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Power Electronic Circuits for Electric Drives and Renewable Energy Sources

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "F3: Power Electronics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 March 2022) | Viewed by 17826

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi", Campus Cesena, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Interests: power electronic circuits and power electronic converters for renewable energy sources and electrical drives; sustainability; electric vehicle chargers; WBG devices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Co-Guest Editor
Division of Electricity, Department of Electrical Engineering, Uppsala University, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
Interests: renewable energy; power system analysis; microgrids; energy storage; power electronics; electromobility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Co-Guest Editor
Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Interests: power electronics; power converters; electric vehicles; renewables; pulse-width-modulation; harmonic pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on “Power Electronic Circuits for Electric Drives and Renewable Energy Sources”.

Low-carbon and sustainable and green future goals push us to think outside the box and abandon the conventional power systems. The transition to fully renewable smart grids with a high penetration of power electronic converters will inevitably happen in the near future. In this scenario, efficiency and reliability are the keywords when considering the improvement of various energy generation technologies, such as wind, tidal, wave, photovoltaic, and power electronic interfaced loads. New advances in the materials of the power switching devices, new circuit topologies, and non-conventional converter layouts are some of the criteria for paper acceptance in this very broad Topical Issue.

This Special Issue aims to consolidate works on technological advances with performance and reliability optimization methods in the area of power electronics, connected to both renewable energy generation systems and renewable energy consumption.

Dr. Jelena Loncarski
Dr. Cecilia Boström
Mr. Riccardo Mandrioli
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

  • Innovative materials in power semiconductors
  • Improvements in converter design layout
  • Novel converter topologies, DC/DC and AC/DC, including multilevel and isolated topologies
  • Benchmarking of the efficiency improvement for converters facing renewable energy sources (RESs)
  • Efficiency and reliability issues in power converters facing electric drives, including both multiphase and multilevel inverters
  • Advances in modulation strategies and control techniques for performance and efficiency enhancement

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 180 KiB  
Editorial
Power Electronic Circuits for Electric Drives and Renewable Energy Sources
by Jelena Loncarski, Cecilia Boström and Riccardo Mandrioli
Energies 2022, 15(14), 5301; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15145301 - 21 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1253
Abstract
This Special Issue was intended to consolidate the most recent advances in the field of power electronics for renewable energy sources and electric drives [...] Full article

