Design and experimental characterization of a low-cost, real-time, wireless AC monitoring system based on ATmega 328P-PU microcontroller

2015

This paper describes the development and experimental characterization of a real-time, low-cost, wireless AC monitoring system based on ATmega 328P-PU microcontroller. The proposed system is composed by a main brain for the acquisition and the processing of the data measured by smart meters. From the experimental tests discussed in this work it is demonstrated that the proposed system can monitor, with adequate accuracy, the working cycles of electrical loads in order to evaluate its energy consumption.

High-Speed Machines: Typologies, Standards, and Operation under PWM Supply

2018

This paper presents an overview of the most recent state of the art in the field of high-speed electric machines fed through high-frequency converters. This type of systems is rapidly wide spreading in aeronautical and automotive applications, as well as microturbines. Each typology has its own advantages and downsides, which are analytically presented in this paper. Some types of high-speed electric machines require high-frequency voltage supply, highly stressing the dielectric materials of the winding insulation system. For this reason, in high-speed electric drives, premature failure may occur and a reduction of the total system reliability has been observed in the past years. Such issue…

Experimental Validation of Maximum Constant Boost Control and Switching Frequency Optimal for three-phase Quasi-Z-Source Converters

2020

This paper presents a modified modulation scheme for quasi-Z-Source converters, based on the Maximum Constant Boost Control (MCBC) concept and Switching Frequency Optimal (SFO) as reference signal. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is validated by comparing the obtained results (in terms of AC harmonic content and voltage stress) with those carried out from traditional modulation schemes. For this reason, a test bench has been assembled and the benefits of the SFO MCBC modulation scheme have been valuated.

Comparison between Different Dynamic Reconfigurations of Electrical Connections for partially shaded PV Modules

2018

This paper presents an economical investigation on the benefits related to the employment of reconfiguration systems for photovoltaic plants. More in detail, different structures of reconfigurators are proposed and, in order to evaluate the economical convenience on their installation, the Net Present Value is used as a validation element. Significant results are carried out from the proposed analysis.

A Low-cost, Real-time Monitoring System for PV Plants based on ATmega 328P-PU Microcontroller

2015

This paper presents a real-time monitoring system for PV power plants based on a microcontroller Atmega328P-PU. The proposed system, whose performances can be relatively close to those achieved with commercial monitoring systems, is simple, low-cost and open source technology-based. In addition, a user interface, capable to communicate through a wireless network by using a standard communication protocol IEEE 802.15.1, is here presented. From the experimental tests described and discussed in this paper it is demonstrated that the proposed monitoring system provides, with adequate accuracy, all the information about the operating status of the PV plant, even during fault conditions.

Different scenarios of electric mobility: Current situation and possible future developments of fuel cell vehicles in Italy

2020

The diffusion of electric vehicles in Italy has started but some complications weight its spread. At present, hybrid technology is the most followed by users, due particularly to socioeconomic factors such as cost of investment and range anxiety. After a deep discussion of the Italian scenario, the aim of the paper is to recognize whether fuel cell technology may be an enabling solution to overcome pollution problems and respect for the environment. The opportunity to use fuel cells to store electric energy is quite fascinating&mdash

Design and simulation of a fast DC recharging station for EV

2017

In this paper a detailed description of the design and simulation of a DC ultra-fast recharging station for Electric Vehicles is carried out. The system consist of a single AC/DC grid connected inverter, a DC-Bus and two DC/DC converter to recharge the batteries of the EVs. The system also has the vehicleto- grid (V2G) capability. The design of the components of the system and the control schemes are explained and a simulation of the system, performed in Matlab/Simulink environment is presented.

Electric Vehicles and Psychology, Part 2

2021

This paper presents the main psychological attitudes influencing the transition from conventional ICEV to BEV, and it is the continuance of Electric vehicles and psychology, part 1, [1]. This part faces the range anxiety problem, the risk of explosion of batteries, the autonomous silver vehicles and the experience of driving electric vehicles. If the reader is looking for simple answers, the author does not recommend the subsequent reading, since few paradoxes will be solved.

Enhanced Modelling for Extended Performance Analysis of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine Drive fed with Cascaded H-Bridges Multilevel In…

2021

This paper presents a comparative simulation analysis of an Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (IPMSM) performance once fed by a traditional three-phase two-level inverter and then using a three-phase five-level Cascaded H-Bridges Multilevel Inverter (CHBMI). For this purpose, an enhanced mathematical model of the IPMSM, that take into account simultaneously saturation, cross-coupling, spatial harmonics and iron loss effects, has been employed. Furthermore, two different PWM modulation strategies have been considered. The study was conducted for several working conditions, evaluating the impact of CHBMI adoption on the IPMSM performance in terms of improved efficiency and torque …

Experimental Prototyping of a Microgrid with Mechanical Point of Common Coupling

2020

The smartgrid is a key technology for the sustainable and smart utilization of the renewable energies. In this paper, a prototyping of a microgrid, assembled at the Sustainable Development and Energy Saving Laboratory (SDESLAB) of the University of Palermo, is presented and discussed. In detail, the microgrid presents only one mechanical point of common coupling (PCC) with the main grid and it is electrically separated from the main grid. In this way, the voltage variations of the main grid do not affect the microgrid electric quantities behavior. In order to validate the effectiveness of the voltage and frequency control, several experimental tests and analysis have been carried out. In de…

Performance Comparison of modified modulation Techniques for Quasi-Z-Source Converters

2020

The single-stage converters represent an innovation in the field of power electronics thanks their features. Aim of this work consists in the improvement of the performances of quasi-Z-Source converters by adopting a modified modulation technique, which is based on the Maximum Constant Boost Control (MCBC) and Switching Frequency Optimal (SFO). The results in terms of voltage stress and harmonic content are compared with those obtained with conventional techniques, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed modulation scheme.

