3,792 research outputs found
Investigation of FACTS devices to improve power quality in distribution networks
Flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) technologies are power electronic solutions
that improve power transmission through enhanced power transfer volume and stability,
and resolve quality and reliability issues in distribution networks carrying sensitive
equipment and non-linear loads. The use of FACTS in distribution systems is still in
its infancy. Voltages and power ratings in distribution networks are at a level where
realistic FACTS devices can be deployed. Efficient power converters and therefore loss
minimisation are crucial prerequisites for deployment of FACTS devices.
This thesis investigates high power semiconductor device losses in detail. Analytical
closed form equations are developed for conduction loss in power devices as a function
of device ratings and operating conditions. These formulae have been shown to predict
losses very accurately, in line with manufacturer data. The developed formulae enable
circuit designers to quickly estimate circuit losses and determine the sensitivity of those
losses to device voltage and current ratings, and thus select the optimal semiconductor
device for a specific application.
It is shown that in the case of majority carrier devices (such as power MOSFETs), the
conduction power loss (at rated current) increases linearly in relation to the varying rated
current (at constant blocking voltage), but is a square root of the variable blocking voltage
when rated current is fixed. For minority carrier devices (such as a pin diode or IGBT),
a similar relationship is observed for varying current, however where the blocking voltage
is altered, power losses are derived as a square root with an offset (from the origin).
Finally, this thesis conducts a power loss-oriented evaluation of cascade type multilevel
converters suited to reactive power compensation in 11kV and 33kV systems. The cascade
cell converter is constructed from a series arrangement of cell modules. Two prospective
structures of cascade type converters were compared as a case study: the traditional type
which uses equal-sized cells in its chain, and a second with a ternary relationship between
its dc-link voltages. Modelling (at 81 and 27 levels) was carried out under steady state
conditions, with simplified models based on the switching function and using standard
circuit simulators. A detailed survey of non punch through (NPT) and punch through
(PT) IGBTs was completed for the purpose of designing the two cascaded converters.
Results show that conduction losses are dominant in both types of converters in NPT
and PT IGBTs for 11kV and 33kV systems. The equal-sized converter is only likely to
be useful in one case (27-levels in the 33kV system). The ternary-sequence converter
produces lower losses in all other cases, and this is especially noticeable for the 81-level
converter operating in an 11kV network
Evaluation of selected strapdown inertial instruments and pulse torque loops, volume 1
Design, operational and performance variations between ternary, binary and forced-binary pulse torque loops are presented. A fill-in binary loop which combines the constant power advantage of binary with the low sampling error of ternary is also discussed. The effects of different output-axis supports on the performance of a single-degree-of-freedom, floated gyroscope under a strapdown environment are illustrated. Three types of output-axis supports are discussed: pivot-dithered jewel, ball bearing and electromagnetic. A test evaluation on a Kearfott 2544 single-degree-of-freedom, strapdown gyroscope operating with a pulse torque loop, under constant rates and angular oscillatory inputs is described and the results presented. Contributions of the gyroscope's torque generator and the torque-to-balance electronics on scale factor variation with rate are illustrated for a SDF 18 IRIG Mod-B strapdown gyroscope operating with various pulse rebalance loops. Also discussed are methods of reducing this scale factor variation with rate by adjusting the tuning network which shunts the torque coil. A simplified analysis illustrating the principles of operation of the Teledyne two-degree-of-freedom, elastically-supported, tuned gyroscope and the results of a static and constant rate test evaluation of that instrument are presented
IUS/payload communication system simulator configuration definition study
The requirements and specifications for a general purpose payload communications system simulator to be used to emulate those communications system portions of NASA and DOD payloads/spacecraft that will in the future be carried into earth orbit by the shuttle are discussed. For the purpose of on-orbit checkout, the shuttle is required to communicate with the payloads while they are physically located within the shuttle bay (attached) and within a range of 20 miles from the shuttle after they have been deployed (detached). Many of the payloads are also under development (and many have yet to be defined), actual payload communication hardware will not be available within the time frame during which the avionic hardware tests will be conducted. Thus, a flexible payload communication system simulator is required
Multiple IMU system hardware interface design, volume 2
The design of each system component is described. Emphasis is placed on functional requirements unique in this system, including data bus communication, data bus transmitters and receivers, and ternary-to-binary torquing decision logic. Mechanization drawings are presented
Thermionic-enhanced near-field thermophotovoltaics
Solid-state heat-to-electrical power converters are thermodynamic engines
that use fundamental particles, such as electrons or photons, as working
fluids. Virtually all commercially available devices are thermoelectric
generators, in which electrons flow through a solid driven by a temperature
difference. Thermophotovoltaics and thermionics are highly efficient
