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Electronics
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Innovative Technologies in Power Converters
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Innovative Technologies in Power Converters

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Power Electronics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 20741

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Diego Gonzalez Lamar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Power Supply Group, Electrical Engineering Department, University of Oviedo, 33204 Gijón, Spain
Interests: power electronics; DC–DC converters; power factor correction; LED drivers (VLC); WBG in power converters
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Aitor Vázquez Ardura

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Power Supply Group, Electrical Engineering Department, University of Oviedo, 33204 Gijón, Spain
Interests: power electronics; DC–DC power converters; AC–DC power converters; bidirectional power converters; WBG in power converters; energy storage systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

 Power electronics is rapidly growing into one of the most important research fields in today’s society. The emergence of multiple applications has led to a drastic increase in interest from both industry and academia in researching new topologies, controls, semiconductor devices, and passive components. Among other applications, the following can be cited as an example of tracking lines of this evolution: electric mobility, biomedical applications, energy harvesting, smart grids and microgrids, renewable energies, energy storage systems or IoT, and power management. The relationship between those applications and research interest can be seen as a cycling loop: New applications lead to new studies on power electronics, and vice versa, innovative studies on power electronics lead to new applications. In this sense, the emerging technologies in power electronics can be classified into four different categories: innovative control techniques, new topologies for power converters, the use of wide band-gap semiconductor devices (SiC and GaN), and progress in passive components (capacitors and magnetic elements). 

The main aim of this Special Issue is to seek high-quality submissions that highlight these innovative technologies in power converters and address recent breakthroughs in power electronics application-oriented design.

The topics of interest include but are not limited to:

  • Emerging trends in digital control for power electronics:
    • Adaptive and predictive controllers;
    • Preventing aging and failure controllers;
    • Neural network-based and Artificial Intelligence controllers;
    • Internet of Things applied to power management;
  • New emerging topologies:
    • Modular arrangements (IPOS, ISOP, IPOP, multilevel power converters, composite power converters);
    • Partial power processing converters;
    • Multiple input–multiple output (MIMO) power converters;
    • Resonant-based power converters and PWM-resonant converters;
  • Use of Wide Band-Gap semiconductor devices:
    • High switching frequency applications of GaN and SiC;
    • High power density switching converters using GaN or SiC;
    • Unique applications of SiC or GaN devices;
  • Passive elements:
    • New ferromagnetic materials for magnetic elements;
    • Emerging dielectric materials and metamaterials for capacitors;
    • Superconductivity and cryogen applications.

Prof. Dr. Diego Gonzalez Lamar
Dr. Aitor Vázquez Ardura
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Adaptive and predictive controllers
  • Preventing aging and failure controllers
  • Neural network-based and Artificial Intelligence controllers
  • Internet of Things applied to power management
  • Modular arrangements (IPOS, ISOP, IPOP, multilevel power converters, composite power converters)
  • Partial power processing converters
  • Multiple input–multiple output (MIMO) power converters
  • Resonant-based power converters and PWM-resonant converters
  • High switching frequency applications of GaN and SiC
  • High power density switching converters using GaN or SiC
  • Unique applications of SiC or GaN devices
  • New ferromagnetic materials for magnetic elements
  • Emerging dielectric materials and metamaterials for capacitors
  • Superconductivity and cryogen applications