Economic benefits of the use of a PV plants reconfiguration systems

2015

This paper shows the economic convenience of the application of a reconfiguration system for photovoltaic plants, considering the incentives system in different Countries. The reconfiguration is an alternative to the Distributed Maximum Power Point Tracking, DMPPT, technique used to overcome the mismatch problem in Photovoltaic, PV, plants. The reconfiguration techniques employ a microprocessor-based system that modifies the layout of the PV plant by physically changing the connections among modules. After having presented the working principle of the PV reconfiguration system allowing the improvement of the efficiency of the same plant and the relevant installation, the main strength and w…

Selective Harmonic Elimination in a 5-Level Single Phase Converter with FPGA Based Controller

2018

Multilevel converters are becoming popular in high-power applications such as motor drives, renewable energy systems and distribution systems. Among all modulation techniques, selective harmonic elimination methods offer high quality voltage waveforms with operations at low switching frequency, hence, they are especially suitable for high-power applications. In this paper, a new analytical expression for the SHE problem formulated for a five-level converter is introduced, which is able to calculate the exact value of the switching angles. After a mathematical description of the proposed approach, this manuscript reports simulation and experimental results and analysis showing achievable res…

Experimental Investigation on the Performances of a Multilevel Inverter Using a Field Programmable Gate Array-Based Control System

2019

The Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) represents a valid solution for the design of control systems for inverters adopted in many industry applications, because of both its high flexibility of use and its high-performance with respect to other types of digital controllers. In this context, this paper presents an experimental investigation on the harmonic content of the voltages produced by a three-phase, five level cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel inverter with an FPGA-based control board, aiming also to evaluate the performance of the FPGA through the implementation of the main common modulation techniques and the comparison between simulation and experimental results. The control algorithm…

Local DoS applications with micro wind generation systems

2015

In this paper a wind electrical power generation system for Distributed on Site (DoS) applications is proposed. This system was developed and conceived in order to guarantee simple installation, use and service, obtaining a product that can be easily industrialized and put into the market with limited costs. The field of application of such an electrical generation system is addressed towards domestic or at the most toward condominium applications concerning moreover the opportunity of working in addition to combined photovoltaic and solar-thermal systems to enhance the renewable energy generation at house level (DoS). The proposed system has its hot spot in the blades shape, in the wind fl…

Experimental investigation on different rainfall energy harvesting structures

2018

In this paper proposes an experimental comparison between different rainfall harvesting devices and the study of the corresponding electrical rectifying circuit. More in detail, three harvesting structures are considered: the cantilever, the bridge and the floating circle. For each of the proposed structure, different waveforms have been acquired and discussed. The processed data have been compared in order to suggest the best choice for the rectifying circuit, from the simplest one to the most endorsed in the technical literature.

Modelling, simulation and characterization of Li-Ion battery cell

2019

The decarbonizing process of the transportation system and the spread of unplanned renewables energy source, such as photovoltaic and wind energies, brought the constant need of ever more efficient energy storage technologies. Among these technologies, batteries, particularly the li-ion chemistry, are widely used in automotive and energy storage applications. For an optimized management of the cell it is advisable to have models that can accurately describe cell behaviour. In this paper a battery model for performance simulation in automotive application is identified. The main shapes of battery cells with their own advantages and disadvantages are shown, and a roundup of the best available…

A Novel Symmetrical Boost Modulation Method for qZS-based CHB Inverters

2020

Quasi-Z-source cascaded H-bridge (qZS-CHB) inverters are arising as an innovation in the field of the electrical conversion for PV applications. This type of converters inherit the advantages of multilevel inverters and single-stage configuration. In this context, this paper proposes a novel symmetrical boost modulation strategy for qZS CHB multilevel inverters to increase the performance in terms of voltage stresses and power quality. The novelty lies in the adoption of a different concept to generate the shoot-through states compared to the traditional methods. Simulation analysis in a grid connected application to evaluate the benefits of this boost method is performed in the MATLAB/PLEC…

New approach for harmonic mitigation in single-phase five-level CHBMI with fundamental frequency switching

2017

The main objective of this paper is to study and analyse the voltage output waveform of a multilevel inverter, to suggest a new approach for harmonic mitigation improving the converter performance. These last type of converters represent a new technology in the field of DC/AC electrical energy conversion, presenting advantages respect to the traditional converters. In fact, the multilevel power converters present a low harmonic content and a high voltage level. The paper considers a five-level single-phase cascaded H-bridge inverter and fundamental frequency modulation techniques. The voltage waveform analysis has allowed to identify a working area of the converter where there are lowest va…

Switching Frequency Effects on the Efficiency and Harmonic Distortion in a Three-Phase Five-Level CHBMI Prototype with Multicarrier PWM Schemes: Expe…

