Efficiency Evaluation of Fully Integrated On-board EV Battery Chargers with Nine-Phase Machines

A fully integrated on-board battery charger for future electric vehicles (EVs) has been recently introduced. It re-utilizes all the propulsion components of an EV in charging/vehicle-to-grid (V2G) modes, it does not require any additional components or hardware reconfiguration, and charging/V2G modes are realized with zero electromagnetic torque production. Both fast (three-phase) and slow (single-phase) charging are possible, with unity power factor operation at the grid side. The solution is based on the use of a triple three-phase machine and a nine-phase inverter/rectifier. This paper reports on the results of efficiency evaluation for the said system. Testing is performed using both a nine-phase induction machine and a nine-phase permanent magnet (PM) machine for a range of operating conditions in charging/V2G modes, with both three-phase and single-phase grid connection. Additionally, the impact of converter interleaving on the losses and efficiency is also studied. Losses are separated for different subsystems, thus providing an insight into the importance of optimization of different EV power train components from the efficiency point of view. Promising efficiencies, in the order of 90%, are achieved although none of the system components have been optimized

An Integrated On-Board Battery Charger with a Nine-Phase PM Machine

A fully integrated on-board battery charger for electrical vehicles (EVs) has been developed recently using a nine-phase machine. All the components used for propulsion are employed in the charging process, no additional components are required, and there is no need for hardware reconfiguration between charging and propulsion modes of operation. The proposed solution can be connected directly to single-phase or three-phase grid to perform charging, so that the expensive off-board charger infrastructure is not needed. The only requirement is to use a nine-phase machine in combination with a nine-phase inverter in the powertrain of the EV. This however inevitably brings in further advantages in the propulsion mode, such as increased fault tolerance and the current subdivision into more phases. The benefits of the topology, originally developed for an induction machine, make it interesting for further investigation. Therefore, the performance of the charger is examined here using a permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM). The results show that the charger topology is applicable to other types of synchronous machines and is, even more importantly, independent of the angular spatial shift between the individual three-phase windings of the nine-phase machine’s stator. The results are comparable with those obtained using an induction machine and confirm the viability of the solution in conjunction with the PMSM as a propulsion motor

Reaction and proton-removal cross sections of 6^6Li, 7^7Be, 10^{10}B, 9,10,11^{9,10,11}C, ^{12N, 13,15^{13,15}O and 17^{17}Ne on Si at 15 to 53 MeV/nucleon

Excitation functions for total reaction cross sections, $\sigma_R$, were measured for the light, mainly proton-rich nuclei $^6$Li, $^7$Be, $^{10}$B, $^{9,10,11}$C, $^{12}$N, $^{13,15}$O, and $^{17}$Ne incident on a Si telescope at energies between 15 and 53 MeV/nucleon. The telescope served as target, energy degrader and detector. Proton-removal cross sections, $\sigma_{2p}$ for $^{17}$Ne and $\sigma_p$ for most of the other projectiles, were also measured. The strong absorption model reproduces the $A$-dependence of $\sigma_R$, but not the detailed structure. Glauber multiple scattering theory and the JLM folding model provided improved descriptions of the measured $\sigma_R$ values. $rms$ radii, extracted from the measured $\sigma_R$ using the optical limit of Glauber theory, are in good agreement with those obtained from high energy data. One-proton removal reactions are described using an extended Glauber model, incorporating second order noneikonal corrections, realistic single particle densities, and spectroscopic factors from shell model calculations.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure

Integrated system for traction and battery charging of electric vehicles with universal interface to the power grid

This paper proposes an integrated system for traction and battery charging of electric vehicles (EVs) with universal interface to the power grid. In the proposed system, the power electronics converters comprising the traction drive system are also used for the battery charging system, reducing the required hardware, meaning the integrated characteristic of the system. Besides, this interface is universal, since it can be performed with the three main types of power grids, namely: (1) Single-phase AC power grids; (2) Three-phase AC power grids; (3) DC power grids. In these three types of interfaces with the power grid, as well as in the traction drive operation mode, bidirectional operation is possible, framing the integration of this system into an EV in the context of smart grids. Moreover, the proposed system endows an EV with an on-board fast battery charger, whose operation allows either fast or slow battery charging. The main contributes of the proposed system are detailed in the paper, and simulation results are presented in order to attain the feasibility of the proposed system.This work has been supported by COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007043 and FCT -Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UID/CEC/00319/2013. This work has been supported by FCT within the Project Scope DAIPESEV - Development of Advanced Integrated Power Electronic Systems for Electric Vehicles: PTDC/EEI-EEE/30382/2017. Mr. Tiago Sousa is supported by the doctoral scholarship SFRH/BD/134353/2017 granted by the Portuguese FCT agency. This work is part of the FCT project 0302836 NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-030283

Search for the Production of Element 112 in the 48Ca + 238U Reaction

We have searched for the production of element 112 in the reaction of 231 MeV 48Ca with 238U. We have not observed any events with a "one event" upper limit cross section of 1.6 pb for EVR-fission events and 1.8 pb for EVR-alpha events.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Evaluation of a prostate cancer e-health-tutorial