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 4923 KiB  
Article
Real Time Power Control in a High Voltage Power Supply for Dielectric Barrier Discharge Reactors: Implementation Strategy and Load Thermal Analysis
by Gabriele Neretti, Arturo Popoli, Silvia Giuditta Scaltriti and Andrea Cristofolini
Electronics 2022, 11(10), 1536; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics11101536 - 11 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1623
Abstract
Atmospheric-pressure plasma treatments for industrial and biomedical applications are often performed using Dielectric Barrier Discharge reactors. Dedicated power supplies are needed to provide the high voltage frequency waveforms to operate these nonlinear and time-dependent loads. Moreover, there is a growing technical need for [...] Read more.
Atmospheric-pressure plasma treatments for industrial and biomedical applications are often performed using Dielectric Barrier Discharge reactors. Dedicated power supplies are needed to provide the high voltage frequency waveforms to operate these nonlinear and time-dependent loads. Moreover, there is a growing technical need for reliable and reproducible treatments, which require the discharge parameters to be actively controlled. In this work, we illustrate a low-cost power supply topology based on a push–pull converter. We perform experimental measurements on two different reactor topologies (surface and volumetric), showing that open loop operation of the power supply leads to a temperature and average power increase over time. The temperature increases by ΔTvol~120 °C and ΔTsup~70 °C, while the power increases by ΔPvol~78% and ΔPsup~60% for the volumetric (40 s) and superficial reactors (120 s), respectively. We discuss how these changes are often unwanted in practical applications. A simplified circuital model of the power supply–reactor system is used to infer the physical relation between the observed reactor thermal behavior and its electrical characteristics. We then show a control strategy for the power supply voltage to ensure constant average power operation of the device based on real-time power measurements on the high voltage side of the power supply and an empirical expression relating the delivered power to the power supply output voltage. These are performed with an Arduino Due microcontroller unit, also used to control the power supply. In a controlled operation the measured power stays within 5% of the reference value for both configurations, reducing the temperature increments to ΔTvol~80 °C and ΔTsup~44 °C, respectively. The obtained results show that the proposed novel control strategy is capable of following the transient temperature behavior, achieving a constant average power operation and subsequently limiting the reactor thermal stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies in Power Converters)
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19 pages, 5971 KiB  
Article
A Novel Single-Stage Common-Ground Transformerless Buck–Boost Inverter
by Dai-Van Vo, Minh-Khai Nguyen, Truong-Duy Duong, Tan-Tai Tran, Young-Cheol Lim and Joon-Ho Choi
Electronics 2022, 11(5), 829; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics11050829 - 07 Mar 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2382
Abstract
In this article, a novel single-stage transformerless buck–boost inverter is introduced. The proposed inverter can share a common ground between the DC input side and the grid; this leads to having a zero-leakage current. The proposed inverter also provides the buck and boost [...] Read more.
In this article, a novel single-stage transformerless buck–boost inverter is introduced. The proposed inverter can share a common ground between the DC input side and the grid; this leads to having a zero-leakage current. The proposed inverter also provides the buck and boost voltage capabilities. Additionally, the power switches are operated at high frequency in the half-cycle of the sinusoidal wave, so the efficiency of the proposed inverter can be improved. Operating analysis, design consideration, comparison, and simulation study are presented. Finally, a 500 W laboratory prototype is also built to confirm the correctness and feasibility of the proposed inverter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies in Power Converters)
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23 pages, 3574 KiB  
Article
Methods of Fast Analysis of DC–DC Converters—A Review
by Paweł Górecki and Krzysztof Górecki
Electronics 2021, 10(23), 2920; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics10232920 - 25 Nov 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3129
Abstract
The paper discusses the methods of fast analysis of DC–DC converters dedicated to computer programmes. Literature methods of such an analysis are presented, which enable determination of the characteristics of the considered converters in the steady state and in the transient states. The [...] Read more.