2022

The current climatic scenario requires the use of innovative solutions to increase the production of electricity from renewable energy sources. Multilevel Power Inverters are a promising solution to improve the penetration of renewable energy sources into the electrical grid. Moreover, the performance of MPIs is a function of the modulation strategy employed and of its features (modulation index and switching frequency). This paper presents an extended and experimental analysis of three-phase five-level Cascaded H-Bridges Multilevel Inverter performance in terms of efficiency and harmonic content considering several MC PWM modulation strategies. In detail, the CHBMI performance is analyzed …

Finite-Difference Time-Domain Simulation of Tower and Grounding Subjected to Lightning

2015

In this paper the behavior of a tower and its grounding system, subjected to a lightning, is faced. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) method has been chosen in order to study the non-linear time domain behavior of the system. The electromagnetic problem has been described by using two type of first order time derivative equations: Maxwell's equations and Telegraph equations. Aim of this work is to evaluate the possibility of a flashover between tower and power line, by considering different cases of study.

Survey on power increase of power by employment of PV reconfigurator

2015

This paper shows the performance of a PV system under shadow projection on PV panels. The reconfiguration techniques, employing a microprocessor-based system, modifies the layout of the PV plant by physically changing the connections among modules, in order to recover the loss of power due to the shadows. Different cases have been considered to evaluate the increase of power.

Field Oriented Control of IPMSM Fed by Multilevel Cascaded H-Bridges Inverter with NI-SOM sbRIO-9651 FPGA controller

2022

Electrical drives fed by Multilevel Inverters (MIs) are of considerable interest for traction and e-mobility applications. In detail, Cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel Inverter (CHBMI) is a promising solution for electrical drive optimization purposes in terms of efficiency, safety, integration and flexible use of energy sources. The aim of this paper is the experimental implementation of the field-oriented control strategy of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (IPMSM) fed by CHBMI by use of NI-SOM sbrRIO-9651 FPGA controller. This FPGA controller can be programmable in the LabVIEW programming environment with the consequent benefits of graphical programming. The paper address the acq…

Forecasts on the development of hydrogen refuelling infrastructures in Portugal

2021

In Portugal, the transition to new forms of mobility has begun in recent years, but there are still obstacles to overcome. Currently, hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) are the most widespread and accepted by the community and that is probably due to range anxiety, having in fact the possibility of double charging (both through the thermal engine and the electric battery). Furthermore, it must be considered that in addition to electric vehicles, another valid alternative to mobility in the near future is the hydrogen vehicles one. These appear to be even more sustainable from the point of view of air emissions, but on the other hand the costs for the production of hydrogen are still too high. Then, th…

Forecasting the diffusion of hydrogen EV refuelling infrastructures in Italy

2019

In Italy the electric vehicle revolution is arrived but it still has difficulties to take off. At the moment hybrid technology would seem the most quoted, due especially to range anxiety. The aim of this work is to understand if the fuel cell technology can find place in Italy. The possibility to use fuel cell to storage electric energy is quite interesting: the charging times will be reduced, and heavy passenger transportation should be easily faced. Basing on the existing history and analysis of the information accessible, this paper addresses the existing e-mobility scenario in Italy and predicts the cities in which a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure should be more remunerative, in ord…

Dead-time impact on the harmonic distortion and conversion efficiency in a three-phase five-level Cascaded H-Bridge inverter: mathematical formulatio…

2023

To avoid leg short-circuit in inverters, dead time must be introduced on leg gate signals. Dead time affects the inverter output voltage fundamental harmonic amplitude, voltage harmonic distortion and inverter efficiency by introducing additional voltage drops. In this regard, dead time effects have been widely investigated for traditional two-level three-phase voltage source inverters in the literature but not extensively for multilevel topology structures. This paper provides a detailed analysis of dead time impact on the harmonic distortion and efficiency of Cascaded H-Bridges Multilevel Inverters (CHBMIs). For this purpose, a general mathematical formulation to determine voltage drop du…

Selective harmonic mitigation with asymmetrical staircase voltage waveform for a three-phase five-level Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter

2020

Selective harmonics elimination or mitigation strategies are used in all applications where it is necessary to rise the efficiency and reliability of the overall system. This paper presents a simple approach to reduce the low order harmonics amplitude of an asymmetrical staircase voltage waveform for a five-level, three-phase Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter without solving non-linear equations. Through this simple approach, polynomial equations to evaluate the control angels in real-time operations have been found. The effectiveness of the harmonic mitigation method has been tested through the simulation analysis in MatLab/PLECS environment.

