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Integration of distributed energy resources has been significantly increasing in the electric power grid. One of the predominant renewable energy sources, wind energy, possess a significant challenge for grid operations, due to its intermittency, uncertainity, and variability. In changing operating conditions with wind uncertainity, part of wind may need to be curtailed for the safe utilization of the transmission system. In order to minimize the wind power curtailment and to keep the power flow on a transmission line under limits, a cyber resilient distributed remedial action scheme (DRAS) is developed in this paper. The remedial action scheme (RAS) is formulated as an optimization problem, considering the real-power flow constraints of the transmission lines and given wind variability. In this paper, DRAS is developed to operate even with failures in the computing nodes to make it cyber-resilient. Distributed simplex algorithm is used for optimization in the distributed RAS. The DRAS is implemented in a decentralized platform called Resilient Information Architecture Platform for Smart Grid to enable cyber resiliency of DRAS. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated through offline simulations of the New England 39-bus system and online simulations of IEEE 14-bus test system. A cyber–physical testbed utilizing real time digital simulator, phasor measurement units, and BeagleBones has been used for the online simulation and validation of the developed cyber-resilient RAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium-nitride-field-effect transistors (GaN-FETs) are promising switching devices with fast switching capability. However, they commonly have low gate threshold voltage, suffering from susceptibility to the false triggering. Particularly, the oscillatory false triggering, i.e., a self-sustaining repetitive false triggering, can occur after a fast switching, which is a severe obstacle for industrial applications. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the design instruction for preventing this phenomenon. The oscillatory false triggering is known to be caused by the parasitic oscillator circuit formed of a GaN-FET, its parasitic capacitance and the parasitic inductance of the wiring. This paper analyzed the nonoscillatory condition of this oscillator. The result revealed an appropriate ratio between the gate-drain capacitance and the common-source inductance is a key to prevent the oscillatory false triggering. Experiment successfully verified this analysis result, supporting the effectiveness of the appropriate design of this ratio for preventing the oscillatory false triggering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power quality (PQ) is becoming more and more critical issue in shipboard microgrid systems (SMGs). Especially, the impact of voltage unbalance combined with harmonic distortions on the SMG behavior has not been fully investigated. In this paper, simple PQ assessment models and a series of controlled experiments are proposed and carried out in a real ship under sea-going conditions. The ship experimental results are presented and discussed considering nonlinear bow thruster load and high power ballast pump loads under unbalanced and harmonic voltage conditions. In addition, the analysis of bow thruster current harmonic surges during the ballast pump start-up is presented. Furthermore, the voltage/current distortions of a working generator, bow thruster and pump loads are analyzed. The paper provides a valuable analysis for coping with PQ issues in the SMG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power system protections are highly sensitive to decaying dc offset that could appear when a fault occurs. The consequences of this effect represent a challenge in the coordination of protection devices that have been widely studied. The elimination of the dc offset component of current transformers (CTs) measurements is the objective of this paper, including a new autonomous detector based on mathematical morphology. The idea enhances the digital signal processing to prepare the information before the protective device takes a decision. The detection and fast elimination of the decaying dc offset on current signals could improve the speed of protection, coordination, and selectivity. The paper presents the proposed algorithm and assesses the solution using alternative transient program. The model of the CT used for this validation is also presented. Results show the potential of the mathematical morphology for signal processing to delete the dc offset component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles (EVs) are recently gaining traction in the power sector due to various challenges and opportunities they provide to utility operators. For electric utilities that incorporate demand side management (DSM) programs, EVs could become either a burden or an advantage depending on their charging control strategy and the signaling of the DSM program. This paper proposes a decentralized fuzzy-based controller to successfully integrate and coordinate the charging of EVs that ensures fair charging of EVs at different point of connections (POCs) in the distribution grid where voltage conditions might not be the same. The controller operates in an autonomous mode that reduces the monetary cost of the communication overhead and preserves bandwidth. The proposed controller takes into consideration the owner requirements in terms of energy needed and time to charge, the voltage at the POC with the grid, and the pricing signal coming from the utility. The controller is tested under different DSM programs that exist in the literature. This paper also proposes a new DSM program that is capable of benefiting from EVs as prosumers that can provide grid services. The controller's performance was validated through MATLAB simulations that showed the controller's ability to successfully coordinate the charging of EVs in a fair manner and achieve flat system peaks without any rebound effect. The controller was also successfully tested in the presence of voltage control units, such as capacitor banks, and in the presence of distributed generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An optimized system management of a commercial and industrial power system must take care of the actual operational and energetic duty of the power system distribution. A procedure based on the Arrhenius model of the thermal aging of insulating materials allows introducing the relative time coefficient and promoting a heuristic method, as a rule of thumb, to estimate the life loss and the residual useful life for insulated power cables. This paper deals with simplified models of low-voltage (LV) cable systems characterized by one and two time constants to evaluate the cable temperature behavior and the influences of the ambient and installation conditions. Furthermore, this paper proposes a device to count the “life loss hours” for LV power cables of main/critical circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of artificial neural networks in enhancing the accuracy of instantaneous power estimation of electric vehicles’ batteries. In electric vehicles, a battery is used as a main or complementary bidirectional power source. To optimize the energy management of the vehicle, the power sourced or sinked by the battery must be estimated in real time under any condition. The power of the battery is a function of many variables