Particle Swarm Optimization

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a population based stochastic optimization technique influenced by the social behavior of bird flocking or fish schooling.PSO shares many similarities with evolutionary computation techniques such as Genetic Algorithms (GA). The system is initialized with a population of random solutions and searches for optima by updating generations. However, unlike GA, PSO has no evolution operators such as crossover and mutation. In PSO, the potential solutions, called particles, fly through the problem space by following the current optimum particles. This book represents the contributions of the top researchers in this field and will serve as a valuable tool for professionals in this interdisciplinary field

Computational Intelligence Application in Electrical Engineering

The Special Issue "Computational Intelligence Application in Electrical Engineering" deals with the application of computational intelligence techniques in various areas of electrical engineering. The topics of computational intelligence applications in smart power grid optimization, power distribution system protection, and electrical machine design and control optimization are presented in the Special Issue. The co-simulation approach to metaheuristic optimization methods and simulation tools for a power system analysis are also presented. The main computational intelligence techniques, evolutionary optimization, fuzzy inference system, and an artificial neural network are used in the research presented in the Special Issue. The articles published in this issue present the recent trends in computational intelligence applications in the areas of electrical engineering

Efficiency and Sustainability of the Distributed Renewable Hybrid Power Systems Based on the Energy Internet, Blockchain Technology and Smart Contracts-Volume II

The climate changes that are becoming visible today are a challenge for the global research community. In this context, renewable energy sources, fuel cell systems, and other energy generating sources must be optimally combined and connected to the grid system using advanced energy transaction methods. As this reprint presents the latest solutions in the implementation of fuel cell and renewable energy in mobile and stationary applications, such as hybrid and microgrid power systems based on the Energy Internet, Blockchain technology, and smart contracts, we hope that they will be of interest to readers working in the related fields mentioned above

NOVEL MODELING, TESTING AND CONTROL APPROACHES TOWARDS ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT IN PERMANENT MAGNET SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR AND DRIVE SYSTEMS

This thesis investigates energy efficiency improvement in permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) and drive system to achieve high–performance drive for practical industrial and primarily, traction applications. In achieving improved energy efficiency from a system level, this thesis proposes: (1) Accurate modeling and testing of loss components in PMSM considering inverter harmonics; (2) Easy–to–implement, accurate parameter determination techniques to understand variations in motor parameters due to saturation, cross–saturation and temperature; and (3) Control methodologies to improve system level efficiency considering improved loss models and parameter variations. An improved loss model to incorporate the influence of motor–drive interaction on the motor losses is developed by taking time and space harmonics into account. An improved winding function theory incorporating armature reaction fields due to fundamental and harmonic stator magnetic fields is proposed to calculate the additional harmonic losses in the PMSM. Once all contributing losses in the motor are modelled accurately, an investigation into control variables that affect the losses in the motor and inverter is performed. Three major control variables such as DC link voltage, switching frequency and current angle are chosen and the individual losses in the motor and inverter as well as the system losses are studied under varying control variables and wide operating conditions. Since the proposed loss as well as efficiency modeling involves machine operation dependent parameters, the effects of parameter variation on PMSM due to saturation and temperature variation are investigated. A recursive least square (RLS) based multi–parameter estimation is proposed to identify all the varying parameters of the PMSM to improve the accuracy and validity of the proposed model. The impact of losses on these parameters as well as the correct output torque considering the losses are studied. Based on the proposed loss models, parameter variations and the investigation into control variables, an off–line loss minimization procedure is developed to take into account the effects of parameter variations. The search–based procedure generates optimal current angles at varying operating conditions by considering maximization of system efficiency as the objective. In order to further simplify the consideration of parameter variations in real–time conditions, an on–line loss minimization procedure using DC power measurement and loss models solved on–line using terminal measurements in a PMSM drive is proposed. A gradient descent search–based algorithm is used to calculate the optimal current angle corresponding to maximum system efficiency from the input DC power measurement and output power based on the loss models. During the thesis investigations, the proposed models and control techniques are extensively evaluated on a laboratory PMSM drive system under different speeds, load conditions, and temperatures

Mathematical Approaches to Modeling, Optimally Designing, and Controlling Electric Machine