Experimental Investigation on the Performances of Innovative PV Vertical Structures

2019

The sustainable development of our planet is considerably related to a relevant reduction of CO2 global emissions, with building consumption contributing more than 40%. In this scenario, new technological conceptions, such as building-integrated photovoltaic technology, emerged in order to satisfy the requirements of sustainability imposed by the European Union. Therefore, the aim of this work is to provide a technical and economical comparison of the performances of different vertical-mounted innovative photovoltaic systems, potentially integrated on a building instead of on traditional windows or glass walls. The proposed investigation was carried out by means of experimental tests on thr…

Effect of Heat Exchange Transient Conditions with Moving Water-Air Interface on Space Charge Accumulation in Undersea HVdc Cables

2021

The accumulation of space charge inside the dielectric layer of an HVdc cable is one of the most important issue to be considered in the design stage and during the operating conditions. The separation of space charge is due to several factors including the dependence on temperature of the electrical conductivity of the insulation and the establishment of a thermal gradient under load conditions. This article is focused on the investigation of the effect of an axial heat transmission on the space charge and electric field distributions in an HVdc cable. In order to assess the impact of this phenomenon, a case study involving a cable immersed partly in water and partly in air has been simula…

Measuring rain energy with the employment of “Arduino”

2016

This paper presents the performances of rainfall energy harvesting through the use of a piezoelectric transducer and an Arduino-based measuring system. Diverse studies agree on the possibility of generating electricity from rainfall, but to date, a study that can measure the quantity of energy produced during rainfall is still missing. The present study begins with results obtained from laboratory researchers using piezoelectric transducers and oscilloscopes — to measure the energy produced from a single raindrop — and concludes with an ad hoc Arduino-based measuring system, aimed at measuring the actual amount of electrical energy produced by a piezoelectric transducer that is exposed to r…

Innovative Computational Approach to Harmonic Mitigation for Seven-level Cascaded H-Bridge Inverters

2020

Low frequency modulation strategies are a good solution to increase the energy conversion efficiency in high power applications. The paper is devoted to presents an innovative way to low order harmonics mitigation for seven-level Cascaded H-Bridge Inverters. In particular, this approach is based on the mitigation of selected harmonics without solve non-linear equations for an extended range of the fundamental amplitude. In fact, in real-Time operation to evaluate the control angles the polynomial equations have been identified. Through circuit simulation analysis in MatLab/PLECS environment, the effectiveness of the harmonic mitigation method has been tested and compared with theoretical re…

Nanostructured lead acid battery for electric vehicles applications

2017

This paper presents an innovative lead acid battery, based on nanostructured active materials. Both charging time and specific energy are greatly enhanced in comparison with commercial lead acid battery. Starting from the extremely valuable performances of the nanostructured battery, also a circuital model, for application in electric vehicle traction, has been specifically developed. The circuital model has demonstrated that an enhanced nanostructured battery allows an increase of traveled distance by electric vehicles.

Dynamic reconfiguration of electrical connections for partially shaded PV modules: Technical and economical performances of an Arduino-based prototype

2018

The partial shading phenomenon is a well known problem of photovoltaic plants. Partial shading leads to undesirable effects such the electrical mismatch, the generation of hot spots, and generally the decrease of production of electric energy. To mitigate the last effect, a dynamic reconfiguration of the electrical connections between modules was taken into account. In this paper, starting from an already developed system for a small-scale photovoltaic plant reconfiguration, the study of the economical benefits of the employment of a reconfigurator are traced. Five different incentive policies of diverse Countries have been considered to evaluate the increase of Net Present Value of system …

Novel Computational Method for Harmonic Mitigation for Three-phase Five-level Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter

2018

The efficiency of the system is a very important parameter for high power electrical drives applications,. Moreover, in the system the efficiency of the power converter play a fundamental role and for this reason, the soft switching modulation techniques represent the best choice. This paper presents a novel computational method for harmonic mitigation on the output voltage of a five-level, three-phase Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter without solving non-linear equations. Through this simple approach the Working Areas have been identified in which the harmonics reference have minimum amplitude possible. Moreover, polynomial equations to evaluate the control angels have been found. In this way, th…

Overview and experimental analysis of MC SPWM techniques for single-phase five level cascaded H-bridge FPGA controller-based

2016

This paper presents an overview and experimental analysis of the MC SPWM techniques for single-phase cascaded H-bridge inverter. The multilevel power converters are an alternative to traditional converters known as “three-level converters”. The voltage waveforms and the related frequency spectra, which have been obtained by simulation analysis in Matlab-Simulink environment, are here reported for all the proposed modulation techniques. The simulation results have been experimentally validated through means of a DC/AC, five-level, single-phase converter prototype with an appropriate test bench.

Graphical THD minimization procedure for single phase five-level converters

2017

This paper proposes two graphycal procedure to mitigate h harmonics and to minimize the total harmonic distortion (THD), respectively. The paper considers a five-level inverter and fundamental frequency modulation: it computes the two switching angles able to reduce low order harmonics and able to minimize the THD. Simulation results are obtained and, in order to validate the proposed procedure, an experimental prototype is built and experimental results are carried out. The comparison between simulation and experimental results confirms the accuracy of the proposed graphycal procedure. It is shown that the switching angles to mitigate the third-fifth and the third-fifth-seventh harmonics e…

Contributed Review: Review of thermal methods for space charge measurement.

2016

The space charge accumulation phenomenon has garnered great interest over the last two decades because of the increased use of direct current in high voltage electrical systems. In this context, a significant relevance has been achieved by the thermal methods, used for solid dielectrics. This paper presents a review of this non-destructive measurement system used for the measurement of space charge. The thermal pulse method, the thermal step method, and the laser intensity modulation method are described. For each configuration, the principle of operation, the thicknesses analyzed, and the spatial resolution are described, reporting also the main related applications

Android tool to evaluate grounding resistance

2015

In the absence of sources of rapidly varying field, the study of the potential distribution determined, in a linear medium, by a geometrically complex grounding may be conducted by applying the method of superposition of the effects, known as method of subareas of Maxwell. Such approach can be usefully employed in an educational tool intended for students of electrical engineering.

