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This paper a new quantity for current-sensorless power-angle-based MPPT for single-stage grid-connected photovoltaic voltage-source inverters (VSIs). The proposed tracker eliminates the use of the current sensor by using only the voltage sensor: The current sensor is substituted with a new quantity, which is the sine value of the power-angle (the phase angle between the inverter output voltage and the power grid voltage). A theoretical proof for this quantity is developed and is provided. Then the controller is designed and implemented using a digital signal processor (DSP). Algorithms are configured on a fixed point DSP TMS320F2812. Moreover, a breadboard has been built-up for testing the use of the proposed tracker with a single-stage grid-connected photovoltaic voltage-source inverter. Both of simulation and experimental results show that the proposed tracker attains a satisfactory performance. On the other hand, it requires a good control tool to accurately achieve the arithmetic calculations. A substantial part of the manufacturing cost and complexity burdens of MPPTs involves the use of current sensors. Considering this investigation saves cost, decreases complexity, and therefore increases the power density of the MPPTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As promising and suitable candidates for high-power applications, multilevel inverters have become one of the most promising solutions in various applications. However, power switching devices are highly subjected to thermal overheating, which leads to shortened lifetime and reduced reliability. Thermal overheating may result from the degradation of power switching devices due to continuous overloading and power cycling. In addition, degradation and faults in the cooling system of power switching devices may cause thermal stresses as well. A new overheating-tolerant space vector modulation algorithm is proposed in this paper to alleviate thermal stresses from overheated power switching device. The proposed algorithm relies on using the redundancy property between switching states in multilevel inverters to continuously evaluate a cost function of the junction temperature of the overheated device for all possible switching sequence sets and then selects the optimal switching sequence. In addition, the proposed algorithm preserves the DC-link capacitor voltage without reduction in the output current of the inverter. The proposed algorithm is general, which can be applied to n-level inverters. Both simulation and experimental results reveal the efficient performance of the proposed algorithm using a three-level T-type inverter as a case study. Accordingly, the lifetime and reliability of the inverter are enhanced considerably using the proposed algorithm. © 2016 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the performance of power electronics devices and thus power inverters at cryogenic temperatures for electric aircraft systems are of great interest. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to examine the inverter circuit technologies used in cryogenically-cooled electric aircraft applications from three perspectives: inverter topologies, power capabilities, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) that may occur. At a cryogenic temperature, the characteristics of five power semiconductor switches with different technologies (Si MOS, SiC MOS, and GaN HEMT) used in cryogenically-cooled electric aircraft inverters were tested and the results were presented. Furthermore, the low-temperature performance of three types of capacitors commonly used in power electronics inverters was investigated. The research findings provide crucial considerations for the research and development of power inverters cooled by sub-cooled liquid nitrogen for modern electric aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]