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Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "F: Electrical Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 25094

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Adolfo Dannier

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Guest Editor

Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, University of naples Federico II, 80125 Napoli, Italy
Interests: high-performance dynamic drives with PM motors; power electronic converters; fault tolerance in multilevel converters; power electronic transformer (PET); energy storage for the integration of renewable energy sources and recharge station for electric vehicles
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Prof. Dr. Gianluca Brando

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Guest Editor

Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: multilevel diode clamped converters and hybrid-based modulation balancing strategies; multilevel modular converters and harmonic-based balancing strategies; multiphase converters; multiphase electrical pm synchronous machines and inherent MTPA strategies; multiphase induction machines and inherent MTPA strategies; modulation strategies for multilevel modular converters supplied by electrical storage; multimotor/single-inverter electrical drives and inherent MTPA strategies
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Dr. Marino Coppola

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Guest Editor

Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, University of Napoli Federico II, 80125 Napoli, Italy
Interests: design and control of power converters for photovoltaics and distributed power generation systems; integration of renewable energy resources in electrical systems; modulation of multilevel converters; design and control of high efficiency DC–DC converters; design of digital circuits on FPGA
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Guest Editor is inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on the subject area of “Power Converters for Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation”. Power converters and electric machines for industrial applications are widely disseminated and tested because they allow high versatility and high efficiency. This know-how represents an excellent starting point, but it cannot be traded in renewable and transport applications, where performance, variable operating conditions, and reliability issues are mandatory constraints. Converter design and control are critical as they are evolving into an essential component to interface and integrate different power systems. Therefore, in this evolution, power converter topology and technology play an enabling role in the advancements of electric machine performance, renewable energy integration, and emerging transport applications. As a consequence, it is necessary to develop innovative systems especially “devoted” to the application under study. This Special Issue serves to address the present challenging issues with design and control techniques for power converters and electric machines. Topics of interest for publication include but are not limited to:

Power converters for electric machines;
Power systems for renewable energy resources;
Drives for transportation;
Variable speed drives;
Modeling and design of electric machines;
Doubly-fed induction generator;
Energy storage systems;
Power electronics modulation, control and optimization.

Prof. Dr. Adolfo Dannier
Prof. Dr. Gianluca Brando
Dr. Marino Coppola
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. Energies 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 2600 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

Power converters
Electric machines
Electric drives for transportation
Power systems for renewable energy
Power generation
Energy storage system
Control of power electronics
Distributed power generation systems

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 169 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Special Issue on Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation

by Adolfo Dannier, Gianluca Brando and Marino Coppola

Energies 2022, 15(3), 853; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15030853 - 25 Jan 2022

Viewed by 1652

Abstract

Nowadays, energy is becoming more electrical in each field of engineering application, thus power converters have assumed an increasingly relevant role for electrical machines, renewable energy and transportation systems [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation)

Research

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14 pages, 19528 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrochemical Cell Loss Minimization in Modular Multilevel Converters Based on Half-Bridge Modules

by Gianluca Brando, Efstratios Chatzinikolaou, Dan Rogers and Ivan Spina

Energies 2021, 14(5), 1359; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14051359 - 02 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1492

Abstract

In the developing context of distributed generation and flexible smart grids, in order to realize electrochemical storage systems, Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) represent an interesting alternative to the more traditional Voltage Source Inverters (VSIs). This paper presents a novel analytical investigation of electrochemical cell power losses in MMCs and their dependence on the injected common mode voltage. Steady-state cell losses are calculated under Nearest Level Control (NLC) modulation for MMCs equipped with a large number of half-bridge modules, each directly connected to an elementary electrochemical cell. The total cell losses of both a Single Star MMC (SS-MMC) and a Double Star MMC (DS MMC) are derived and compared to the loss of a VSI working under the same conditions. An optimum common mode voltage injection law is developed, leading to the minimum cell losses possible. In the worst case, it achieves a 17.5% reduction in cell losses compared to conventional injection laws. The analysis is experimentally validated using a laboratory prototype set-up based on a two-arm SS-MMC with 12 modules per arm. The experimental results are within 2.5% of the analytical models for all cases considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation)