Comparison on the use of PV systems in the vertical walls

2015

In this article the preliminary evaluation of the performance of a photovoltaic window is presented. The aim is to trace the behavior of next-generation systems, which favor architectonical integration. Three different systems have been taken into account: a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC), blue and grey caved silicon panels. The systems can be placed behind a window or behind a wall of glass blocks.

Wireless Power Transmission for house appliances: A small-scale resonant coupling prototype

2016

This paper presents a low cost prototype of wireless power transfer system based on resonant coupling. The system here proposed can be useful for house appliances battery charging systems: as a matter of fact, it consists mainly of two copper wire coils or windings, placed one in front of the other on the same axis. By exploiting the coils resonance coupling effect, electric energy can be transferred from the inductor coil to the receiver in order to charge the batteries. Low cost experimental tests demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed wireless power transfer prototype, being it capable to reach an efficiency of about 80% and more along a distance of 30 cm.

Modified Modulation Techniques for Quasi-Z-Source Cascaded H-Bridge Inverters

2018

Quasi-Z-source cascaded H-bridge (q Z S - C H B) inverters are one promising solution for high power photovoltaic (PV) systems. This type of topologies inherits the advantages of cascaded converters (i.e., multilevel outputs) and impedance-source inverters (i.e., high conversion ratios). In addition, it allows increasing the inverter reliability (with high redundancy). However, the modulation and control of qZS-CHB inverters are challenging to a certain extent. Thus, this paper proposes modified modulation techniques to increase the performances of qZS-CHB converters in terms of voltage gains and stresses. The novelty lies in the use of the switching frequency optimal as reference signals i…

A Novel Computational Approach for Harmonic Mitigation in PV Systems with Single-Phase Five-Level CHBMI

2018

In this paper, a novel approach to low order harmonic mitigation in fundamental switching frequency modulation is proposed for high power photovoltaic (PV) applications, without trying to solve the cumbersome non-linear transcendental equations. The proposed method allows for mitigation of the first-five harmonics (third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh harmonics), to reduce the complexity of the required procedure and to allocate few computational resource in the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based control board. Therefore, the voltage waveform taken into account is different respect traditional voltage waveform. The same concept, known as “voltage cancelation”, used for single-…

Stability of Microgrids: An Application of Virtual Synchronous Generator

2022

The objective of this paper is to illustrate an alternative control algorithm for power converters which have the task of introducing the energy generated by systems based on the use of renewable sources such as, photovoltaic or wind power, in to small-sized networks, microgrids. Virtual Synchronous Generator can operate both in parallel to the main network as well as in isolated and autonomous conditions (islanding-mode). The contribute of this work is to drive a consolidate approach, made in time domain, in a more flexible and less time-consuming approach based on Park transformation.

A cogging torque minimization procedure for IPMSMs based on different laminate geometry

2016

This paper presents a possible minimization procedure of the cogging torque generated by an IPMSM (Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine) with a progressive modification of a basic geometrical structure of rotor laminates. More in detail, an IPMSM model is analyzed by using a Finite Element Method (FEM) approach. Then, other IPMSM models, which are obtained by modifying the geometry of the IPMSM rotor laminates and by maintaining the same stator configuration, are proposed and discussed. From the obtained simulation results, the cogging torque components for each structure are determined by means of FEM and compared to each other. From this comparison, it can be stated that the cogg…

Power management of a battery/supercapacitor system for E-mobility applications

2019

Hybrid Energy Storage Systems (HESS) have been very popular in recent years in different applications, from electric vehicles (EVs) to smart grids and renewable energies, due to the growing need to accumulate electricity. The concept of hybridization arises from the requirement of both high energy and specific power. The battery/supercapacitor (SC) system offers great advantages in a DC bus, giving the opportunity to provide high amounts of power to the loads. In this paper, a system composed of two bidirectional DC-DC converters, one connected to a battery pack and one to a stack of supercapacitors, is presented for a DC bus in electrical mobility (E-Mobility) applications. The proposed co…

Space charge accumulation in undersea HVDC cables as function of heat exchange conditions at the boundaries – water-air interface

2020

Transmission lines with undersea HVDC cables are an interesting technological solution for the supply of electrical energy to islands. The accumulation of space charge inside the dielectric layer of a HVDC cable is one of the most important element to consider in its design and during operation. The formation of space charge is due to various factors including the high dependence on the temperature of the electrical conductivity of the insulation and the establishment of a thermal gradient under load conditions. This research is focused on the space charge accumulation phenomenon around a section of a HVDC cable half dipped in water and half in air. Due to the high difference in thermal con…

Recursive Selective Harmonic Elimination for Multilevel Inverters: Mathematical Formulation and Experimental Validation

2023

A recursive method that eliminates +1 harmonics and their respective multiples from the output voltage of a cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverters with = 2 dc sources ( = 1, 2, 3,...) is proposed. It solves 2×2 linear systems with not singular matrices and always gives an exact solution with very low computational effort. Simulated results in three-phase five, nine, seventeen and thirty three level CHB inverters, and experimental results in five-level inverter demonstrate the validity of the method.