Optimal performance of the electric machine/drive system is mandatory to improve the energy consumption and reliability. To achieve this goal, mathematical models of the electric machine/drive system are necessary. Hence, this motivated the editors to instigate the Special Issue “Mathematical Approaches to Modeling, Optimally Designing, and Controlling Electric Machine”, aiming to collect novel publications that push the state-of-the art towards optimal performance for the electric machine/drive system. Seventeen papers have been published in this Special Issue. The published papers focus on several aspects of the electric machine/drive system with respect to the mathematical modelling. Novel optimization methods, control approaches, and comparative analysis for electric drive system based on various electric machines were discussed in the published papers

Intelligent traction motor control techniques for hybrid and electric vehicles

This thesis presents the research undertaken by the author within the field of intelligent traction motor control for Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) and Electric Vehicle (EV) applications. A robust Fuzzy Logic (FL) based traction motor field-orientated control scheme is developed which can control multiple motor topologies and HEV/EV powertrain architectures without the need for re-tuning. This control scheme can aid in the development of an HEV/EV and for continuous control of the traction motor/s in the final production vehicle. An overcurrent-tolerant traction motor sizing strategy is developed to gauge if a prospective motor’s torque and thermal characteristics can fulfil a vehicle’s target dynamic and electrical objectives during the early development stages of an HEV/EV. An industrial case study is presented. An on-line reduced switching multilevel inverter control scheme is investigated which increases the inverter’s efficiency while maintaining acceptable levels of output waveform harmonic distortion. A FL based vehicle stability control system is developed that improves the controllability and stability of an HEV/EV during an emergency braking manoeuvre. This system requires minimal vehicle parameters to be used within the control system, is insensitive to variable vehicle parameters and can be tuned to meet a vehicle’s target dynamic objectives

Advances in Rotating Electric Machines

It is difficult to imagine a modern society without rotating electric machines. Their use has been increasing not only in the traditional fields of application but also in more contemporary fields, including renewable energy conversion systems, electric aircraft, aerospace, electric vehicles, unmanned propulsion systems, robotics, etc. This has contributed to advances in the materials, design methodologies, modeling tools, and manufacturing processes of current electric machines, which are characterized by high compactness, low weight, high power density, high torque density, and high reliability. On the other hand, the growing use of electric machines and drives in more critical applications has pushed forward the research in the area of condition monitoring and fault tolerance, leading to the development of more reliable diagnostic techniques and more fault-tolerant machines. This book presents and disseminates the most recent advances related to the theory, design, modeling, application, control, and condition monitoring of all types of rotating electric machines

Nonlinear Systems

Open Mathematics is a challenging notion for theoretical modeling, technical analysis, and numerical simulation in physics and mathematics, as well as in many other fields, as highly correlated nonlinear phenomena, evolving over a large range of time scales and length scales, control the underlying systems and processes in their spatiotemporal evolution. Indeed, available data, be they physical, biological, or financial, and technologically complex systems and stochastic systems, such as mechanical or electronic devices, can be managed from the same conceptual approach, both analytically and through computer simulation, using effective nonlinear dynamics methods. The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight papers that show the dynamics, control, optimization and applications of nonlinear systems. This has recently become an increasingly popular subject, with impressive growth concerning applications in engineering, economics, biology, and medicine, and can be considered a veritable contribution to the literature. Original papers relating to the objective presented above are especially welcome subjects. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: Stability analysis of discrete and continuous dynamical systems; Nonlinear dynamics in biological complex systems; Stability and stabilization of stochastic systems; Mathematical models in statistics and probability; Synchronization of oscillators and chaotic systems; Optimization methods of complex systems; Reliability modeling and system optimization; Computation and control over networked systems

Design optimization and performance analysis methodology for PMSMs to improve efficiency in hydraulic applications