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13 pages, 5797 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance Analysis of a Full Order Sensorless Control Adaptive Observer for Doubly-Fed Induction Generator in Grid Connected Operation

by Gianluca Brando, Adolfo Dannier and Ivan Spina

Energies 2021, 14(5), 1254; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14051254 - 25 Feb 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 1624

Abstract

This paper focuses on the performance analysis of a sensorless control for a Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) in grid-connected operation for turbine-based wind generation systems. With reference to a conventional stator flux based Field Oriented Control (FOC), a full-order adaptive observer is implemented and a criterion to calculate the observer gain matrix is provided. The observer provides the estimated stator flux and an estimation of the rotor position is also obtained through the measurements of stator and rotor phase currents. Due to parameter inaccuracy, the rotor position estimation is affected by an error. As a novelty of the discussed approach, the rotor position estimation error is considered as an additional machine parameter, and an error tracking procedure is envisioned in order to track the DFIG rotor position with better accuracy. In particular, an adaptive law based on the Lyapunov theory is implemented for the tracking of the rotor position estimation error, and a current injection strategy is developed in order to ensure the necessary tracking sensitivity around zero rotor voltages. The roughly evaluated rotor position can be corrected by means of the tracked rotor position estimation error, so that the corrected rotor position is sent to the FOC for the necessary rotating coordinate transformation. An extensive experimental analysis is carried out on an 11 kW, 4 poles, 400 V/50 Hz induction machine testifying the quality of the sensorless control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation)

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22 pages, 8046 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adaptive Fuzzy Approximation Control of PV Grid-Connected Inverters

by Myada Shadoul, Hassan Yousef, Rashid Al Abri and Amer Al-Hinai

Energies 2021, 14(4), 942; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14040942 - 11 Feb 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2207

Abstract

Three-phase inverters are widely used in grid-connected renewable energy systems. This paper presents a new control methodology for grid-connected inverters using an adaptive fuzzy control (AFC) technique. The implementation of the proposed controller does not need prior knowledge of the system mathematical model. The capabilities of the fuzzy system in approximating the nonlinear functions of the grid-connected inverter system are exploited to design the controller. The proposed controller is capable to achieve the control objectives in the presence of both parametric and modelling uncertainties. The control objectives are to regulate the grid power factor and the dc output voltage of the photovoltaic systems. The closed-loop system stability and the updating laws of the controller parameters are determined via Lyapunov analysis. The proposed controller is simulated under different system disturbances, parameters, and modelling uncertainties to validate the effectiveness of the designed controller. For evaluation, the proposed controller is compared with conventional proportional-integral (PI) controller and Takagi–Sugeno–Kang-type probabilistic fuzzy neural network controller (TSKPFNN). The results demonstrated that the proposed AFC showed better performance in terms of response and reduced fluctuations compared to conventional PI controllers and TSKPFNN controllers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation)

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20 pages, 6900 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conceptual Study of Vernier Generator and Rectifier Association for Low Power Wind Energy Systems

by Philippe Enrici, Ivan Meny and Daniel Matt

Energies 2021, 14(3), 666; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14030666 - 28 Jan 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1714

Abstract

In this paper, we study a wind energy conversion system designed for domestic use in urban or agricultural areas. We first present the turbine, which was specifically designed to be installed on the buildings that it supplies. Based on turbine characteristics, we perform analytical sizing of a Permanent Magnet Vernier Machine (PMVM), which will be used as a generator in our energy conversion system. We show the influence of this generator on system operation by studying its association with a PWM rectifier and with a diode bridge rectifier. We then seek to improve generator design so that the turbine operates closely to maximum power points, while using a simple and robust energy conversion system. We use simulation to show the improvements achieved by taking into account the entire energy conversion system during machine design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation)

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25 pages, 12899 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fractional-Order Control of Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System Based on Synergetic and Sliding Mode Controllers

by Marcel Nicola and Claudiu-Ionel Nicola

Energies 2021, 14(2), 510; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14020510 - 19 Jan 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2292