Batteries for Aerospace: A Brief Review

2018

This paper presents a brief overview on batteries for aerospace application. In particular, More Electric Aircraft (MEA) and All Electric Aircraft (AEA) concepts are introduced at first, together with their main advantages and drawbacks. Subsequently, opportunities and issues related to the employment of batteries on aircrafts are presented and briefly discussed. Reference is then made to aircraft power system architectures and battery technologies, as well as on the state-of-the-art of battery management systems, state-of-charge and state-of-health estimations, and thermal management.

Economic evaluation on the use of reconfiguration systems for increase of energy production in PV plants

2016

This paper presents an economic analysis of the effectiveness of Dynamic Reconfiguration Systems (DRS) for PV plants in dependence of the incentive policies offered by several countries of the European Community. This evaluation has been achieved by means of the NPV (Net Present Value) and through the comparison between Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Croatia. From the obtained results, it can be stated that the adoption of reconfiguration systems, in certain cases, can be a convenient solution.

Electromagnetic Full-Wave Simulation of Partial Discharge Detection in High Voltage AC Cables

2019

Partial discharge (PD) activity in the insulation system of an electrical equipment can determine the failure of the whole apparatus. PD sensors are widely used in high-voltage electrical systems as the main elements of a detecting system oriented to real time monitoring. Recently, non-invasive sensors have been proposed in industrial applications for cable and other sensitive electrical parts: they are based both on capacitive and on the electromagnetic radiating coupling. In order to assess the real performance of a new sensor produced by a high voltage AC cables manufacturer, the paper proposes electromagnetic fullwave simulation results.

Experimental Validation of a Novel Method for Harmonic Mitigation for a Three-Phase Five-Level Cascaded H-Bridges Inverter

2019

In modern high-power electrical drives, the efficiency of the system is a crucial constraint. Moreover, the efficiency of power converters plays a fundamental role in modern applications requiring also a limited weight, such as the electric vehicles and novel more electric aircraft. The reduction of losses pushes for systems with a dc bus and a high number of dc/ac converters, widespread in the vehicle, not burdened by a too expensive data processing system. The purpose of this article is to concur to reduce losses by proposing an innovative selective harmonic mitigation method based on the identification of the working areas where the reference harmonics present lower amplitudes. In partic…

Harmonic reduction in CHB 13-level inverters by PAM fundamental-frequency strategy

2019

In this paper cascaded H-bridges (CHB) 13-level inverters are considered and a particular pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) strategy is introduced to mitigate or eliminate many harmonic components on the output voltage, in order to obtain low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) factor. This procedure defines different dc voltage sources and sets of six switching angles, depending on an integer parameter $q$ belonging to the close interval $I=[11, 15]$ . The obtained THD doesn't depend on modulation index $m$ . The control of $m$ is made by changing the dc voltage sources that depend linearly on m, while the switching angles remain constant. An investigation about the role of the $q$ parameter on…

Technical and economical evaluation on the use of reconfiguration systems in some EU countries for PV plants

2017

This paper shows the technical and economical evaluation of the application of a reconfiguration system for photovoltaic (PV) plants, considering the incentives system in some European Union countries. The reconfiguration system is an alternative to the distributed maximum power point tracking technique which used to increase the power production in the PV plants under the mismatch phenomenon. The reconfiguration techniques employ a microprocessor-based or field-programmable gate array-based system that modifies the layout of the PV plant through the change of the connections among modules. After having presented the main features working of the PV reconfiguration system allowing the improv…

Economic evaluation of PV system for EV charging stations: Comparison between matching maximum orientation and storage system employment

2016

This article addresses the problem of the choice of a generation system to be implemented to reduce the impact of charging electric vehicles at University. Based on the behaviour of the student population, it is identified the electrical load. Two possible solutions are evaluated in order to manage the peak load: an orientation of the panels in order to increase the power at defined time and the use of storage system. The main strength and weakness points of two systems are investigated by taking into account the Levelized Cost of Energy.

On Psychological Aspects about Electric Vehicles, Part 1

2021

The high diffusion of electric vehicles is evidenced by every sector magazine or by the catalog of all the manufacturers inserting incessantly new models. But what are the user's most hidden reactions to the new world of vehicles? Is the user ready for the fifth level of automation (fully automatic driving and absence of the driving position)? The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the psychological aspects that influence the adoption of electric vehicles by users and beyond. Topics such as the egg and chicken paradox (electric vehicles and charging stations, who was born first) but also performance anxiety (range anxiety) will be addressed. Contradictions and irony will charac…

Implementation on NI-SOM sbRIO-9651 and Experimental Validation of Multi-Carrier PWM Techniques for Three-Phase Five Level Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter

2021

Multilevel Power Inverters (MPIs) represent a valid solution to improve the performances of energy production systems from renewable energy sources. Furthermore, the use of novel FPGA control systems allows simplifying the implementation of multicarrier PWM techniques for MPIs with computational benefits. This paper describes the implementation of several multicarrier PWM techniques on NI-SOM sbRIO-9651 for the control of a three-phase five-level cascaded H-bridge inverter. In detail, sbRIO-9651 is a control system in the field of Power Electronics and Drives (PED) programmable in the LabVIEW graphical programming environment. The paper is focused on modulation techniques implementation, te…

Experimental study on B-spline-based modulation schemes applied in multilevel inverters for electric drive applications

2019

This work presents the design, simulation, and experimental validation of new B-Spline-based modulation techniques applied to a Multilevel Power Inverter (MPI), particularly focusing the attention on the harmonic content of the output voltages of the inverter. Simulation and experimental results are proposed and discussed, mainly describing the potential benefits, such as the increase of the multi-level operation of the converter, and drawbacks (low-order harmonics) related to the adoption of B-Spline functions for multilevel inverters applied in the field of electrical drives.