including the current, the state of charge, the ambient temperature, and the state of health. This paper evaluates some existing equivalent circuit models for estimating the instantaneous power of electric vehicles' batteries and proposes new artificial neural network-based models to enhance the power estimation accuracy. The experimental data obtained by performing standardized electric vehicle tests using a 3.6-V/16.5-Ah lithium-ion battery cell and a 12.8-V/150-Ah lithium-ion battery pack are presented and used for models' evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the conception and real prototype implementation of an original superconducting frictionless zero field cooling (ZFC) bearing. In the previous paper, a viability study of a ZFC-superconducting bearing concept was conducted. It showed that the virtual prototype was feasible. Moreover, the simulation studies showed that a ZFC superconducting track provides not only effective lateral stability but also higher levitation forces than the commonly used field cooling (FC) tracks. In this paper, the new ZFC bearing virtual prototype is modeled in three-dimensional and physically realized. The implementation was made in high-density polyurethane, for low-temperature robustness, using both a three axes computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine and an additive manufacturing technique. Results show the effectiveness of the real bearing. Static analysis was done and dynamic analysis was also introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many research works report the use of LCL filters for grid-interfaced PV systems. Indiscreet selection of passive LCL filter parameters may result in poor filtering and increased power losses. LCL filter parameter selection is critical to get a good performance and at the same time ensure that losses and costs stay low. This paper proposes a novel approach to design the LCL filter for a grid-interfaced PV system. A cost-based minimization approach on a cost per joule basis for each of the filter elements is explored to obtain the optimal filter design. Simulation results for a 10-kVA grid-connected inverter with an LCL filter are presented in order to verify the efficacy of the proposed design. The impact of designed filter parameters on the ripple current is also discussed in this paper. The total inductance of the LCL filter is varied and filter parameter values which give lowest cost is identified while meeting harmonic standard requirements and the fundamental voltage drop across the filter. Finally, the proposed design is also experimentally validated via a hardware prototype. Results validate the design method in terms of the harmonic attenuation and total harmonic distortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grid-interactive inverters allow distributed generation units to provide various ancillary services in microgrids. As the linear modulation region of inverters is restricted by the dc-bus voltage, providing ancillary services may drive the fundamental positive-sequence inverter voltage to the overmodulation region. Therefore, to operate in the linear modulation region the maximum active- and reactive-power of the inverter may have to be reduced unless pulsewidth modulation (PWM) references are adjusted. In this paper, an atypical PWM method is proposed for maximizing dc-bus utilization of grid-interactive two-level voltage source inverters (2L-VSI) providing ancillary services. Two important ancillary services, i.e., negative-sequence compensation and harmonic compensation are considered in this paper. The proposed method increases the maximum active- and reactive-power that a 2L-VSI can deliver when providing ancillary services by injecting a common-mode component in the references computed based on instantaneous reference magnitudes. The validity of the proposed technique is verified through simulation, as well as experimental data obtained using a 208-V three phase grid-connected 2L-VSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the configuration, design, and operation of multi-MW grid connected solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with practical test cases provided by a 10-MW field development. In order to improve the capacity factor, the PV system operates at its maximum power point during periods of lower irradiance, and the power output is limited to a rated value at high irradiance. The proposed configuration also incorporates a utility scale battery energy storage system (BESS) connected to the grid through an independent inverter and benefits of the experience gained with a 1-MW 2-MWh BESS large demonstrator. The BESS power smoothing and frequency regulation capabilities are illustrated though combined theoretical and experimental studies. The behavior of the grid connected PV and BESS combined system is studied using a modified IEEE 14 bus test system implemented in PSCAD/EMTDC. This paper also includes a sizing exercise for energy storage in order to provide dispatchable PV power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the theoretical analysis of the position estimation error in position-sensorless operation using pulsating square wave signal injection is presented. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the phenomenon that the position estimation performance varies depending on the injection frequency. Mathematical derivation supported by simulation and experimental results shows that, in no-load condition, the voltage distortion induces position estimation error with 3rd-order harmonics if the frequency of the injected square wave is the same to the switching frequency. While, if the frequency is a half of the switching frequency or heavier load condition in either injection frequency, the effect of nonideal characteristics of inverter disappears and there is no 3rd harmonics in the position estimation error. Therefore, only the effect of cross-coupling inductance is reflected in the estimation error. As the result, the position estimation error appears in the form of 6th-order harmonics due to the spatial harmonics of inductances, and the error is relatively small compared with the switching frequency injection case. The theoretical analysis was verified by simulation and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of condensate inside the dryer cylinders of a paper machine produces a significant increase in the power required to accelerate the section, risking a drive overload and/or section shutdown. In previous works, the authors developed a robust estimation algorithm for the condensate power and a generalized correlation for the estimation of condensate loads in industrial dryer cylinders up to 55 mm of condensate rim. This paper presents and evaluates a rule-based expert system (ES) capable of detecting the presence and amount of condensate in up to three groups of cylinders with different condensate loads. The ES can give an early warning message to the operators and determine the condensate load and number of cylinders within each group. Evaluation is done using a combined condensate load for a fictitious 1500-mm eight-cylinder dryer section. Results show the capacity of the developed ES to give an early warning as well as a correct estimation of the condensate loads and number of cylinders involved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A multifunctional grid-connected inverter (MFGCI) has been a promising solution to mitigate power quality problems in distributed generation system and