Abstract

Starting with the problem of connecting the photovoltaic (PV) system to the main grid, this article presents the control of a grid-connected PV system using fractional-order (FO) sliding mode control (SMC) and FO-synergetic controllers. The article presents the mathematical model of a PV system connected to the main grid together with the chain of intermediate elements and their control systems. To obtain a control system with superior performance, the robustness and superior performance of an SMC-type controller for the control of the u_dc voltage in the DC intermediate circuit are combined with the advantages provided by the flexibility of using synergetic control for the control of currents i_d and i_q. In addition, these control techniques are suitable for the control of nonlinear systems, and it is not necessary to linearize the controlled system around a static operating point; thus, the control system achieved is robust to parametric variations and provides the required static and dynamic performance. Further, by approaching the synthesis of these controllers using the fractional calculus for integration operators and differentiation operators, this article proposes a control system based on an FO-SMC controller combined with FO-synergetic controllers. The validation of the synthesis of the proposed control system is achieved through numerical simulations performed in Matlab/Simulink and by comparing it with a benchmark for the control of a grid-connected PV system implemented in Matlab/Simulink. Superior results of the proposed control system are obtained compared to other types of control algorithms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation)

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20 pages, 6291 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variable-Gain Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Damping Control of Series-Compensated DFIG-Based Wind Power System for SSCI Mitigation

by Ronglin Ma, Yaozhen Han and Weigang Pan

Energies 2021, 14(2), 382; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14020382 - 12 Jan 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2000

Abstract

Subsynchronous oscillation, caused by the interaction between the rotor side converter (RSC) control of the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) and series-compensated transmission line, is an alleged subsynchronous control interaction (SSCI). SSCI can cause DFIGs to go offline and crowbar circuit breakdown, and then deteriorate power system stability. This paper proposes a novel adaptive super-twisting sliding mode SSCI mitigation method for series-compensated DFIG-based wind power systems. Rotor currents were constrained to track the reference values which are determined by maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and reactive power demand. Super-twisting control laws were designed to generate RSC control signals. True adaptive and non-overestimated control gains were conceived with the aid of barrier function, without need of upper bound of uncertainty derivatives. Stability proof of the studied closed-loop power system was demonstrated in detail with the help of the Lyapunov method. Time-domain simulation for 100 MW aggregated DFIG wind farm was executed on MATLAB/Simulink platform. Some comparative simulation results with conventional PI control, partial feedback linearization control, and first-order sliding mode were also obtained, which verify the validity, robustness, and superiority of the proposed control strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation)

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18 pages, 12554 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Real-Time Digital Twin of a Wound Rotor Induction Machine Based on Finite Element Method

by Sami Bouzid, Philippe Viarouge and Jérôme Cros

Energies 2020, 13(20), 5413; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en13205413 - 16 Oct 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3230

Abstract

Monitoring and early fault prediction of large electrical machines is important to maintain a sustainable and safe power system. With the ever-increasing computational power of modern processors, real-time simulation based monitoring of electrical machines is becoming a topic of interest. This work describes the development of a real-time digital twin (RTDT) of a wound rotor induction machine (WRIM) using a precomputed finite element model fed with online measurements. It computes accurate outputs in real-time of electromagnetic quantities otherwise difficult to measure such as local magnetic flux, current in bars and torque. In addition, it considers space harmonics, magnetic imbalance and fault conditions. The development process of the RTDT is described thoroughly and outputs are compared in real-time to measurements taken from the actual machine in rotation. Results show that they are accurate with harmonic content respected. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation)

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28 pages, 8747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hybrid Multimodule DC-DC Converters for Ultrafast Electric Vehicle Chargers

by Mena ElMenshawy and Ahmed Massoud

Energies 2020, 13(18), 4949; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en13184949 - 21 Sep 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2128

