• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.835-845
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• 2019

This paper presents a robust-optimal control strategy to improve the output-voltage error-tracking and control capability of a DC-DC boost converter. The proposed strategy employs an optimized Fractional-order Proportional-Integral (FoPI) controller that serves to eliminate oscillations, overshoots, undershoots and steady-state fluctuations. In order to significantly improve the error convergence-rate during a transient response, the FoPI controller is augmented with a pre-stage nonlinear error-modulator. The modulator combines the variations in the error and error-derivative via the signed-distance method. Then it feeds the aggregated-signal to a smooth sigmoidal control surface constituting an optimized hyperbolic secant function. The error-derivative is evaluated by measuring the output-capacitor current in order to compensate the hysteresis effect rendered by the parasitic impedances. The resulting modulated-signal is fed to the FoPI controller. The fixed controller parameters are meta-heuristically selected via a Particle-Swarm-Optimization (PSO) algorithm. The proposed control scheme exhibits rapid transits with improved damping in its response which aids in efficiently rejecting external disturbances such as load-transients and input-fluctuations. The superior robustness and time-optimality of the proposed control strategy is validated via experimental results.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.1034-1044
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• 2019

In medium-voltage and high-voltage high-power converters, the switching devices need to operate at a low switching frequency to reduce power loss and increase the power capacity. This increases the delay of the signal sampling and PWM. It also makes the cross-couplings of the d-q current components more severe. In addition, the LCL filter has three cross-coupling loops and is prone to resonance. In order to solve these problems, this paper establishes a complex vector model of an LCL type grid-connected converter. Based on this model, two multiple decoupling current control strategies with passive damping / notch damping are proposed for the LCL type grid-connected converter. The proposed strategies can effectively eliminate the cross-couplings of the converter, achieve independent control of the d-q current components, expand the stable region and suppress the resonance of the LCL filter. Simulation and experimental results verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the feasibility of the proposed strategies.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.1054-1067
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• 2019

This paper systematically investigates the influence of device parameters spread on the current distribution of paralleled silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. First, a variation coefficient is introduced and used as the evaluating norm for the parameters spread. Then a sample of 30 SiC MOSFET devices from the same batch of a well-known company is selected and tested under the same conditions as those on datasheet. It is found that there is big difference among parameters spread. Furthermore, comprehensive theoretical and simulation analyses are carried out to study the sensitivity of the current imbalance to variations of the device parameters. Based on the concept of the control variable method, the influence of each device parameter on the steady-state and transient current distributions of paralleled SiC MOSFETs are verified separately by experiments. Finally, some screening suggestions of devices or chips before parallel-connection are provided in terms of different applications and different driver configurations.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.858-868
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• 2019

With the widespread use of modern clean energy, lithium-ion batteries have become essential as a more reliable energy storage component in the energy Internet. However, due to the difference in monomers, some of the battery over-charge or over-discharge in battery packs restrict their use. Therefore, a novel multiphase interleaved converter for reducing the inconsistencies of the individual cells in a battery pack is proposed in this paper. Based on the multiphase converter branches connected to each lithium battery, this circuit realizes energy transferred from any cell(s) to any other cell(s) complementarily. This flexible interlaced converter is composed of an improved bi-directional Buck-Boost circuit that is presented with its own available control method. A simulation model based on the PNGV model of fundamental equalization is built with four cells in PSIM. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that converter and its control achieve simple and fast equalization. Furthermore, a comparison of traditional methods and the HNFABC equalization is provided to show the performance of the converter and the control of lithium-based battery stacks.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.869-880
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• 2019

Due to the inherent feedforward of load current, capacitor current (CC) control shows a fast transient response that makes it suitable for the power supplies used in various portable electronic devices. However, considering the effect of the outer voltage loop, the stable range of the duty-cycle is significantly diminished in CC controlled buck converters. To investigate the stability effect of the outer voltage loop on buck converters, a CC controlled buck converter with a proportion-integral (PI) compensator is taken as an example, and its second-order discrete-time model is established. Based on this model, the instability caused by the duty-cycle is discussed with consideration of the outer voltage loop. Then the dynamical effects of the feedback gain of the PI compensator and the equivalent series resistance (ESR) of the output capacitor on the CC controlled buck converter with a PI compensator are studied. Furthermore, the design-oriented closed-loop stability criterion is derived. Finally, PSIM simulations and experimental results are supplied to verify the theoretical analyses.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.894-906
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• 2019

