Power converter optimal control for wind energy conversion systems

L'energia eòlica ha incrementat la seva presència a molts països i s'espera que tingui encara un pes més gran en la generació elèctrica amb la implantació de la tecnologia eòlica marina. En aquest context el desenvolupament de models dels Sistemes de Generació per Turbina de Vent (SGTV) precisos és important pels operadors de xarxa per tal d'avaluar-ne el comportament. Els codis de xarxa ofereixen un seguit de normes per validar models amb dades obtingudes de proves de camp. A la primera part d'aquesta tesi un model de SGTV amb màquina d'inducció doblement alimentada (DFIG) és validat d'acord amb les normatives espanyola i alemanya. Avui dia molts parc eòlics utilitzen DFIG i, en conseqüència, les dades de camp disponibles son per aquesta tecnologia. Per a la indústria eòlica marina un avanç prometedor son els SGTV amb generadors síncrons d'imants permanents (PMSG). Per aquesta raó la segona part d'aquesta tesi es centra en SGTV basats en PMSG amb convertidor back-to-back de plena potència. Aquest convertidor es pot dividir en dues parts: el costat de xarxa (GSC) que interactua amb la xarxa elèctrica i el costat de màquina (MSC) que controla el generador. En general, el sistema de control del convertidor recau en els tradicionals controladors PI i, en ocasions, incorpora desacoblaments per reduir les influencies creuades entre les variables. Aquest controlador pot ser sintonitzat i implementat fàcilment donat que la seva estructura és simple, però, no presenta una resposta ideal donat que no aprofita tots els graus de llibertat disponibles en el sistema. És important desenvolupar controladors fiables que puguin oferir una resposta previsible del sistema i proveir robustesa i estabilitat. En especial per zones on la presència eòlica és gran i per parcs eòlics connectats a xarxes dèbils. En aquest treball es proposa un sistema de control pel convertidor basat en teoria de control H-infinit i en controladors Lineals amb Paràmetres Variants (LPV). La teoria de control òptim proveeix un marc de treball on més opcions es poden tenir en consideració a l'hora de dissenyar el controlador. En concret la teoria de control H-inifinit permet crear controladors multivariables per tal d'obtenir una òptima resposta del sistema, proveir certa robustesa i assegurar l'estabilitat. Amb aquesta tècnica durant la síntesi del controlador el pitjor cas de senyals de pertorbació és contemplat, d'aquesta manera el controlador resultant robustifica l'operació del sistema. Es proposa aquest control per al GSC posant especial èmfasi en obtenir un control de baixa complexitat que mantingui els beneficis d'aplicar la teoria de control òptim i faciliti la seva implementació en computadors industrials. Pel MSC es proposa una estratègia diferent basada en control LPV donat que el punt d'operació del generador canvia constantment. El sistema de control basat en LPV és capaç d'adaptar-se dinàmicament al punt d'operació del sistema, així s'obté en tot moment la resposta definida durant el procés de disseny. Amb aquesta tècnica l'estabilitat del sistema sobre tot el rang d'operació queda garantida i, a més, s'obté una resposta predictible i uniforme. El controlador està dissenyat per tenir una estructura simple, com a resultat s'obté un control que no és computacionalment exigent i es proveeix una solució que pot ser utilitzada amb equips industrials. S'utilitza una bancada de proves que inclou el PMSG i el convertidor back-to-back per tal d'avaluar experimentalment l'estratègia de control dissenyada al llarg d'aquest treball. L'enfoc orientat a la implementació dels controls proposats facilita el seu ús amb el processador de senyals digitals inclòs a la placa de control de la bancada. Els experiments realitzats verifiquen en un ambient realista els beneficis teòrics i els resultats de simulació obtinguts prèviament. Aquestes proves han ajudat a valorar el funcionament dels controls en un sistema discret i la seva tolerància al soroll de senyals i mesuresWind energy has increased its presence in many countries and it is expected to have even a higher weight in the electrical generation share with the implantation of offshore wind farms. Consequently, the wind energy industry has to take greater responsibility towards the integration and stability of the power grid. In this sense, there are proposed in the present work control systems that aim to improve the response and robustness of the wind energy conversion systems without increasing their complexity in order to facilitate their applicability. In the grid-side converter it is proposed to implement an optimal controller with its design based on H-infinity control theory in order to ensure the stability, obtain an optimal response of the system and also provide robustness. In the machine-side converter the use of a Linear Parameter-Varying controller is selected, this choice provides a controller that dynamically adapts itself to the operating point of the system, in this way the response obtained is always the desired one, the one defined during the design process. Preliminary analysis of the controllers are performed using models validated with field test data obtained from operational wind turbines, the validation process followed the set of rules included in the official regulations of the electric sector or grid codes. In the last stage an experimental test bench has been developed in order to test and evaluate the proposed controllers and verify its correct performance