microgrid applications. However, the capability of a conventional MFGCI is limited when compensating a voltage-based power quality problem. In this paper, a new configuration of MFGCI is proposed to improve both voltage-based and current-based power quality issues and is named shunt-series-switched MFGCI (SSS-MFGCI). The SSS-MFGCI can be connected in series or parallel to the grid by implementing bidirectional switches to provide different modes of operation depending on various grid disturbances. The required compensating current and voltage are analytically derived considering the grid and load conditions for voltage regulation. This paper also presents the compensation strategies, control scheme, and transition scheme between different modes of the proposed SSS-MFGCI. Simulation results to prove the concept are also included for unbalanced sag and swell cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel nonintrusive protection scheme for fault classification of power transmission networks in a wide-area measurement system using fault information for decision making. The protection scheme is a noncommunication without global positioning system as it depends completely on locally measured currents for the nonintrusive fault monitoring (NIFM) using the power-spectrum-based hyperbolic S-transform (PS-HST). In this work, the HST is used to extract the high-frequency components of the current signals generated by an electric fault. To effectively select the HST coefficients (HSTCs) representing fault transient signals with increasing performance, a power spectrum of the HSTCs in different scales calculated by Parseval's theorem is proposed in this paper. Finally, back-propagation artificial neural networks and PS-HST are used to identify fault classes in power transmission networks. The proposed method is tested for different breaker on/off conditions by simulations using electromagnetic transients program software. The results obtained have proved that the proposed method is promising and demonstrate a high success rates and reliability for considering different fault resistances and inception times in NIFM applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a practical view of how to implement a dual modular redundancy (DMR) scheme in a central processing unit–field-programmable gate array (CPU–FPGA) heterogeneous platform-based system, which is also described. FPGAs can be valuable resources when determinism and fast response/acquisition rates are required, while processing large volumes of data. On the other side, CPUs are affordable options for most other processing tasks, especially less frequent tasks, such as data recording. A heterogeneous platform is herein proposed and aims to achieve a reliable, however cost-effective solution. Subsequently, this paper proposes a method to implement a DMR scheme for monitoring systems by means of self-monitoring schemes, health indicators, and a voter that is not a physical switch connected to the monitoring devices, but is software-implemented within the interface system after the data storage system. This proved to be an effective way to deal with disagreements between units when an even number of units are being used, thus not being possible to use a majority-based voting system. The implemented design was thoroughly tested, showing effectiveness in terms of redundancy with improved reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving high efficiency and high power density features of intermediate bus converter (IBC) in data center application is very critical. This paper proposes a nonisolated switched-tank dc–dc converter (STC) to meet the high requirement of IBC. The proposed STC has fixed voltage conversion ratio. Theoretical analysis provides the guideline for designing resonant tank and nonresonant tank as well as selecting proper deadtime for the proposed circuit. With resonant operation feature of the proposed circuit, zero current switching is realized on all switching devices to help the high-efficiency operation of the proposed converter. Through the proposed design methodology in this paper, power loss on switching devices and planar inductors can be minimized. In addition, detailed power loss analysis and breakdown provide hints for further efficiency improvement. Simulation has been performed to validate the operating principle of the proposed STC. A designed 6x STC (450 W nominal/600 W maximum) based on eGaNFETs is demonstrated. With 54 V typical input voltage, the output of the 6x STC is 9 V. The GaN-based prototype achieves a peak efficiency of 98.55%. Also, it achieves 97.18% efficiency and 750 W/in3 power density at 450 W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The active power distribution network operation with the integration of various renewable distributed generations (DGs), storage units, and dynamic loads are attracting a lot of interest due to substantial benefits in maximizing the penetration of available renewable energy resources (RES). However, the risk of voltage violation in the active distribution system (ADS) is exacerbated due to increasing penetration of DGs. It has become a bottleneck to maximize the DG penetration into the system. This bottleneck can be handled by effective voltage regulation and reactive power support into ADS. Nowadays, power electronic devices are frequently used for voltage and reactive power support over the conventional approaches. In this paper, an approach to maximize the penetration of RES, such as solar, wind, etc., into ADS by maximum utilization of existing solar photovoltaic inverters (SPVI) in the system is presented. Optimal utilization of SPVI may enhance the voltage stability of the ADS and wind power penetration into the system. The proposed SPVI control approaches are depended on active power generation of solar photovoltaic (SPVG), rating and capability of SPVI, and required reactive power in the ADS. In this paper, the problem of maximum penetration of RES is formulated as an optimal power flow embedded nonlinear optimization problem subject to the physical limitations of the SPVI. The results of the analysis performed on an IEEE 33 bus system show that the proposed SPVI control strategies can improve the voltage profile of the ADS with minimization of curtailment of wind power generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study of the losses in the integrated buck–flyback converter (IBFC) used as high-power-factor LED driver. The aim of the study is to investigate the possibilities of increasing the efficiency of the IBFC converter. The procedure of the improvement is done by obtaining the equations of the current through each component in terms of converter parameters. The current is found in an average value or rms value, depending on the type of the parasitic component, whether it is modeled by a parasitic forward voltage source or by a parasitic resistance, respectively. Using these equations and the parasitic model, the losses of each element of the converter are estimated. This paper proposes a technique to increase the efficiency of the IBFC by redesigning the converter parameters. Furthermore, this paper presents a case of study with a step-by-step efficiency enhancement process of an existing driver. The driver is operating under universal input conditions, and 38 V output, supplying an LED luminary of 26.5 W. The new design shows an improvement of the efficiency from 82% in the old design to 89% in the proposed one. Moreover, the new design shows an improvement