Experimental Comparative Analysis of Efficiency and THD for a Three-phase Five-level Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter Controlled by Several MC-PWM Schemes

2021

Cascaded H-Bridges Multilevel Inverters are an innovative and promising solution in different application fields. This topology allows obtaining an improvement in the performance (e.g. reduced harmonic content, the low voltage stress on power components, and high efficiency) in respect to the traditional two-level inverters. In this context, the Multicarrier-PWM strategies play an important role thanks to their features. This paper presents an experimental investigation on the performance of a three-phase five-level Cascaded H-Bridge inverter by using different PWM modulation strategies. In particular, the paper is focused on the experimental validation of the main features of Multicarrier …

Dynamic reconfiguration systems for PV plant: Technical and economic analysis

2020

Solar plants suffer of partial shading and mismatch problems. Without considering the generation of hot spots and the resulting security issues, a monitoring system for the health of a PV plant should be useful to drive a dynamic reconfiguration system (DRS) to solve bottlenecks due to different panels’ shading. Over the years different DRS architectures have been proposed, but no suggestions about costs and benefits have been provided. Starting from technical subjects such as differences of the topologies driving the hardware complexity and number of components, this paper identifies the cost of DRS and its lifetime, and based on these issues it provides an economic analysis for a 6 kWp PV…

PV systems in the vertical walls: A comparison of innovative structures

2016

This paper presents the performance comparison of PV windows with the purpose of tracing the behavior of next-generation systems, which could favor architectonical integration. More in detail, a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and blue and grey thin film silicon panels have been analyzed. The systems can be placed behind a window or behind a wall of glass blocks. The three generation systems are then compared in terms of both efficiency and Fill Factor.

An economic study about the installation of PV plants reconfiguration systems in Italy

2014

This paper shows the economic convenience of the application of a reconfiguration system for photovoltaic plants, considering the incentives system in Italy and its recent modifications. The reconfiguration is an alternative to the Distributed Maximum Power Point Tracking, DMPPT, technique used to overcome the mismatch problem in Photovoltaic, PV, plants. The reconfiguration techniques employ a microprocessor-based system that modifies the layout of the PV plant by physically changing the connections among modules. After the explanation of the working principle of the PV reconfiguration system allowing the improvement of the efficiency of the same plant and the relevant installation, the ma…

A novel method for harmonic mitigation for single-phase five-level cascaded H-Bridge inverter

2018

The efficiency of a system is a very important parameter for high power electrical drives applications. Moreover, the efficiency of power converters plays a fundamental role. Aim of this work, is to propose a novel selective harmonic mitigation method without solving non-linear equations. Through a very simple approach, the polynomial equations which drive the control angles have been detected for a single-phase five-level cascaded H-Bridge inverter. The obtained polynomial equations can be easily implemented in a digital system to real-time operation. The paper also presents the simulation analysis and experimental validation.

Hydrogen Supplied Wireless Charging System for Electric Vehicles

2020

The aim of this work is the experimental characterization of a Wireless Charging System based on IPT (Inductive Power Transfer) supplied by a PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) in order to verify the possibility of its installation in not electrified areas. A hydrogen-based supply system is designed and assembled with the purpose of having an EV (electrical vehicle) charging station not connected to the main power grid. An efficiency analysis of the wireless transmission system is carried out taking into account external parameters such as distance and misalignment between the transmitter coil and the receiver coil, verifying the integration potentialities of both IPT and fuel cell …

Mixed Harmonic Elimination Control for a Single-Phase 9 Level Grid-Connected Inverter

2018

The power quality requirements are increasingly stringent, due to the continuous growth of devices connected to the grid that introduce harmonics. These devices include DC to AC energy conversion systems, i.e. grid connected inverters. The design, control and operation of these systems must take into account the rules of interconnection to the electricity grid. To improve the quality of the output waveform of the grid-connected inverter, Multilevel Converters (MC) with selective harmonic elimination modulation technique can be used. This paper presents a single-phase nine level grid-connected inverter with DC/DC input stages. The obtained switching angles for THD minimization are independen…

Comparative Analysis of Modified Modulation Scheme for Three-phase Voltage fed QZS Inverters

2019

Single-stage converters are one promising solution in different field of applications. In particular, quasi-Z-Source VSI topology structure playsan important role because it presents the same advantages of VSI and qZS converters. In addition, it allows increasing the inverter reliability. Moreover, modulation schemes and control strategy are still being developed. For this reason, aim of this paper is to introduce a modified modulation scheme based on the Maximum Constant Boost Control (MCBC) concept and Switching Frequency Optimal (SFO)as reference signals that represents the novelty issue of this work. The analysis has been carried out by comparing the performance of the converter in term…

Experimental analysis with FPGA controller-based of MC PWM techniques for three-phase five level cascaded H-bridge for PV applications

2016

The FPGA represents a valid solution for the design of control systems for inverters adopted in the field of PV systems because of their high flexibility of use. This paper presents an experimental analysis of the MC SPWM techniques for a three-phase, five-level, cascaded H-Bridge inverter with FPGA controller-based. Several control algorithms are implemented by means of the VHDL programming language and the output voltage waveforms obtained from the main PWM techniques are compared in terms of THD%. Simulation and experimental results are analysed, compared and discussed.