Pla de Doctorats Industrials de la Generalitat de CatalunyaIn the recent years, water pumping and other hydraulic applications are increasingly demanding motors capable to operate under different working conditions, including variable pressure and volumetric flow demands. Moreover, the technical evolution trend of pumping components is to minimize the size, offering compact and adaptable hydraulic units. Hence, the need to optimize the electric motor part to reduce the volume according this trend, maximizing the efficiency, decreasing material and fabrication costs, reducing noise and improving thermal dissipation have originated the research field of this project. So far different methodologies have been focused on designing electrical machines considering few aspects, such as the rated conditions with some size limitations. In addition, the optimization strategies have been based on single operation conditions, improving multiple aspects but not considering the overall performance of the machine and its influence with the working system. This research changes the design and optimization paradigm, focusing on defining beforehand the desired performance of the electrical machine in relation with the application system. The customization is not limited to an operating point but to the whole performance space, which in this case is the torque-speed area. Thus, the designer has plenty of freedom to study the system, and define the desired motor performance establishing the size, thermal and mechanical limitations from the beginning of the process. Moreover, when designing and optimizing electrical machines, the experimental validation is of major importance. From an industrial scope so far, the testing methodologies are focused on evaluating point by point the electrical machine performance, being a robust and trustable way to measure and validate the electrical machine characteristics. Nevertheless,this method requires a large time to prepare the experimental setup and to evaluate the whole motor performance. For this reason, there is a special interest on improving parameter estimation and performance evaluation techniques for electrical machines to reduce evaluation time, setup complexity and increase the number of physical magnitudes to measure in order to have deeper information. This research also develops methodologies to extend the electrical machine experimental validation providing information to evaluate the motor performance. This doctoral thesis has been developed with a collaboration agreement between UPC and the company MIDTAL TALENTOS S.L. The thesis is included within the Industrial Doctorates program 2018 DI 019 promoted by the Generalitat de Catalunya.En los últimos años, el bombeo de agua, entre otras aplicaciones hidráulicas, exige cada vez más motores capaces de operar en diferentes condiciones de trabajo, incluyendo las demandas variables de presión y caudal volumétrico. Además, la evolución técnica de los componentes de bombeo está cada vez más minimizando el tamaño ofreciendo unidades hidráulicas compactas y adaptables. De ahí la necesidad de optimizar la parte del motor eléctrico para reducir el volumen de acuerdo con esta tendencia, maximizando la eficiencia, disminuyendo los costos de material y fabricación, reduciendo el ruido y mejorando la disipación térmica. Todos estos factores han creado el campo de investigación sobre el cual se desarrolla este proyecto. Hasta ahora las metodologías se han centrado en diseñar las máquinas eléctricas considerando unos pocos aspectos técnicos, como las condiciones nominales con algunas limitaciones de tamaño. Además, las estrategias de optimización se han basado en condiciones de operación única, mejorando múltiples aspectos sin considerar el rendimiento general de la máquina y su influencia en el sistema de trabajo. Esta investigación cambia el paradigma de diseño y optimización centrándose en definir de antemano el rendimiento deseado de la máquina eléctrica en relación con el sistema de aplicación. La personalización no se limita a un punto de funcionamiento sino a todo el espacio de operación, que en este caso se expresa en el espacio par-velocidad. Así, el diseñador tiene libertad para estudiar el sistema, definir el rendimiento deseado del motor estableciendo el tamaño, limitaciones térmicas y mecánicas desde el inicio del proceso. Además, a la hora de diseñar y optimizar máquinas eléctricas, la validación experimental es de gran importancia. En el ámbito industrial hasta ahora, las metodologías de ensayo han sido enfocadas a evaluar punto por punto la máquina eléctrica, siendo una forma robusta y confiable de medir y validar sus características. Sin embargo, este método requiere mucho tiempo para preparar la configuración experimental y evaluar el motor en toda su zona de operación. Por esta razón, existe un interés especial en mejorar la estimación de parámetros y las técnicas de evaluación de la operación de las máquinas eléctricas reduciendo tiempo, complejidad y aumentando el número de magnitudes físicas a medir teniendo más información sobre la máquina. Esta investigación también desarrolla metodologías para extender la validación experimental de la máquina eléctrica proporcionando información para evaluar el rendimiento del motor. Esta tesis doctoral ha sido desarrollada con un convenio de colaboración entre la Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña UPC y la empresa MIDTAL TALENTOS S.L. La tesis se engloba dentro del plan de Doctorados Industriales 2018 DI 019 impulsado por la Generalitat de Catalunya.Postprint (published version