in the power factor and the THD and a 50% reduction in the output current ripple. Furthermore, a reduction in the number of components has been achieved, as it is found by the analysis that by adjusting the converter parameters, one diode can be removed. Finally, the presented methodology is explained in detail so that it can easily be applied to other dc–dc converters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a simple and general mathematical formulation for the determination of the differential leakage factor for both symmetrical and asymmetrical full and dead-coil windings of electrical machines. The method can be applied to all multiphase windings and considers Görges polygons in conjunction with masses geometry in order to find an easy and affordable way to compute the differential leakage factor, avoiding the adoption of traditional methods that refer to the Ossanna's infinite series, which has to be obviously truncated under the bound of a predetermined accuracy. Moreover, the method described in this paper allows the easy determination of both the minimum and maximum values of the differential leakage factor, as well as its average value and the time trend. The proposed method, which does not require infinite series, is validated by means of several examples in order to practically demonstrate the effectiveness and the easiness of application of this procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grid-tied inverters and associated control techniques have gained importance in the domain of distributed generation. Different methods of control have been compared in the literature depending upon the ability to meet total harmonic distortion limits, damping offered to resonant oscillations, and stable operation. Multiple-loop methods compared to their single-loop counterparts have proved to be highly effective for meeting the grid regulations. In the literature, while single-loop and two-loop control systems for LCL filter have been assessed, not much study on three-loop control (TLC) has been done, possibly due to the hardware complexity and cost imparted by the increase in the number of sensors. In this paper, a TLC structure for grid connected inverters is analyzed for stability and parametric variations. Robustness of TLC is compared with single-loop grid current feedback control and a two-loop control structure. An approach to estimate the state variables is proposed in this paper, which cuts down the number of sensors and cost of implementation. The performance of the system is analyzed through simulations and results are validated in a hardware setup, under dynamic and steady-state conditions, thereby showing that this is a promising approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Back electromotive force (EMF) self-sensing is commonly used in induction machine (IM) drive systems, which can be effectively controlled using deadbeat-direct torque and flux control (DB-DTFC). Accurate machine parameters are needed for back EMF self-sensing DB-DTFC drive systems. In this paper, an injection-based, real-time parameter estimation method for IM DB-DTFC drives, in the back EMF self-sensing mode, is proposed. The methodology for choosing appropriate frequencies for injection signals is introduced. With encoder-based velocity feedback, the proposed DB-DTFC injection method induces no additional torque ripple, compared to traditional d-axis pulsating voltage vector injection used in indirect field oriented control. However, in the self-sensing mode, the injected flux linkage induces an erroneous speed ripple, which causes a real speed ripple. This paper presents two approaches to eliminate the speed ripple. Finally, the injection-based real-time parameter estimation method for the system is experimentally evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the computational modeling of the class of bilinear control systems for hyperbolic conservation laws with nonstandard boundary conditions. These systems arise from (control) engineering applications of systems displaying propagation phenomena, i.e., integrating steam, water, and gas pipes. The aim of this paper is achieved by means of a systematic computational procedure previously introduced and adapted here for the class of systems under consideration. The procedure, based on a convergent Method of Lines ensures the convergence of the approximate numerical solution and also the preservation of the basic properties of the “true” solution as well as its Lyapunov stability. Thus, the approximate computational model allows numerical quantitative and qualitative analysis relevant to a specific problem. The computational efficiency of the procedure is ensured by its implementation based on some, possibly massively, parallel-structured devices belonging to the Artificial Intelligence field—the cell-based recurrent neural networks. As a case study, we consider a control system occurring in the cogeneration process (combined heat and electricity generation). A comparison between the results of the qualitative analysis and those of the numerical simulations demonstrates the correctness and effectiveness of the computational procedure for the dynamics and transients analysis. The paper ends with some conclusions and a list of open problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel power flow control strategy, combined with an economic analysis, for an energy management system (EMS) involving a hybrid energy storage. The EMS operates a remote microgrid and directs the power flow to either batteries or supercapacitors to increase the life of the batteries. This paper demonstrates how the use of supercapacitors increases the lifetime of the batteries and ultimately how it affects the economics of the system. The proposed EMS controller also compensates for the 120-Hz ripple on the dc bus. Modeling, simulations, and experimental verification are presented together with the procedure to perform the assessment of the battery lifetime, according to the tuning parameters of the controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to provide a guideline for rotor design of permanent magnet (PM) assisted synchronous reluctance machine (PMa-SynRM). Unlike interior PM machines, the PMa-SynRM is essentially an SynRM with dominant reluctance torque. The PMa-SynRM is often designed by directly embedding magnets into an SynRM rotor to improve the performance. However, how the PMs can be arranged in the rotor to enhance motor performance has not been fully discussed. This paper investigates the influence of several key factors concerning the PM arrangements, including number of PM layers, inserted positions, and PM sizes. The torque, flux linkages, power factor, and motor performance are comprehensively evaluated. Based on the analysis, a brief guideline is suggested for PMa-SynRM rotor design. Finite element analysis is used for evaluation and experiments are conducted to validate the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The control of multi-input and multioutput (MIMO) systems with multiple time delays is difficult to be done using classical control techniques, especially if the process is not open-loop stable. Model predictive control (MPC) is the natural choice in industry for this case, but its tuning and implementation are not trivial and, in general, cannot be done in the low level of the process control system. This paper aims to show a method to design MIMO filtered Smith predictors for $n \times n$ processes with multiple time delays