Experimental investigation and characterization of innovative bifacial silicon solar cells

2019

The interest towards bifacial PV technology has increased over the last years, due to its potential capability of obtaining higher efficiencies with respect to traditional monofacial cells. Thus, the aim of this work is to present an experimental investigation on an innovative photovoltaic technology, such as the bifacial solar cells based on monocrystalline substrate. This analysis is mainly based on the determination of the current density/voltage, power density/voltage, External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) and Laser Beam Induced Current (LBIC) characterization. Interesting results are presented and discussed, demonstrating that the bifacial silicon solar cells can be a very promising techno…

Piezoelectric Rainfall Energy Harvester Performance by an Advanced Arduino-Based Measuring System

2018

This paper presents the performances of rainfall energy harvesting through the use of a piezoelectric transducer and an Arduino-based measuring system. Different studies agree on the possibility of generating electricity from rainfall, but to date, a study on measuring the quantity of energy produced during rainfall is still missing. The present study begins with results obtained from laboratory researchers using piezoelectric transducers and oscilloscopes, finalized to measure the energy produced from a single raindrop, and concludes with an ad hoc Arduino-based measuring system, aimed to measure the actual amount of electrical energy produced by a piezoelectric transducer that is exposed …

Impact Evaluation of Innovative Selective Harmonic Mitigation Algorithm for Cascaded H-Bridge Inverter on IPMSM Drive Application

2021

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the use of a novel Harmonic Mitigation algorithm for Cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel Inverter in electrical drives for the transportation field. For this purpose, an enhanced mathematical model of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (IPMSM), that takes into account simultaneously saturation, cross-coupling, spatial harmonics, and iron loss effects, has been used. In detail, this model allows estimating accurately the efficiency and the torque ripple of the IPMSM, crucial parameters for transportation applications. Moreover, two traditional pulse width modulation strategies, Sinusoidal Phase-Shifted and Switching Frequency Optimal Phase-Shifted…

Simulation of a single-phase five-level cascaded H-Bridge inverter with multicarrier SPWM B-Spline based modulation techniques

2017

Multilevel Power Inverters are now often used to convert DC to AC voltage waveform. This kind of converter allows high power quality with low output harmonics and lower commutation losses with respect to the traditional ones in order to optimize this aspect. This paper presents a novel simulation analysis of the Multicarrier Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation (MC SPWM) techniques B-Spline functions based to control the switches of five-level single-phase cascaded H-bridge inverter. In order to verify the performance of the converter, the harmonic content of the voltage due to modulation techniques has been taken into account. Results highlight the comparison between different B-Spline functi…

Design and Realization of a Bidirectional Full Bridge Converter with Improved Modulation Strategies

2020

In this paper a Full-Bridge Converter (FBC) for bidirectional power transfer is presented. The proposed FBC is an isolated DC-DC bidirectional converter, connected to a double voltage source&mdash

Performance Evaluation of a Three- Phase Five-Level Quasi-Z-Source Cascaded H-Bridge for Grid-Connected Applications

2018

In the field of the PV generation, Quasi-Z-source cascaded H-bridge (qZS-CHB) inverters are promising due to their features of modularity and high voltage conversion ratio. Thus, new topology structures and innovative modulation techniques are continuously being developed to improve the performance in terms of voltage stress and harmonic content. This paper proposes an innovative modulation technique that allows reducing the voltage stress and a specially designed grid-connected control strategy is also introduced. Through simulations in MATLAB, it has been validated that the performance of a three-phase five-level qZS-CHB is improved with the proposed solution.

Performances of a three-phase five-level cascaded H-bridge inverter with phase shifted B-spline based modulation techniques

2017

This paper presents a novel study of the performances of a five-level three-phase Cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel Inverter with Phase Shifted B-Spline based modulation techniques. The study has been focused on the use of B-Spline functions as carrier signals in order to evaluate the performances of the converter in terms of harmonic content on the output voltage. In the first step of this analysis the THD% has been taken into account to compare the voltage waveforms. Interesting results have been found on the fundamental amplitude of the phase and line voltage. Moreover, harmonic spectra has been compared to evaluate the different harmonic distribution in the voltage waveforms. In this work th…

Cascaded H-Bridges Multielvel Inverters: grid connected advanced applications

Power electronics is going to increase in the modern electrical systems. It is well known that the use of power electronics allows the management and the control of the energy flow, obtaining voltage and current waveforms suitable for electrical loads. In this scenario, multilevel power converters are finding increased attention in industry and academia as one of the promising choices of electronic conversion thanks to their features and many different application fields with high power and medium voltage. Moreover, they are fundamental in interfacing electric grid to high power renewable energy systems (i.e. PV, Wind farm, Biomass, Fuel Cell etc.). Nowadays, the research is focused on the …