A Modified Boost Converter with Reduced Input Current Ripple

Battery-powered trends in consumer electronics, transportation, and renewable energy sectors increase demands on DC/DC converter technology. Higher switching frequency and efficiency reduces solution size and cost, while increasing power capabilities. Still, switching noise remains the primary drawback associated with any DC/DC converter. Reducing a converter’s input ripple helps prevent switching noise from spreading to other systems on a shared DC power bus. This thesis covers the analysis, simulation, and implementation of a recently-proposed boost converter topology, alongside an equivalent standard boost converter, operating in steady-state, continuous conduction mode. A Matlab-based simulation predicts each converter’s input ripple performance using a state-space model. The converters’ hardware implementation minimizes component and layout differences to create an equivalent comparison. The simulation and hardware measurements demonstrate a 40% input current ripple reduction using the modified topology. Replacing standard boost converters with the modified topology minimizes the switching noise conducted through a system’s DC power network

Robust Control of a Multi-phase Interleaved Boost Converter for Photovoltaic Application using µ-Synthesis Approach

The high demand of energy efficiency has led to the development power converter topologies and control system designs within the field of power electronics. Recent advances of interleaved boost converters have showed improved features between the power conversion topologies in several aspects, including power quality, efficiency, sustainability and reliability. Interleaved boost converter with multi-phase technique for PV system is an attractive area for distributed power generation. During load variation or power supply changes due to the weather changes the output voltage requires a robust control to maintain stable and perform robustness. Connecting converters in series and parallel have the advantages of modularity, scalability, reliability, distributed location of capacitors which make it favorable in industrial applications. In this dissertation, a design of µ-synthesis controller is proposed to address the design specification of multi-phase interleaved boost converter at several power applications. This thesis contributes to the ongoing research on the IBC topology by proposing the modeling, applications uses and control techniques to the stability challenges. The research proposes a new strategy of robust control applied to a non-isolated DC/DC interleaved boost converter with a high step voltage ratio as multi-phase, multi-stage which is favorable for PV applications. The proposed controller is designed based on µ-synthesis technique to approach a high regulated output voltage, better efficiency, gain a fast regulation response against disturbance and load variation with a better dynamic performance and achieve robustness. The controller has been simulated using MATLAB/Simulink software and validated through experimental results which show the effectiveness and the robustness

Digital Control of Power Converters and Drives for Hybrid Traction and Wireless Charging

In the last years environmental issues and constant increase of fuel and energy cost have been incentivizing the development of low emission and high efficiency systems, either in traction field or in distributed generation systems from renewable energy sources. In the automotive industry, alternative solutions to the standard internal combustion engine (ICE) adopted in the conventional vehicles have been developed, i.e. fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) or pure electric vehicles (EVs), also referred as battery powered electric vehicles (BEV). Both academic and industry researchers all over the world are still facing several technical development areas concerning HEV components, system topologies, power converters and control strategies. Efficiency, lifetime, stability and volume issues have moved the attention on a number of bidirectional conversion solutions, both for the energy transfer to/from the storage element and to/from the electric machine side. Moreover, along with the fast growing interest in EVs and PHEVs, wireless charging, as a new way of charging batteries, has drawn the attention of researchers, car manufacturers, and customers recently. Compared to conductive power transfer (usually plug-in), wireless power transfer (WPT) is more convenient, weather proof, and electric shock protected. However, there is still more research work needs to be done to optimize efficiency, cost, increase misalignment tolerance, and reduce size of the WPT chargers. The proposed dissertation describes the work from 2012 to 2014, during the PhD course at the Electric Drives Laboratory of the University of Udine and during my six months visiting scholarship at the University of Michigan in Dearborn. The topics studied are related to power conversion and digital control of converters and drives suitable for hybrid/electric traction, generation from renewable energy sources and wireless charging applications. From the theoretical point of view, multilevel and multiphase DC/AC and DC/DC converters are discussed here, focusing on design issues, optimization (especially from the efficiency point-of-view) and advantages. Some novel modulation algorithms for the neutral-point clamped three-level inverter are presented here as well as a new multiphase proposal for a three-level buck converter. In addition, a new active torque damping technique in order to reduce torque oscillations in internal combustion engines is proposed here. Mainly, two practical implementations are considered in this dissertation, i.e. an original two-stage bi-directional converter for mild hybrid traction and a wireless charger for electric vehicles fast charge

Emerging Converter Topologies and Control for Grid Connected Photovoltaic Systems

Continuous cost reduction of photovoltaic (PV) systems and the rise of power auctions resulted in the establishment of PV power not only as a green energy source but also as a cost-effective solution to the electricity generation market. Various commercial solutions for grid-connected PV systems are available at any power level, ranging from multi-megawatt utility-scale solar farms to sub-kilowatt residential PV installations. Compared to utility-scale systems, the feasibility of small-scale residential PV installations is still limited by existing technologies that have not yet properly address issues like operation in weak grids, opaque and partial shading, etc. New market drivers such as warranty improvement to match the PV module lifespan, operation voltage range extension for application flexibility, and embedded energy storage for load shifting have again put small-scale PV systems in the spotlight. This Special Issue collects the latest developments in the field of power electronic converter topologies, control, design, and optimization for better energy yield, power conversion efficiency, reliability, and longer lifetime of the small-scale PV systems. This Special Issue will serve as a reference and update for academics, researchers, and practicing engineers to inspire new research and developments that pave the way for next-generation PV systems for residential and small commercial applications

Studio e progettazione di una configurazione di inverter in serie composta da unità multilivello trifase e monofase per applicazioni a elevata potenza

Lo scopo di questa tesi è quello di studiare una configurazione che utilizza due unità a tre livelli trifase e tre unità a tre livelli monofase con la possibilità di sfruttare sorgenti diversificate garantendo un'operazione affidabile ed efficiente. Il problema generale del controllo, i benefici dovuti all'interleaving, i problemi di bilanciamento e il dimensionamento dei componenti magnetici sono stati studiati ed una soluzione è stata propost