based on the decentralized direct decoupling structure. This method allows an easy tuning of the primary controller by simplifying the problem to multiple single loops if the realizability conditions presented in the paper are met. The proposed method can also be used in MPC to remove the interactions between process variables. The effectiveness of the method is illustrated through two case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved hybrid unified power flow controller (IHUPFC) is developed in this paper to control the power flow and increase the utilization rate of the existing transmission lines. The IHUPFC is composed of an improved “Sen” transformer (IST) and a small capacity unified power flow controller (UPFC). After a detailed introduction of the structure and voltage regulation performance of the IST, this paper derives the capacity relationship between the IST and the UPFC. Then, this paper introduces the technology of the IHUPFC in power flow regulation and transmission capability improvement. Besides, the advantages of the IHUPFC in performance and structure are analyzed. The IST has simpler structure and larger power flow control area than a “Sen” transformer, and the IHUPFC provides a continuous active and reactive power flow control. Simulation and experiment studies are used to verify the practicability and superiority of the IHUPFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The LCL-based filter has been widely applied to mitigate the size of the inductor in the high-power converter, but it usually leads to resonance in the system. Therefore, an active damping technique based on the virtual resistor is provided in this paper for the LCL-filter system. The literature papers only suppressed the resonance of the LCL-filter and focused on the stability of the internal current control loop with an inductive grid impedance. Therefore, these previous stability analysis methods cannot be suitable for offshore wind farm applications due to the multiple resonance frequency characteristic of the transmission cable and multiparalleled converters. Therefore, this paper analyzes the control stability with both of the internal resonance (LCL-filter) and external resonance (between the grid impedance and current controller). Besides, the behavior of multiparalleled converter and the multiple resonance frequency of long transmission cable are discussed and analyzed for the offshore wind farm applications. Finally, the laboratory and simulation results are for the proposed method verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents theoretical and experimental discussions on low-voltage-ride-through operation of a modular multilevel single-delta bridge-cell (SDBC) inverter intended for utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems. Modern grid codes require grid-tied inverters to provide dynamic grid support during grid-fault events by injecting reactive current. This paper discusses decoupled positive- and negative-sequence reactive-current control, focusing on asymmetric voltage sags with imbalanced magnitude and phase relationships. The main objective is to present a feedforward control method based on calculation of the zero-sequence current required for achieving power balance during normal and grid-fault conditions. Moreover, this paper demonstrates a practical method that minimizes overcurrent stress in the three inverter clusters by adjusting active power drawn from PV arrays. Experimental results on a three-phase 12.6-kVA system prove that the SDBC inverter is capable of seamlessly operating through asymmetric voltage sags. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an online condition monitoring system for aluminum electrolytic capacitors used as dc-link capacitors in industrial power converters. Electrolytic capacitors are one of the most fragile components of a power converter system because of their wear-out failures and short lifespan. Therefore, the use of condition monitoring systems for aluminum electrolytic capacitors allow preventive maintenance to be performed, thereby avoiding unexpected shutdown and downtime. The dominant wear-out mechanisms in aluminum electrolytic capacitors are characterized by the increase in equivalent series resistance. Hence, the condition monitoring system proposed in this paper is based on the online estimation of the capacitor's equivalent series resistance using the switching frequency components of the dc-link capacitor voltage and current. The equivalent series resistance estimation method is tested using the PSpice circuit simulator and is validated experimentally using a custom-made inverter. Finally, the equivalent series resistance estimation method is adapted for the condition monitoring of capacitors in industrial power converters and the proposed condition monitoring system is implemented in a commercial ac drive system to prove the applicability of the proposed method to industrial power converters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In copper electrorefining, process anomalies impair current efficiency and productivity. Short circuits produce nodules or dendrites in copper cathodes, impaired contacts at busbars elevate current densities dispersion and, open contacts result in blank cathodes and overcurrents at nearby electrodes. This paper presents an intercell topology composed by a base board, main anode–cathode connectors, and a capping board with secondary connectors snapped on top. With this segmented intercell configuration the resilience to anomalies is improved by reducing short-circuit occurrence and their magnitude. Anomalies are pinpointed in 60 s with the addition of light mass secondary connectors placed on the capping board. Moreover, the new topology is capable of surpassing anomalies even without assistance to sustain production. Finite-element modeling predicts the performance of the proposed innovation for fast detection of short and open circuits using thermography scans. The paper includes experimental results to validate the effectiveness of the secondary connectors in the detection of process anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the relationship between the experimentally determined magnetostriction of grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES) coils and the no-load noise of power transformers (PT). The main source of a PT's no-load noise is the magnetostrictive vibration of the magnetic core built with stacked GOES sheets. With an in-house measurement system, in which steel coils with a mass of up to 6000 kg is measured, differences in the GOES materials’ magnetostriction were identified. In this paper, we analyze the flux dependent behavior and harmonic composition of the magnetostrictive properties of different steel coils. Based on the identified differences in the steel coils’ magnetostriction, two experimental studies with PTs are provided showing exemplary results. The first study shows initial findings of the relationship between the magnetostriction of the deployed steel coils and the emitted no-load noise of model transformers. In a second study, the aforementioned investigations were extended with measurements of large power transformers. Both studies cover a correlation and performance analysis including comparisons of the noise-related GOES certificate value B8 (also known as B800 value). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pump-back test is widely adopted in the industry for characterizing and qualifying high-power converters. One popular pump-back test configuration is to tie the dc links of two converters together and circulate the current through the inductor connected between the ac terminals. In this configuration, one of the converters operates in the voltage mode to generate the virtual grid and the other converter regulates the circulating current, where hysteresis control could be applied. However, the switching characteristics of hysteresis control are unique due to the pulsewidth modulation type voltage being the virtual grid. This paper contributes to analyzing the switching frequency characteristics of the hysteresis control in this pump-back test configuration. The switching frequency tracking phenomenon is revealed and reported in this paper for the first time. Theoretical analysis, simulation validation, and experimental demonstration are provided to support the major conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the development status of the inductive power transmission for automotive applications. This technology is, in fact, gaining the interest of electric vehicle manufacturers as an effective strategy to improve the market penetration of electric mobility. Starting from the origin of this technology, the paper presents an overview of the current state of the art as well as the current research and industrial projects. Particular attention is devoted to the description of a prototypal system for the dynamic inductive power transmission whose goal is to extend the battery range by a fast partial recharging during the movement of the vehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive comparison of switched reluctance machines (SRMs) with short-pitched and fully pitched windings for the same machine geometry. An SRM designed for off-road vehicles with short-pitched windings is rewound with full-pitched windings and the two winding structures are compared. The two different winding configurations were evaluated with unipolar excitation at the same bus voltage level for the driver. The machines are compared with respect to their electromagnetic behavior, operating range, torque per ampere, and efficiency. The effect of winding configuration and the number of turns are investigated as they determine the torque speed characteristics of SRMs. The comparison in this paper would better guide designers on what type of winding configuration would best suit their applications. The comparison is conducted with the aid of finite element analysis. A 50 kW prototype SRM is used for experimental validation of the short-pitched and fully pitched SRMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the damping ability of point of common coupling (PCC) voltage feedforward is analyzed in order to improve the stability of current control, in which interference with an LCL filter of a battery energy storage system (BESS) and synchronous inductance of a diesel generator is considered in a stand-alone microgrid. A BESS can be charged by a diesel generator when the state of charge of the battery bank is significantly insufficient and where the BESS operates with constant current constant voltage control and the diesel generator provides constant voltage constant frequency control. In this case, large synchronous when the diesel generator is in a steady state may severely cause the instability of current control. The stability analysis should be required to guarantee the paralleled operation between BESS and diesel generator. An equivalent circuit model of the diesel generator is needed to perform these processes. To bring availability of analysis, this paper considers a simple equivalent circuit model considering synchronous inductance in the steady state, and it has very large inductance corresponding 1 per unit. The resonance issue is attenuated by the damping ability of PCC voltage feedforward where it is possible to improve the stability by appropriately adjusting the gain of the voltage feedforward. The effects of the synchronous inductance and the feedforward loop are analyzed in the s-domain and z-domain. The gain of the voltage feedforward is determined to be 0.2 and 0.4 based on stability analysis. To verify the validity of the damping effect of PCC voltage feedforward, a demonstration site is constructed and the stability is verified through simulation and experiment with a full model, and total harmonic distortion of current is improved to 2.44%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation of induction machine parameters, which are commonly used in efficiency evaluation and control methods, can be effectively achieved by utilizing genetic algorithms (GAs). One of the difficulties of using GAs for efficiency estimation is the determination of variable (parameter) constraints (ranges). This paper focuses on the range determination of the parameters (variables) for GA applications. A wide range of variables can cause unstable outcomes. Hence, it is essential to determine an acceptable range for each variable prior to a GA run to produce stable and repeatable results. In this paper, relationships based on the nameplate information and a large database of tested induction motors provided by Hydro-Québec are proposed to determine reasonable induction motor parameter ranges. The proposed method is applied to three different cases. The results of the three cases are compared to each other and also against the corresponding experimental results, which validate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for in situ high-bandwidth junction temperature estimation of insulated-gate bipolar transistors is introduced in this paper. The method is based on the acquisition of the gate voltage plateau during turn-on. It can be related to the junction temperature at any known device current, that can be effectively approximated using existing phase current measurements. This allows fast overtemperature protection of the power device or even active thermal cycle reduction via thermal control. This paper discusses, first, the physical mechanisms leading to the temperature sensitivity of the gate voltage plateau. Second, a rigorous sensitivity analysis of the gate voltage plateau is conducted. It allows to determine the maximal estimation error and provides information about the suitability of this method for various devices and applications. Finally, a sensing circuitry is presented, which allows accurate gate voltage plateau sensing every switching period as well as an easy integration into the gate driver. The performance of the proposed method is experimentally demonstrated with the sensing circuitry on a double pulse test bench over a wide operation range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual-comparison one-cycle control for the bidirectional power flow in single-phase grid-connected converters is proposed in this paper. Advantages of dual-comparison one-cycle control when compared to conventional one-cycle control is that it does not give any steady-state dc offset, no light-load instability, and implements unipolar pulsewidth modulation without having to sense the grid voltage. Addition of a fictitious current term, which is generated from the gating signal of one of the active devices, using a bandpass filter, enables the bidirectional power flow. The quality factor of the bandpass filter is shown to impact the total harmonic distortion in current, fundamental displacement angle, and steady-state dc offset. The optimal value of a quality factor, obtained with aid of simulations, gives a superior