Hintergrund: Angesichts verschiedener Behandlungsoptionen ist die Information und Therapieentscheidung beim lokalisierten Prostatakarzinom eine Herausforderung. Die digitale Informationstechnologie bietet im Vergleich zu gedruckten Informationen mehr Möglichkeiten, die Information und die Patientenkommunikation bedarfsgerecht zu gestalten. Ziele: Zur Unterstützung der Therapieentscheidung und der Kommunikation mit Patienten ist in der deutschsprachigen Schweiz ein Online-Tutorial in einem systematischen Prozess entwickelt und in einer Pilotstudie getestet worden. In der Evaluation interessierten die Nutzerzufriedenheit, die Erfüllung der Informationsbedürfnisse, die Vorbereitung auf die Therapieentscheidung und deren subjektive Qualität. Material und Methoden: Die Plattform wurde in einem iterativen Prozess mittels Fokusgruppen mit Ärzten und Patienten auf der Grundlage von Informationen aus bestehenden Broschüren entwickelt. Für den Test der Plattform wurden in 8 urologischen Kliniken 87 Patienten zur Teilnahme eingeladen. Die 56 Nutzer wurden 4 Wochen nach dem Login und 3 Monate nach dem Therapieentscheid online befragt, 48 Nutzer füllten beide Befragungen aus. Eingesetzte Instrumente waren die Preparation for Decision Making Scale (PDMS), die Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) und die Decisional Regret Scale (DRS). Ergebnisse und Diskussion: Die Nutzenden sind mit der Plattform sehr zufrieden und finden ihre Informationsbedürfnisse gut erfüllt. Sie zeigen 3 Monate nach dem Entscheid eine gute Vorbereitung auf die Entscheidung (MW PDMS 75, SD 23) und berichten über niedrigen Entscheidungskonflikt (MW DCS 9.6, SD 11) und kaum Bedauern über die Entscheidung (MW DRS 6.4, SD 9.6). Basierend auf diesen Erkenntnissen kann die Plattform zur weiteren Nutzung empfohlen werden.Background: Due to the multitude of therapy options the treatment decision after diagnosis of a localised prostate cancer is challenging. Compared to printed booklets, web based information technology offers more possibilities to tailor information to patients’ individual needs. Objectives: To support the decision making process as well as the communication with patients we developed an online tutorial in a systematic process in the German speaking part of Switzerland and then tested it in a pilot study. The study investigated users’ satisfaction, the coverage of information needs, the preparation for decision making and the subjective quality of the decision. Materials and methods: Based on already existing information material the online tutorial was developed in an iterative process using focus groups with patients and urologists. For the following evaluation in eight clinics a total of 87 patients were invited to access the platform and participate in the study. From these patients 56 used the tutorial and 48 answered both surveys (the first one 4 weeks after the first login and the second one 3 months after treatment decision). The surveys used the Preparation for Decision Making Scale (PDMS), the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS), and the Decisional Regret Scale (DRS). Results and Conclusion: Satisfaction with the tutorial is very high among patients with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer. Users find their information needs sufficiently covered. Three months after the decision they felt that they were well prepared for the decision making (Mean PDMS 75, SD 23), they had low decisional conflict (Mean DCS 9.6, SD 11) and almost no decisional regret (Mean DRS 6.4, SD 9.6). Based on these findings the further use of the tutorial can be recommended

Spectroscopy of 18^{18}Na: Bridging the two-proton radioactivity of 19^{19}Mg

The unbound nucleus $^{18}$Na, the intermediate nucleus in the two-proton radioactivity of $^{19}$Mg, was studied by the measurement of the resonant elastic scattering reaction $^{17}$Ne(p,$^{17}$Ne)p performed at 4 A.MeV. Spectroscopic properties of the low-lying states were obtained in a R-matrix analysis of the excitation function. Using these new results, we show that the lifetime of the $^{19}$Mg radioactivity can be understood assuming a sequential emission of two protons via low energy tails of $^{18}$Na resonances

New gas-filled mode of the large-acceptance spectrometer VAMOS

Spectromètre VAMOSA new gas-filled operation mode of the large-acceptance spectrometer VAMOS at GANIL is reported. A beam rejection factor greater than 1010 is obtained for the 40Ca+150Sm system at 196 MeV. The unprecedented transmission efficiency for the evaporation residues produced in this reaction is estimated to be around 80% for ®xn channels and above 95% for xnyp channels. A detailed study of the performance of the gasfilled VAMOS and future developments are discussed. This new operation mode opens avenues to explore the potential of fusion reactions in various kinematics

Neutron-rich fragments produced by in-flight fission of U-238

The production cross sections of neutron-rich fission residues in reactions induced by U-238 projectiles at 950A MeV impinging on Pb and Be targets are investigated at the Fragment Separator at GSI. These two targets allow us to investigate fission processes induced by two reaction mechanisms, Coulomb and nuclear excitations, and to study the role of these mechanisms in the neutron excess of the final fragments.Peer reviewe

Avoiding obscure topics and generalising findings produces higher impact research

Much academic research is never cited and may be rarely read, indicating wasted effort from the authors, referees and publishers. One reason that an article could be ignored is that its topic is, or appears to be, too obscure to be of wide interest, even if excellent scholarship produced it. This paper reports a word frequency analysis of 874,411 English article titles from 18 different Scopus natural, formal, life and health sciences categories 2009-2015 to assess the likelihood that research on obscure (rarely researched) topics is less cited. In all categories examined, unusual words in article titles associate with below average citation impact research. Thus, researchers considering obscure topics may wish to reconsider, generalise their study, or to choose a title that reflects the wider lessons that can be drawn. Authors should also consider including multiple concepts and purposes within their titles in order to attract a wider audience