The paper discusses the methods of fast analysis of DC–DC converters dedicated to computer programmes. Literature methods of such an analysis are presented, which enable determination of the characteristics of the considered converters in the steady state and in the transient states. The simplifications adopted at the stage of developing these methods are discussed, and their influence on the accuracy of computations is indicated. Particular attention is paid to the methods of fast analysis of DC–DC converters, taking into account thermal phenomena in semiconductor devices. The sample results of computations of the DC–DC boost type converter obtained with the use of the selected methods are presented. The scope of application of particular computation methods and their duration times are discussed. Computations were performed with the use of SPICE and PLECS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies in Power Converters)
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16 pages, 6392 KiB  
Article
Analysis of a DC-DC Flyback Converter Variant for Thermoelectric Generators with Partial Energy Processing
by Ricardo Marroquín-Arreola, Daniel Salazar-Pérez, Mario Ponce-Silva, Héctor Hernández-De León, Juan A. Aquí-Tapia, Jinmi Lezama, Yesica I. Saavedra-Benítez, Elías N. Escobar-Gómez, Ricardo E. Lozoya-Ponce and Rafael Mota-Grajales
Electronics 2021, 10(5), 619; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics10050619 - 07 Mar 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2954
Abstract
This paper presents a theoretical analysis of a DC-DC flyback converter variant applied in energy harvesting based on thermoelectric generators. The main contribution of the article is the analysis and obtaining the equations of the behavior of the converter with a rearrangement of [...] Read more.
This paper presents a theoretical analysis of a DC-DC flyback converter variant applied in energy harvesting based on thermoelectric generators. The main contribution of the article is the analysis and obtaining the equations of the behavior of the converter with a rearrangement of the elements of the traditional flyback converter in such a way that the converter only processes part of the energy while the other part is delivered directly to the load. This is achieved by connecting the secondary of the flyback in series with the load, and this assembly, in turn, is placed in parallel with the primary and the voltage source. This configuration means that the topology can only be a boost topology; however, there are benefits such as partial power processing (R2P2) and reduced stress on converter components in both voltage and current; all this leads to increase the efficiency. A Low Frequency Averaging Analysis (LFAA) was used to determine the behavior of the proposed circuit, and a simple equivalent circuit to analyze was obtained. In order to validate the theoretical analysis, a circuit was simulated in Spice and implemented in an 18 W prototype. Experimental results showed that the converter has an efficiency of 92.65%. Moreover, the rearranged flyback processed only 56% of the input power. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies in Power Converters)
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14 pages, 7978 KiB  
Article
Active Gate Driver and Management of the Switching Speed of GaN Transistors during Turn-On and Turn-Off
by Mamadou Lamine Beye, Thilini Wickramasinghe, Jean François Mogniotte, Luong Viêt Phung, Nadir Idir, Hassan Maher and Bruno Allard
Electronics 2021, 10(2), 106; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics10020106 - 07 Jan 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2778
Abstract
The paper investigates the management of drain voltage and current slew rates (i.e., dv/dt and di/dt) of high-speed GaN-based power switches during the transitions. An active gate voltage control (AGVC) is considered for improving the safe operation of a switching cell. In an [...] Read more.
The paper investigates the management of drain voltage and current slew rates (i.e., dv/dt and di/dt) of high-speed GaN-based power switches during the transitions. An active gate voltage control (AGVC) is considered for improving the safe operation of a switching cell. In an application of open-loop AGVC, the switching speeds vary significantly with the operating point of the GaN HEMT on either or both current and temperature. A closed-loop AGVC is proposed to operate the switches at a constant speed over different operating points. In order to evaluate the reduction in the electromagnetic disturbances, the common mode currents in the system were compared using the active and a standard gate voltage control (SGVC). The closed-loop analysis carried out in this paper has shown that discrete component-based design can introduce limitations to fully resolve the problem of high switching speeds. To ensure effective control of the switching operations, a response time fewer than 10 ns is required for this uncomplex closed-loop technique despite an increase in switching losses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies in Power Converters)
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16 pages, 10815 KiB  
Article
Flyback Converter for Solid-State Lighting Applications with Partial Energy Processing
by Mario Ponce-Silva, Daniel Salazar-Pérez, Oscar Miguel Rodríguez-Benítez, Luis Gerardo Vela-Valdés, Abraham Claudio-Sánchez, Susana Estefany De León-Aldaco, Claudia Cortés-García, Yesica Imelda Saavedra-Benítez, Ricardo Eliu Lozoya-Ponce and Juan Antonio Aquí-Tapia
Electronics 2021, 10(1), 60; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics10010060 - 31 Dec 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2658