In this paper, a DC-DC converter is proposed based on the Cuk converter. The proposed converter has high efficiency and it can be used in multilevel DC-DC converters. A reduction of the inductors size in comparison to Cuk converter and a reduction in the inductors resistance negative effects on efficiency are the important points of the proposed converter. Its voltage ripple is reduced when compared to other converters. Its output voltage has a high quality and does not contain spikes. A theoretical analysis demonstrates the positive points of the proposed converter. The design and analysis of the converter are done in continues conduction mode (CCM). Experiments confirm the obtained theoretical equations. The proposed converter voltage gain is similar to that of a conventional Boost converter. As a result, they are compared. The comparison illustrates the advantages of the proposed converter and its higher quality. Furthermore, a prototype of the proposed converter and its combination with a 2x multiplier are built in the lab. Experimental results validate the analysis. In addition, they are in good agreements with each other.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.380-393
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• 2019

Traditional boost converters have difficulty realizing high efficiency and high voltage gain conversion due to 1) extremely large duty cycles, 2) high voltage and current stresses on devices, and 3) low conversion efficiency. Therefore, a function decoupling high voltage gain DC/DC converter composed of a DC transformer (DCX) and an auxiliary converter is proposed. The role of DCX is to realize fixed gain conversion with high efficiency, whereas the role of the auxiliary converter is to regulate the output voltage. In this study, different forms of combined high voltage gain converters are compared and analyzed, and a structure is selected for the function decoupling high voltage gain converter. Then, topologies and control strategies for the DCX and auxiliary converter are discussed. On the basis of the discussion, an optimal design method for circuit parameters is proposed, and design procedures for the DCX are described in detail. Finally, a 400 W experimental prototype based on the proposed optimal design method is built to verify the accuracy of the theoretical analysis. The measured maximum conversion efficiency at rated power is 95.56%.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.580-590
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• 2019

The concept of virtual synchronous generators (VSGs) is a valuable means for improving the frequency stability of microgrids (MGs). However, a great virtual inertia in a VSG's controller may cause power oscillation, thereby deteriorating system stability. In this study, a small-signal model of an MG with two paralleled VSGs is established, and a control strategy for maintaining a constant inertial time with an increasing active-frequency droop coefficient (m) is proposed on the basis of a root locus analysis. The power oscillation is suppressed by adjusting virtual synchronous reactance, damping coefficient, and load frequency coefficient under the same inertial time constant. In addition, the dynamic load distribution is sensitive to the controller parameters, especially under the parallel operation of VSGs with different capacities. Therefore, an active power increment method is introduced to improve the precision of active power sharing in dynamic response. Simulation and experimental is used to verify the theoretical analysis findings.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.211-219
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• 2019

In magnetically coupled resonant (MCR) wireless power transfer (WPT) systems, the introduction of additional intermediate coils is an effective means of improving transmission characteristics, including output power and transmission efficiency, when the transmission distance is increased. However, the position of intermediate coils in practice influences system performance significantly. In this research, a three-coil MCR WPT system is adopted as an exemplification for determining how the spatial position of coils affects transmission characteristics. With use of the fundamental harmonic analysis method, an equivalent circuit model of the system is built to reveal the relationship between the output power, the transmission efficiency, and the spatial scales, including the axial, lateral, and angular misalignments of the intermediate and receiving coils. Three cases of transmission characteristics versus different spatial scales are evaluated. Results indicate that the system can achieve relatively stable transmission characteristics with deliberate adjustments in the position of the intermediate and receiving coils. A prototype of the three-coil MCR WPT system is built and analyzed, and the experimental results are consistent with those of the theoretical analysis.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.288-295
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• 2019

Rectifiers are widely used in industrial applications. Although detailed models of rectifiers are usually used to evaluate their performance, they are complex and time-consuming. Therefore, the Average Value Model (AVM) has been introduced to meet the demand for a simple and accurate model. This type of rectifier modeling can be used to simplify the simulations of large systems. The AVM of diode rectifiers has been an area of interest for many electrical engineers. However, healthy diode rectifiers are only considered for average value modeling. By contrast, faults occur frequently on diodes, which eventually cause the diodes to open-circuit. Therefore, it is essential to model bridge rectifiers under this faulty condition. Indeed, conventional AVMs are not appropriate or accurate for faulty rectifiers. In addition, they are significantly different in modeling. In this paper, a novel application of the parametric average value of a three-phase line-commutated rectifier is proposed in which one diode of the rectifier is considered open-circuited. In order to evaluate the proposed AVM, it is compared with experimental and simulation results for the application of a brushless synchronous generator field. The results clearly demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed model.