratings. In addition, system energy flow analysis is performed in the time domain to provide an understanding of how energy is delivered, dissipated, and released throughout the entire fault interruption process. The S‐HCB prototype was experimentally tested at 3 kV/30 A and 6 kV/150A with the results showing the interruption of the low fault current of 30 A and the high fault current of 150 A within 8 and maintaining the fault current at a near zero value for 300 to enable an arcless opening of a series mechanical switch. The key design challenges of S‐HCB at high voltage and high current ratings were discussed and possible solutions to mitigate those challenges were introduced.

Simulation model of a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator for grid studies

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators are an emerging technology in wind power applications. A simplified Thevenin equivalent simulation model of a wind generator has been developed in the ATPDraw environment and validated by comparing its dynamics with that of a Matlab/Simulink detailed model. The simplified model includes also power electronic circuits, for interfacing the generator to a MV primary distribution grid, and their controls. A 2,5 MVA wind generator was simulated in ATPDraw in order to assess flicker severity dependence upon different grid and circuit parameters. Simulation results show a strong flicker severity dependence on grid short circuit power and X/R line characteristics, in particular when generator supplies reactive power to the grid, as required by some National standards.

Increasing the effectiveness of ‘Power Electronics’ classes using a supplementary web-based virtual laboratory setup to impart CDIO skills

Abstract: Power electronics is an engineering field dealing with the control and conversion of electrical energy. Many institutions are using CDIO (Conceive/Design/Implement/Operate) framework for their curricular planning and outcome-based assessment which demands huge self-learning. A virtual laboratory is an online platform allowing users to conduct simulations in a digital environment to improve self-learning. In this work, a virtual laboratory which provides an interactive platform for students to learn and experiment with power electronics circuits and devices, without the need for physical equipment is developed. The laboratory consists of a web-based interface that simulates the behaviour of different power electronics circuits. Learners can select different components and parameters to build and test circuits, and observe the results in real-time. The virtual laboratory also provides access to various measurement tools to analyse the behaviour of the circuits. The virtual laboratory has been designed to provide a user-friendly and intuitive interface, with detailed instructions and feedback to support students' learning. The laboratory has been integrated into a power electronics course. Feedback is collected through surveys from a total of 75 students including open ended questions and Likert responses. The learning of two set of students with and without using virtual lab before doing physical experimentation are assessed using a descriptive test. CDIO components analysis is done with the results of Mini projects developed by the students. The results indicate that the virtual laboratory provides a valuable and engaging learning experience and improves learning. Keywords: Virtual laboratory, Online, Simulation, Experimentation, Power Electronics, Analysis, Education

Fault diagnosis of power electronic circuits using optimized BP neural networks

You should leave 8 mm of space above the abstract and 10 mm after the abstract. The heading Abstract should be typed in bold 9-point Arial. The body of the abstract should be typed in normal 9-point Times in a single paragraph, immediately following the heading. The text should be set to 1 line spacing. The abstract should be centred across the page, indented 17 mm from the left and right page margins and justified. It should not normally exceed 200 wordsThree-phase rectifiers have a wide range of applications in industrial production and daily life, and failure to diagnose their faults promptly may affect the reliability of the system operation, resulting in huge safety hazards and economic losses. Therefore, it is of great significance to conduct online fault diagnosis research on the power electronic circuits within three-phase rectifiers. An optimized BP neural network algorithm is proposed for diagnosing open-circuit faults of thyristors in three-phase rectifier circuits. The output voltage waveform characteristics of the circuit, when a fault occurs, are analyzed, and the corresponding output voltage peaks at the same cycle time when different tubes are damaged under the fifth fault type are used as fault feature vectors, and the fault information is input into the BP, optimized BP neural network for training, and the trained neural network is used for fault diagnosis. The fault diagnosis accuracy was obtained by comparing the network output with the desired output. The results of simulation experiments show that the optimized BP neural network can diagnose and analyze the faults of rectifier circuits more efficiently than directly applying the BP network for fault diagnosis.

Accurately Disentangling Core and Winding Losses in Experimental, In-situ Magnetic Loss Measurement for Power Electronic Circuits and Applications

Accurately Disentangling Core and Winding Losses in Experimental, <i>In-situ</i> Magnetic Loss Measurement for Power Electronic Circuits and Applications

Loss Analysis of Nanocrystalline Cores for High Frequency Transformer in Power Electronics Circuits

Loss Analysis of Nanocrystalline Cores for High Frequency Transformer in Power Electronics Circuits

Antiferroelectric nano-heterostructures filler for improving energy storage performance of PVDF-based composite films

Incorporating high permittivity inorganic ferroelectric in polymer dielectrics is the most prevalent and straightforward approach to improve their energy storage capacity, which has an extensive application prospect in power electronic circuits owing to their higher power density. However, the discharged energy density attained with these materials are mainly restrained by the high remnant electric displacement of ferroelectric and the large discrepancy in permittivity between inorganic and organic substance. Herein, we proposed a novel antiferroelectric (Pb0.875La0.05Sr0.05)(Zr0.595Sn0.4Ti0.005)O3@Al2O3 (PLSZST@AO) nano-heterostructure as fillers to fabricate nanocomposite films, wherein the Al2O3 layer with wide band gap and dielectric constant close to that of the PVDF matrix was encapsulated onto the antiferroelectric nanoparticle PLSZST to alleviate the discrepancy in permittivity and enhance the breakdown strength. Especially, the experimental results and computational simulations confirmed that the presence of Al2O3 layer is capable of effectively enhancing the electric displacement and breakdown strength, while reducing the remnant displacement and impeding the formation of electrical trees. As a result, the nanocomposite films exhibited an impressive discharged energy density of 18.2 J/cm3 along with a remarkably enhanced energy storage efficiency of 70 % near the high electrical breakdown strength of 594.7 MV/m when the fillers content was 3 wt%, which was far surpassed the pristine PVDF (Ud = 5.34 J/cm3 and η = 51.8 %). Together with its excellent mechanical strength, the monolayer film was verified to be an outstanding performance dielectric material, outperforming the current PVDF-based composite dielectrics for high-power energy storage capacitors. This work allowed for more versatility in designing and manufacturing flexibility nanocomposite films, which can contribute to improving their performance and practicality.

Investigation on composite materials use for EMI shielding in power electronics circuits

To ensure the reliability of embedded electronic systems, electromagnetic interferences (EMI) emitted from power electronic circuits must be limited. One possible solution would be to shield the power electronics circuits. In this paper, a shielding effectiveness study has been established in the time domain, above an AC/DC Flyback converter using composite materials. Obtained results have shown the positive impact of the composite materials regarding the mitigation of EMI emitted by power electronics circuits. Herein, this paper opens new horizons to simplify the EMC analysis of power electronic systems having enclosures shielded by composite materials.