alternatives relying on the direct emission of photons and electrons. However,
the low energy flux carried by the emitted particles significantly limits their
generated electrical power density potential. Creating nanoscale vacuum gaps
between the emitter and the receiver in thermionic and thermophotovoltaic
devices enables a significant enhancement of the electron and photon energy
fluxes, respectively, which in turn results in an increase of the generated
electrical power density. Here we propose a thermionic-enhanced near-field
thermophotovoltaic device that exploits the simultaneous emission of photons
and electrons through nanoscale vacuum gaps. We present the theoretical
analysis of a device in which photons and electrons travel from a hot
LaB6-coated tungsten emitter to a closely spaced BaF2-coated InGaAs
photovoltaic cell. Photon tunnelling and space charge removal across the
nanoscale vacuum gap produce a drastic increase in flux of electrons and
photons, and subsequently, of the generated electrical power density. We show
that conversion efficiencies and electrical power densities of 30% and 70W/cm2
are achievable at 2000K for a practicable gap distance of 100nm, and thus
greatly enhance the performances of stand-alone near-field thermophotovoltaic
devices (10% and 10W/cm2). A key practical advantage of this nanoscale energy
conversion device is the use of grid-less cell designs, eliminating the issue
of series resistance and shadowing losses, which are unavoidable in
conventional near-field thermophotovoltaic devices.Comment: Nano Energy (2019
Pyroelectric response of ferroelectric nanoparticles: size effect and electric energy harvesting
The size effect on pyroelectric response of ferroelectric nanowires and
nanotubes is analyzed. The pyroelectric coefficient strongly increases with the
wire radius decrease and diverges at critical radius Rcr corresponding to the
size-driven transition into paraelectric phase. Size-driven enhancement of
pyroelectric coupling leads to the giant pyroelectric current and voltage
generation by the polarized ferroelectric nanoparticles in response to the
temperature fluctuation. The maximum efficiency of the pyroelectric energy
harvesting and bolometric detection is derived, and is shown to approach the
Carnot limit for low temperatures.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, 1 Appendi
Quantization and Training of Neural Networks for Efficient Integer-Arithmetic-Only Inference
The rising popularity of intelligent mobile devices and the daunting
computational cost of deep learning-based models call for efficient and
accurate on-device inference schemes. We propose a quantization scheme that
allows inference to be carried out using integer-only arithmetic, which can be
implemented more efficiently than floating point inference on commonly
available integer-only hardware. We also co-design a training procedure to
preserve end-to-end model accuracy post quantization. As a result, the proposed
quantization scheme improves the tradeoff between accuracy and on-device
latency. The improvements are significant even on MobileNets, a model family
known for run-time efficiency, and are demonstrated in ImageNet classification
and COCO detection on popular CPUs.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figure
A Goertzel Filter Based System for Fast Simultaneous Multi-Frequency EIS
Bioimpedance measurement is a non-invasive, radiation-free, and inexpensive method for measuring the electrical properties of biological tissues. In applications where transients occur, the commonly used swept sinewave is replaced with broadband signals such as multisine. This makes the signal generation and the extraction of the real and imaginary parts of the impedance challenging. In this brief, an alternative to traditional fast Fourier transform (FFT) or coherent demodulation is presented. Based on the Goertzel filter, this alternative is simpler and requires very few digital resources. Its robustness to the harmonic fold back phenomenon, enables simple ternary current pulses to be used for excitation. The developed digital architecture is capable of simultaneous demodulation of 16 frequencies with an accuracy of 97% and 96% on the magnitude and phase measurement respectively. Employing a ternary sequence allows the use of a low power H-bridge current driver. The analog front-end and demodulation algorithm were implemented in an ASIC using a 180-nm CMOS technology. The system was tested on an isolated pig heart distinguishing edema from non-edema tissue by impedance changes
Measurement of the proton light response of various LAB based scintillators and its implication for supernova neutrino detection via neutrino-proton scattering
The proton light output function in electron-equivalent energy of various
scintillators based on linear alkylbenzene (LAB) has been measured in the
energy range from 1 MeV to 17.15 MeV for the first time. The measurement was
performed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) using a neutron
beam with continuous energy distribution. The proton light output data is
extracted from proton recoil spectra originating from neutron-proton scattering
in the scintillator. The functional behavior of the proton light output is
described succesfully by Birks' law with a Birks constant kB between (0.0094
+/- 0.0002) cm/MeV and (0.0098 +/- 0.0003) cm/MeV for the different LAB
solutions. The constant C, parameterizing the quadratic term in the generalized
Birks law, is consistent with zero for all investigated scintillators with an
upper limit (95% CL) of about 10^{-7} cm^2/MeV^2. The resulting quenching
factors are especially important for future planned supernova neutrino
detection based on the elastic scattering of neutrinos on protons. The impact
of proton quenching on the supernova event yield from neutrino-proton
scattering is discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 17 figures, 4 tables, updated version for publication in
Eur.Phys.J.
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