Abstract
The main contribution of this paper is to show a new AC/DC converter based on the rearrangement of the flyback converter. The proposed circuit only manages part of the energy and the rest is delivered directly from the source to the load. Therefore, [...] Read more.
The main contribution of this paper is to show a new AC/DC converter based on the rearrangement of the flyback converter. The proposed circuit only manages part of the energy and the rest is delivered directly from the source to the load. Therefore, with the new topology, the efficiency is increased, and the stress of the components is reduced. The rearrangement consist of the secondary of the flyback is placed in parallel with the load, and this arrangement is connected in series with the primary side and the rectified voltage source. The re-arranged flyback is only a reductive topology and with no magnetic isolation. It was studied as a power supply for LEDs. A low frequency averaged analysis (LFAA) was used to determine the behavior of the proposed circuit and an equivalent circuit much easier to analyze was obtained. To validate the theoretical analysis, a design methodology was developed for the re-arranged flyback converter. The designed circuit was implemented in a 10 W prototype. Experimental results showed that the converter has a THDi = 21.7% and a PF = 0.9686. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies in Power Converters)
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13 pages, 8656 KiB  
Article
Event-Focused Digital Control to Keep High Efficiency in a Wide Power Range in a SiC-Based Synchronous DC/DC Boost Converter
by María R. Rogina, Alberto Rodríguez, Aitor Vázquez, Diego G. Lamar and Marta M. Hernando
Electronics 2020, 9(12), 2154; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics9122154 - 16 Dec 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1799
Abstract
This paper is focused on the design of a control approach, based on the detection of events and changing between two different conduction modes, to reach high efficiency over the entire power range, especially at medium and low power levels. Although the proposed [...] Read more.
This paper is focused on the design of a control approach, based on the detection of events and changing between two different conduction modes, to reach high efficiency over the entire power range, especially at medium and low power levels. Although the proposed control strategy can be generalized for different topologies and specifications, in this paper, the strategy is validated in a SiC-based synchronous boost DC/DC converter rated for 400 V to 800 V and 10 kW. Evaluation of the power losses and current waveforms of the converter for different conduction modes and loads predicts suitable performance of quasi-square wave mode with zero voltage switching (QSW-ZVS) conduction mode for low and medium power and of continuous conduction Mode with hard switching (CCM-HS) for high power. Consequently, this paper proposes a control strategy, taking advantage of digital control, that allows automatic adjustment of the conduction mode to optimize the performance for different power ranges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies in Power Converters)
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22 pages, 7172 KiB  
Article
Comparative Performance and Assessment Study of a Current-Fed DC-DC Resonant Converter Combining Si, SiC, and GaN-Based Power Semiconductor Devices
by Oscar Miguel Rodríguez-Benítez, Mario Ponce-Silva, Juan Antonio Aquí-Tapia, Abraham Claudio-Sánchez, Luis Gerardo Vela-Váldes, Ricardo Eliu Lozoya-Ponce and Claudia Cortés-García
Electronics 2020, 9(11), 1982; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics9111982 - 23 Nov 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2211
Abstract
This paper focuses on the main reasons of low efficiency in a current-fed DC-DC resonant converter applied to photovoltaic (PV) isolated systems, comparing the effects derived by the overlapping time in the gate-signals (gate-source voltage) combining silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium [...] Read more.
This paper focuses on the main reasons of low efficiency in a current-fed DC-DC resonant converter applied to photovoltaic (PV) isolated systems, comparing the effects derived by the overlapping time in the gate-signals (gate-source voltage) combining silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium nitride (GaN)-based power devices. The results show that unidirectional switches (metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) plus diode) present hard switching as a result of the diode preventing the MOSFET capacitance of being discharged. The effectiveness of the converter was verified with a 200-W prototype with an input voltage range of 0–30.3 V, an output voltage of 200 V, and a switching frequency of 200 kHz. The reduction losses by applying GaN versus Si and SiC technologies are 66.49% and 53.57%, respectively. Alternatively, by applying SiC versus Si devices the reduction loss is 27.84%. Finally, according to the results, 60% of losses were caused by the diodes on both switches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies in Power Converters)
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