performance. The current drawn or injected into the grid is seen to lag the grid voltage. The reason for a nonunity displacement power factor is analyzed and a compensation to achieve a unity displacement power factor is also proposed in this paper. Detailed simulation and experimental studies are carried out to validate the proposed control and the high performance that can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with active torque ripple compensation based on direct power control of permanent magnet brushless DC (BLDC) motor drive. The torque undulations caused by the mismatch between stator current and its nonsinusoidal back electromotive force (back EMF) waveforms is a well-known issue on BLDC motor drives. In this paper, to remedy this problem, a simple and comprehensive direct power control based approach is proposed. Instead of using conventional field-oriented control or direct torque control schemes, which are widely used in ac machines with sinusoidal flux distribution, an alternative approach is presented to control the mutual torque production through an active and reactive rotor power control loop. As a result, the proposed approach provides a simple way to reduce torque ripple of a permanent magnet synchronous motor with nonsinusoidal back EMF without requiring rotor orientation or back EMF harmonic content estimation method. In order to synthesize the proper input voltages in the context of torque ripple minimization, high bandwidth controllers are required to cope the torque ripple frequencies. In this sense, the power control loop is implemented based on two-vector finite control-set model-based predictive control approach, which provides fast torque response and good steady-state performance. The validity of the proposed control scheme for low torque ripple BLDC motor drive is verified through experimental results, achieving good steady-state performance while maintaining quick dynamic response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stand-alone operation of distributed generations (DGs) under an islanded mode is achieved by appropriate switching of controllers from grid-parallel to stand-alone mode. Conversely, during grid restoration, reverse switching operation is employed. These operations cause voltage quality issues; among these issues, voltage dips and swells are two crucial events that are encountered during and subsequent to islanding. This paper characterizes the voltage dips and/or swells caused by the islanding of DG and its subsequent pre- and post-islanding events. Pre-islanding events encompass the fault-initiated islanding scenarios, whereas postislanding events are associated with transitional state, island stabilization, and grid-reconnection states. Considering pre- and post-islanding scenarios, this paper classifies and characterizes the voltage dips and swells using an algorithm incorporating three-phase voltage ellipse and three-dimensional (3-D) polarization ellipse parameters. Three-phase voltage ellipse parameters, namely, major axis, minor axis, and inclination angle of an ellipse, are exploited for characterization and classification of voltage dips/swells based on their affected phases, whereas 3-D polarization ellipse parameters are employed for classifying seven dip types, namely, A, B, D, F, E, C, and G. Islanding and its subsequent scenarios are simulated using a test distribution network of Australia embedded with DG, and the voltage dips and swells are characterized using the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power generation and grid stability have become key issues in the last decade. The high penetration of large capacity wind generation into the electric power grid has led to serious concerns about its influence on the dynamic behavior of power systems. The low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) capability of wind turbines during grid faults is one of the core requirements to ensure stability in the power grid during transient conditions. The doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) offer several advantages when utilized in wind turbines, but discussions about their LVRT capabilities are limited. This paper presents a comprehensive study of the LVRT of grid-connected DFIG-based wind turbines. It provides a detailed investigation of the transient characteristics and the dynamic behavior of DFIGs during symmetrical and asymmetrical grid voltage sags. A detailed theoretical study supported by computer simulations is provided. This paper also provides a new rotor-side control scheme for DFIG-based wind turbines to enhance its LVRT capability during severe grid voltage sags. The proposed control strategy focuses on mitigating the rotor-side voltage and current transients during abnormal grid conditions, without any additional cost or reliability issues. As a result, the DFIG performance is improved and utility company standards are fulfilled. Computer simulations are used to verify the expanded ride-through capability of the novel strategy and its effective performance compared to the conventional control schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring energy consumption and condition of electric motors is important for economical purposes and safe operation of drives and processes in the industry. These activities are especially valid in processes requiring high availability such as those found in mining and metals industry. Methods able to implement these functions without process interruption and/or requiring minimum changes on the drive configuration are extremely welcome. The air-gap torque estimator is at the core of the main efficiency-estimation methods used today; therefore, it is crucial to its successful implementation. Most of the torque estimation algorithms require two or three voltage and current measurement to be implemented. Unfortunately, this number of sensors is not always available for all the motors used in industrial processes. Aiming to face this problem, a solution requiring data acquisition of the current and voltage of only one phase suited to be used in algorithms of efficiency estimation of in-service induction motors was presented in a previous paper. The installation in the motor control center cabinet of a pair of sensors to measure these variables is more feasible and, sometimes, it is done for monitoring and protection purposes. In this paper, the method governing equations are simplified further and the performance under unbalanced voltage condition investigated and improved. Simulation and experimental results are used to check the validity and performance of the proposed technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a surface inspection system for rails is proposed. There is a lack of commercial systems and publications about surface inspection of rails. Therefore, the quality control developed by rail manufacturers depends on their own developed systems or on the equipment provided by very few sellers. Commercial systems must be configured manually by experts of seller companies. The configuration process requires large sets of all types of manufactured rails along several periods of time and the active participation of the quality engineers of the manufacturer. This is a long, cumbersome, and very expensive process. In this paper, we propose a new system that can be configured using a systematic method that can be performed by the quality engineers of the manufacturer. The proposed inspection system uses differential images of the rail surfaces