Abstract

To increase the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), significant efforts in terms of reducing the charging time are required. Consequently, ultrafast charging (UFC) stations require extensive investigation, particularly considering their higher power level requirements. Accordingly, this paper introduces a hybrid multimodule DC-DC converter-based dual-active bridge (DAB) topology for EV-UFC to achieve high-efficiency and high-power density. The hybrid concept is achieved through employing two different groups of multimodule converters. The first is designed to be in charge of a high fraction of the total required power, operating at a relatively low switching frequency, while the second is designed for a small fraction of the total power, operating at a relatively high switching frequency. To support the power converter controller design, a generalized small-signal model for the hybrid converter is studied. Also, cross feedback output current sharing (CFOCS) control for the hybrid input-series output-parallel (ISOP) converters is examined to ensure uniform power-sharing and ensure the desired fraction of power handled by each multimodule group. The control scheme for a hybrid eight-module ISOP converter of 200 kW is investigated using a reflex charging scheme. The power loss analysis of the hybrid converter is provided and compared to conventional multimodule DC-DC converters. It has been shown that the presented converter can achieve both high efficiency (

99.6 %)

and high power density (10.3 kW/L), compromising between the two other conventional converters. Simulation results are provided using the MatLab/Simulink software to elucidate the presented concept considering parameter mismatches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation)

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18 pages, 5886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Control of a Fault-Tolerant Photovoltaic Energy Converter in Island Operation

by Marino Coppola, Pierluigi Guerriero, Adolfo Dannier, Santolo Daliento, Davide Lauria and Andrea Del Pizzo

Energies 2020, 13(12), 3201; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en13123201 - 19 Jun 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1855

Abstract

The paper deals with design and control of a fault tolerant and reconfigurable photovoltaic converter integrating a Battery Energy Storage System as a standby backup energy resource. When a failure occurs, an appropriate control method makes the energy conversion system capable of operating in open-delta configuration in parallel with the grid as well as in islanded mode. In case network voltage is lacking due to heavy anomalies or maintenance reasons, the proposed control system is able to quickly disconnect the inverter from the grid while ensuring the energy continuity to the local load and the emergency fixtures by means of the integrated battery packs. In particular, the paper proposes a fast islanding detection method essential for the correct operation of the control system. This specific technique is based on the Hilbert transform of the voltage of the point of common coupling, and it identifies the utility lack in a period of time equal to half a grid cycle in the best case (i.e., 10 ms), thus resulting in good speed performance fully meeting the standard requirements. A thorough numerical investigation is carried out with reference to a representative case study in order to demonstrate the feasibility and the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation)

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Review

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26 pages, 788 KiB

Open AccessReview

Transformerless Multilevel Voltage-Source Inverter Topology Comparative Study for PV Systems

by Adyr A. Estévez-Bén, Alfredo Alvarez-Diazcomas and Juvenal Rodríguez-Reséndiz

Energies 2020, 13(12), 3261; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en13123261 - 24 Jun 2020

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3333

Abstract

At present, renewable energies represent 25% of the global power generation capacity. The increase in clean energy facilities is mainly due to the high levels of pollution generated by the burning of fossil fuels to satisfy the growing electricity demand. The global capacity of generating electricity from solar energy has experienced a significant increase, reaching 505 GW in 2018. Today, multilevel inverters are used in PV systems to convert direct current into alternating current. However, the use of multilevel inverters in renewable energies applications presents different challenges; for example, grid-connected systems use a transformer to avoid the presence of leakage currents. The grid-connected systems must meet at least two international standards analyzed in this work: VDE 0126-1-1 and VDE-AR-N 4105, which establish a maximum leakage current of 300 mA and harmonic distortion maximum of 5%. Previously, DC/AC converters have been studied in different industrial applications. The state-of-the-art presented in the work is due to the growing need for a greater use of clean energy and the use of inverters as an interface between these technologies and the grid. Also, the paper presents a comparative analysis of the main multilevel inverter voltage-source topologies used in transformerless PV systems. In each scheme, the advantages and disadvantages are presented, as well as the main challenges. In addition, current trends in grid-connected systems using these schemes are discussed. Finally, a comparative table based on input voltage, switching frequency, output levels, control strategy used, efficiency, and leakage current is shown. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Converter of Electric Machines, Renewable Energy Systems, and Transportation)

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