Research

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21 pages, 6097 KiB  
Article
High Efficiency Transformerless Photovoltaic DC/AC Converter with Common Mode Leakage Current Elimination: Analysis and Implementation
by Jorge Cardoso, Rodolfo Orosco, Nimrod Vazquez, Héctor López, Claudia Hernandez and Joaquin Vaquero
Energies 2022, 15(9), 3177; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15093177 - 27 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1742
Abstract
Photovoltaic (PV) electricity is widely used because of its positive environmental impact. To properly feed this energy into the grid, an electronic power converter, known as a PV inverter, is needed, which may or may not use a transformer. This article details the [...] Read more.
Photovoltaic (PV) electricity is widely used because of its positive environmental impact. To properly feed this energy into the grid, an electronic power converter, known as a PV inverter, is needed, which may or may not use a transformer. This article details the analysis and design of a transformerless photovoltaic inverter topology for grid-connected applications. This converter offers high efficiency, a low number of elements, and negligible leakage current, which makes it a good alternative for this application. The converter has been validated through an experimental prototype and compared with other topologies with similar characteristics. Full article
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11 pages, 4796 KiB  
Article
Design of a Step-Up DC–DC Converter for Standalone Photovoltaic Systems with Battery Energy Storages
by Yun-Gyeong Oh, Woo-Young Choi and Jung-Min Kwon
Energies 2022, 15(1), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15010044 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3140
Abstract
This paper proposes a step-up DC–DC converter for a power electronic circuit for standalone photovoltaic systems with battery energy storages. The proposed DC–DC converter effectively converts low DC battery voltage into high DC-link voltage. It operates with soft-switching characteristics, which can reduce switching [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a step-up DC–DC converter for a power electronic circuit for standalone photovoltaic systems with battery energy storages. The proposed DC–DC converter effectively converts low DC battery voltage into high DC-link voltage. It operates with soft-switching characteristics, which can reduce switching power losses. The proposed converter operates without output voltage feedback, which simplifies its control design. The operation principle of the proposed converter was described, along with the overall system configuration. The experimental results were discussed for the 500-W prototype system using a 12-V lead-acid battery. Full article
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23 pages, 11721 KiB  
Article
A Hybrid–Electric Driveline for Agricultural Tractors Based on an e-CVT Power-Split Transmission
by Claudio Rossi, Davide Pontara, Carlo Falcomer, Marco Bertoldi and Riccardo Mandrioli
Energies 2021, 14(21), 6912; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14216912 - 21 Oct 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2943
Abstract
This paper proposes a full-hybrid driveline based on an electric continuously variable transmission (e-CVT), which is inspired by the car industry’s most successful solution. The paper describes the operating principle, the system architecture, and the control scheme of the proposed driveline. An analysis [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a full-hybrid driveline based on an electric continuously variable transmission (e-CVT), which is inspired by the car industry’s most successful solution. The paper describes the operating principle, the system architecture, and the control scheme of the proposed driveline. An analysis of four possible operating modes shows that the e-CVT driveline leads to a performance similar to that of conventional tractors, as well as unusual features such as power boost, full-electric mode, optimized auxiliary drive and electric power delivery capability. The compact layout proposed for the e-CVT also makes it possible to simplify the overall layout of the tractor, particularly during the installation of both the thermal engine and the cooling system. Full article
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21 pages, 13872 KiB  
Article
Asymmetric Multilevel Inverter Topology and Its Fault Management Strategy for High-Reliability Applications
by Mohammad Fahad, Mohd Tariq, Adil Sarwar, Mohammad Modabbir, Mohd Aman Zaid, Kuntal Satpathi, MD Reyaz Hussan, Mohammad Tayyab, Basem Alamri and Ahmad Alahmadi
Energies 2021, 14(14), 4302; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14144302 - 16 Jul 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2646
Abstract
As the applications of power electronic converters increase across multiple domains, so do the associated challenges. With multilevel inverters (MLIs) being one of the key technologies used in renewable systems and electrification, their reliability and fault ride-through capabilities are highly desirable. While using [...] Read more.
As the applications of power electronic converters increase across multiple domains, so do the associated challenges. With multilevel inverters (MLIs) being one of the key technologies used in renewable systems and electrification, their reliability and fault ride-through capabilities are highly desirable. While using a large number of semiconductor components that are the leading cause of failures in power electronics systems, fault tolerance against switch open-circuit faults is necessary, especially in remote applications with substantial maintenance penalties or safety-critical operation. In this paper, a fault-tolerant asymmetric reduced device count multilevel inverter topology producing an 11-level output under healthy conditions and capable of operating after open-circuit fault in any switch is presented. Nearest-level control (NLC) based Pulse width modulation is implemented and is updated post-fault to continue operation at an acceptable power quality. Reliability analysis of the structure is carried out to assess the benefits of fault tolerance. The topology is compared with various fault-tolerant topologies discussed in the recent literature. Moreover, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based fault detection method is proposed as a machine learning classification problem using decision trees. The fault detection method is successful in detecting fault location with low computational requirements and desirable accuracy. Full article
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18 pages, 1802 KiB  
Article
Non-Integer Order Approximation of a PID-Type Controller for Boost Converters
by Allan G. S. Sánchez, Francisco J. Pérez-Pinal, Martín A. Rodríguez-Licea and Cornelio Posadas-Castillo
Energies 2021, 14(11), 3153; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14113153 - 28 May 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1814
Abstract
In this work, the voltage regulation of a boost converter is addressed. A non-integer order PID controller is proposed to deal with the closed-loop instability of the system. The average linear model of the converter is obtained through small-signal approximation. The resulting average [...] Read more.
In this work, the voltage regulation of a boost converter is addressed. A non-integer order PID controller is proposed to deal with the closed-loop instability of the system. The average linear model of the converter is obtained through small-signal approximation. The resulting average linear model is considered divided into minimum and normalized non-minimum phase parts. This approach allows us to design a controller for the minimum phase part of the system, excluding temporarily the non-minimum phase one. A fractional-order PID controller approximation is suggested for the minimum phase part of the system. The proposal for the realization of the electrical controller is described and its implementation is used to corroborate its effectiveness when regulating the output voltage in the boost converter. The fractional-order PID approximation achieves regulation of the output voltage in the boost converter by exhibiting the iso-damping property and using a single control loop, which confirmed its effectiveness in terms of controlling non-minimum phase/variable parameter systems. Full article
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Review

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30 pages, 2132 KiB  
Review
Impact of PWM Voltage Waveforms in High-Speed Drives: A Survey on High-Frequency Motor Models and Partial Discharge Phenomenon
by Davide D’Amato, Jelena Loncarski, Vito Giuseppe Monopoli, Francesco Cupertino, Luigi Pio Di Noia and Andrea Del Pizzo
Energies 2022, 15(4), 1406; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15041406 - 15 Feb 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3125
Abstract
The insulation system’s dielectric of the electric motor is very often subjected to severe electrical stress generated by the high dv/dt seen at the machine’s terminals. The electrical stress and high reflected wave transient overvoltage are even more evident [...] Read more.
The insulation system’s dielectric of the electric motor is very often subjected to severe electrical stress generated by the high dv/dt seen at the machine’s terminals. The electrical stress and high reflected wave transient overvoltage are even more evident in case of high-speed machines fed by high-frequency (HF) converters featuring very fast wide-bandgap devices. They are promoting the occurrence of partial discharges and consequently accelerate ageing. As this is serious issue and the main cause of the drive failure, it is important to analyse and characterise the surges at the motor terminals. Several HF models of motors have been proposed in the literature for this purpose. This article presents a survey on HF motor models, which is crucial in understanding and studying the most critical parameter identification and overvoltage mitigation techniques. Moreover, it offers a comparison of the models’ main features as well as a comparison with the experimental voltage waveform at motor terminals. A general overview of the partial discharge (PD) phenomenon is also provided, as it is favoured by HF operation and together with HF motor modelling provides key insights to the insulation ageing issue. In particular, an analysis of the effects of PWM waveform affecting insulation is given, as well as useful methods for developing strategies for the inspection and maintenance of winding insulation. Full article
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