Dual extended Kalman filter for state of charge estimation of lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium-Sulfur is a promising technology for the next generation of batteries and research efforts for early-stage prototype implementation increased in recent years. For the development of a suitable Battery Management System, a state estimator is required; however, lithium-sulfur behavior presents a large non-observable region that may difficult the convergence of the state estimation algorithm leading to large errors or even instability. A dual Extended Kalman Filter is proposed to circumvent the non-observability region. This objective is achieved by combining a parameter estimation algorithm with a cell model that includes non-linear behavior such as self-discharge and cell degradation. The resulting dual Kalman filter is applied to lithium–sulfur batteries to estimate their State-of-Charge incorporating the effects of degradation, temperature, and self-discharge deviations.Peer ReviewedObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::7 - Energia Assequible i No Contaminant::7.b - Per a 2030, ampliar la infraestructura i millorar la tecnologia per tal d’oferir serveis d’energia moderns i sos­tenibles per a tots els països en desenvolupament, en particular els països menys avançats, els petits estats insulars en desenvolupament i els països en desenvolupament sense litoral, d’acord amb els programes de suport respectiusObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::7 - Energia Assequible i No ContaminantPostprint (published version

The effects of lithium sulfur battery ageing on second-life possibilities and environmental life cycle assessment studies

The development of Li-ion batteries has enabled the re-entry of electric vehicles into the market. As car manufacturers strive to reach higher practical specific energies (550 Wh/kg) than what is achievable for Li-ion batteries, new alternatives for battery chemistry are being considered. Li-Sulfur batteries are of interest due to their ability to achieve the desired practical specific energy. The research presented in this paper focuses on the development of the Li-Sulfur technology for use in electric vehicles. The paper presents the methodology and results for endurance tests conducted on in-house manufactured Li-S cells under various accelerated ageing conditions. The Li-S cells were found to reach 80% state of health after 300–500 cycles. The results of these tests were used as the basis for discussing the second life options for Li-S batteries, as well as environmental Life Cycle Assessment results of a 50 kWh Li-S batteryPeer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Electric vehicle battery health expected at end of life in the upcoming years based on UK data

Second-life businesses from Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries are gaining attention considering that these batteries are deemed as inappropriate for transport purposes once they reach 80 or 70% of State of Health (SoH). However, the limited number of retired batteries and the trend in battery capacity increase hinder a realistic evaluation of second-life applications. To analyze battery reuse, a closer look at the End of Life (EoL) conditions of these batteries must be taken. This study presents a battery ageing model to estimate the SoH of EV batteries according to their age and mileage. The model is applied to the current retirement characteristics of combustion vehicles to statistically determine the expected SoH at the vehicle EoL. Results indicate that most EVs will reach EoL for reasons other than under-performance. Once retired, most EV batteries will have a SoH higher than 75% within the next 20 years, opening an interesting market for second-life businesses. However, battery reuse is an option that, considering the growing EV market, will rapidly saturate the stationary energy storage demand. Before 2040, most EV batteries will follow streams towards the circular economy, although at some point, they will have to be sent directly to recycling after the vehicular use.Peer ReviewedObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenibles::11.2 - Per a 2030, proporcionar accés a sistemes de transport segurs, assequibles, accessi­bles i sostenibles per a totes les persones, i millorar la seguretat viària, en particular mitjan­çant l’ampliació del transport públic, amb especial atenció a les necessitats de les persones en situació vulnerable, dones, nenes, nens, persones amb discapacitat i persones gransObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats SosteniblesPostprint (published version

Procedure for Assessing the Suitability of Battery Second Life Applications after EV First Life

Using batteries after their first life in an Electric Vehicle (EV) represents an opportunity to reduce the environmental impact and increase the economic benefits before recycling the battery. Many different second life applications have been proposed, each with multiple criteria that have to be taken into consideration when deciding the most suitable course of action. In this article, a battery assessment procedure is proposed that consolidates and expands upon the approaches in the literature, and facilitates the decision-making process for a battery after it has reached the end of its first life. The procedure is composed of three stages, including an evaluation of the state of the battery, an evaluation of the technical viability and an economic evaluation. Options for battery configurations are explored (pack direct use, stack of battery packs, module direct use, pack refurbish with modules, pack refurbish with cells). By comparing these configurations with the technical requirements for second life applications, a reader can rapidly understand the tradeoffs and practical strategies for how best to implement second life batteries for their specific application. Lastly, an economic evaluation process is developed to determine the cost of implementing various second life battery configurations and the revenue for different end use applications. An example of the battery assessment procedure is included to demonstrate how it could be carried out.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 963540 and No. 963580. This funding includes funds to support research work and open-access publications.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version