obtained with a technique called the spectral images differentiation procedure. These images are processed using a computer vision algorithm that looks for variations in the pixel values among the images. In order to offer more information, a neural network approach is used for classifying detected defects into six types. The proposed system is an open solution for the inspection of rail surface, easy to implement at an affordable cost, which can be systematically configured by the quality engineers of the manufacturing company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deployment of renewable energy sources in power grid causes an undesirable characteristic in the voltage profile due to its stochastic nature. Such electrical perturbations may impact the performance of equipment or machines connected to the grid, especially large rated machines (e.g., 250 MW). This paper investigates the electrical, thermal, and mechanical stresses on large rated doubly fed synchronous (fixed speed) and doubly fed asynchronous (variable speed) machines used in pumped storage power plants under voltage unbalance. Also, the lifespan of the drive train considering thermal stress is estimated. In this paper, considering the medium voltage distribution system (15.75 kV), the magnitude of voltage unbalance is opted as 2.5% and 5% to test the performance of doubly fed machines. With respect to these considerations, the impacts on machine parameters such as rotor current, stator current, input power, torque, and losses are comprehensively investigated. To observe the performance of large rated doubly fed machine drive system under voltage unbalances, the MATLAB/Simulink environment is adopted. Also, to realize the real-time impact on doubly fed machines, a prototype rig (with 2.2-kW synchronous and asynchronous machines) are experimented. The practical significance of this relative analysis is to minimize voltage collapse in the system and for developing the robust system with countermeasures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the accurate flux map modeling of synchronous reluctance motors, using finite element analyses. Non-negligible discrepancies were initially observed by comparing two-dimensional (2-D) finite element method (FEM) simulation results with measured flux maps of real machines. Conversely, the three-dimensional (3-D) FEM-based flux mapping offers more accurate estimation of the aforementioned flux linkage characteristics and gives evidence of the 3-D end effects being also a function of the relative position between the magneto-motive force waveforms of the rotor and the stator. The paper investigates such 3-D end effects for different rotor geometries and winding structures, utilizing 2-D and 3-D FEM analysis in comparison to experimental data. The paper confirms that the 3-D effects are non-negligible both in concentrated and distributed winding machines. A simple mathematical approach is proposed for the concentrated winding machine, capable of off-line correction of the 2-D FEM flux maps. The proposed closed-form equation is validated through 3-D FEM and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmonic distortion and harmonic resonance problems have been widely concerned and reported in railway electrification systems (RESs) due to the harmonic injection from the nonlinear electric train, especially high-speed/high-capacity/large-power trains. This paper presents an overview of the harmonic and resonance problems in the RES, including harmonic problem composition, harmonic modeling, available influential factors assessment, harmonic resonance, and associated suppression methods. The harmonic problem mainly consists of the background harmonics brought from the utility system, resonance-region harmonics interacted by capacitive and inductive network elements, and characteristic harmonics generated from the switching process of the onboard power conversion system. The mathematical modeling and analysis methods are introduced, including frequency scanning analysis, S-domain analysis, resonance mode analysis, and modal sensitivity analysis. Available influential factors/parameters have been fully investigated against above-mentioned harmonic problems. Finally, different harmonic suppression methods have been compared and summarized in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging environmental awareness, government subsidies, and deferred utility investments have created an environment that favors the proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs) in distribution systems. While beneficial, these DERs create operational challenges to the power utility, ranging from additional safety risks to unstable system operation. Among those, traditional feeder overcurrent protection can become desensitized due to the additional fault contribution output by DERs. In some cases, it may not be possible to protect the entire distribution line. This effect is introduced in this paper as the Apparent Effect, which accounts for the reduction in fault contribution from the substation. Its extent varies depending on the DER technology, i.e., synchronous, induction, doubly-fed induction generators, or inverter-based DERs. Substantial investment may be required to overcome this effect and maintain feeder protection dependability. This paper characterizes this issue analytically and suggests the application of system reconfigurations that can result in mitigating the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A programmable electronic load (PEL) solution is usually needed for comprehensive testing of power supplies. In this paper, a novel PEL based on a hybrid five-level voltage source inverter (VSI) is introduced to emulate a variety of static load behaviors, such as R, L, C loads, high-frequency harmonic loads, and unbalanced loads. Dynamic load behavior, for example, modulation loads, can also be achieved in this paper. A dedicated control structure is proposed for the emulation of different load behaviors and the detailed compensator design is presented to evaluate the system dynamic performance. The proposed PEL system has isolated active dc links to support multilevel converter topology, and it can either dump the energy to a passive load or recycle the energy back to the utility grid through another VSI. Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the effectiveness of proposed control methods in terms of successfully achieving a variety of load profile functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A breaker-less shipboard medium-voltage dc (MVDC) system is gaining more attention recently due to its advantage in dealing with a dc fault by using switched-mode power modules and disconnectors. The specific power module investigated in this paper is the power conversion module (PCM) that transforms power from a MVDC to a low-voltage dc (LVDC) bus. The PCM plays an important role in a system-level fault management. The recently emerging isolated modular multilevel dc/dc converter and the widely used dual active bridge converter are promising solutions for PCM applications. The control algorithms including fault protection strategy for both topologies have been developed and presented in this paper. The MVDC side fault and LVDC side fault of each topology has been analyzed and evaluated. The simulation and experimental results are provided to demonstrate the fault protection features of two topologies in a breaker-less dc system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]