Active rectifiers/inverters are becoming used more and more often in regenerative systems and distributed power systems. Typically, the interface between the grid and rectifier is either an inductor or an LCL-filter. The use of an LCL-filter mitigates the switching ripple injected in the grid by a three-phase active rectifier. However, stability problems can arise in the current control loop. In order to overcome them, a damping resistor can be inserted, at the price of a reduction of efficiency. The use of active damping by means of control may seem attractive but it is often limited by the use of more sensors compared to the standard control and also by a complex tuning procedure of the controllers. This paper introduces a new active damping method that does not require the use of more sensors. It consists of adding a filter on the reference voltage for the modulator. The tuning process of this filter is easily done, for a wide range of sampling frequencies, with the use of genetic algorithms. This method is used only for the optimum choice of the parameters in the filter and an on-line implementation is not needed. Thus the resulting active damping solution does not need new sensors or complex calculations. Moreover, in the paper particular attention is devoted to the susceptibility of the system in a high polluting environment.

Genetic algorithm-based design of the active damping for an LCL-filter three-phase active rectifier

The use of a LCL-filter mitigates the switching ripple injected in the grid by a three-phase active rectifier. However stability problems could arise in the current control loop. In order to overcome them a damping resistor can be inserted, at the price of a reduction of the efficiency. On the contrary the use of the active damping seems really attractive but it is often limited by the use of more sensors respect to the standard control and by the complex tuning procedure. This paper introduces a new active damping method that does not need the use of more sensors and that can be tuned using genetic algorithms. It consists of adding a filter on the reference voltage for the converter's modulator. The tuning process of this filter is easily done, for a wide range of sampling frequencies, with the use of genetic algorithms. This method is used only for the optimum choice of the parameters of the filter and an on-line implementation is not needed. Thus the resulting active damping solution does not need new sensors or complex calculations. Moreover, in the paper particular attention is devoted to the dynamics of the system due to the introduction of the active damping.

Genetic algorithm based design of the active damping for a LCL-filter three-phase active rectifier

This article gives an overview of the artificial intelligence (AI) applications for power electronic systems. The three distinctive life-cycle phases, design, control, and maintenance are correlated with one or more tasks to be addressed by AI, including optimization, classification, regression, and data structure exploration. The applications of four categories of AI are discussed, which are expert system, fuzzy logic, metaheuristic method, and machine learning. More than 500 publications have been reviewed to identify the common understandings, practical implementation challenges, and research opportunities in the application of AI for power electronics. This article is accompanied by an Excel file listing the relevant publications for statistical analytics.

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An Overview of Artificial Intelligence Applications for Power Electronics

This paper provides a comprehensive guideline for the design of a single-phase PFC targeting for minimal volume, as it is highly relevant for ultracompact integrated systems. It is shown, how different operation modes (continuous, boundary, and discontinuous conduction mode) may influence the design and consequently the achieved power density. Furthermore, the effect of interleaving of several boost stages is analyzed as a measure for compactness increase. Finally, the selection of the appropriate switching frequency in order to achieve an overall optimized system is discussed. In this way, the design of the crucial components is carried out, namely, the boost inductor, including a volume optimization through a thermal connection to the heat sink; the output capacitor considering the rms current stress; and the input filter, which is designed for compliance with high-frequency electromagnetic compatibility standards, taking into account the quasi-peak detection measurement of the test receiver equipment.

Design Guidelines for Interleaved Single-Phase Boost PFC Circuits

This paper presents a systematic evaluation approach of three-phase pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) AC-AC converter topologies for high-density applications. All major components and subsystems in a converter are considered and the interdependence of all the constraints and design parameters is systematically studied. The key design parameters, including switching frequency, modulation scheme, and passive values, are selected by considering their impacts on loss, harmonics, electromagnetic interference (EMI), control dynamics and stability, and protection. The component selection criteria as well as the physical design procedures are developed from the high-density standpoint. The concept of using the same inductor for harmonic suppression and EMI filtering is introduced in the design. With the proposed methodology, four converter topologies, a back-to-back voltage source converter (BTB-VSC), a nonregenerative three-level boost (Vienna-type) rectifier plus voltage source inverter (NTR-VSI), a back-to-back current source converter (BTB-CSC), and a 12-switch matrix converter, are analyzed and compared for high specific power using SiC devices. The evaluation results show that with the conditions specified in this paper, BTB-VSC and NTR-VSI have considerably lower loss, resulting in higher specific power than BTB-CSC and the matrix converter. The proposed methodology can be applied to other topologies with different comparison metrics and can be a useful tool for high-density topology selection.

A Systematic Topology Evaluation Methodology for High-Density Three-Phase PWM AC-AC Converters

This paper presents an approach to continuous variable design optimization of a power electronics converter. The objective of the optimization approach is to minimize the total component cost. The methodology is illustrated with the design of a boost power factor correction front-end converter with an input electromagnetic interference filter. The system design variables are first identified. The relevant system responses and component costs are then expressed as a function of these design variables. Finally, by using mathematical optimization techniques, the design variable values that minimize the total system component cost are obtained, given practical constraints on these design variables and system responses.

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Design of a boost power factor correction converter using optimization techniques

This article present GA-based design approach to optimization of power electronics circuits is shown to be a very effective and powerful tool for obtaining improved solutions compared to traditional design procedures. In the GA procedure, each design is represented using a "gene string" for the converter design problem, each gene string is used to represent the set of electrical components that define one possible converter design. The design of power electronics systems involves a large number of design variables and the application of knowledge from several different engineering fields.

Power converter design optimization

This paper intends to compare the many different solutions available to design a busbar interconnection. Starting from a single copper plate and going to multilayer busbars, the influence of the external shape of the sheet, of the number and the nature of holes and apertures are considered. Simulations and measurements are used to determine the stray inductance of the different busbars. Design rules are deduced from the many case studies, based on industrial examples

Busbar Design: How to Spare Nanohenries ?

This paper presents a software tool for designing a low-cost boost power factor correction front-end converter with an input electromagnetic interference filter. A genetic algorithm based discrete optimizer is used to obtain the design. A detailed and experimentally validated model of the system, including second order effects, is considered. A graphical user interface for managing the design specifications and system component databases, controlling and monitoring the optimization process, and analyzing the performance of the top designs found by the optimizer is also described. The results of a design study for a 1.15 kW unit are presented to demonstrate the usefulness of the software tool.

Design optimization of a boost power factor correction converter using genetic algorithms

This article presents an EA-based design optimization tool for a three-phase voltage source inverter with diode front-end rectifier used for industrial motor drive power stage considering all major subsystems front-end rectifier, inverter and thermal management system, and EMI filter. Analytical relationships are developed and implemented into three optimizers. Global optimization is achieved by considering the relations between the subsystems. Design examples verified the usefulness and correctness of the design methodology and tool.

M. Arpilliere

Papers

Design of a boost power factor correction converter using optimization techniques

Power converter design optimization

Busbar Design: How to Spare Nanohenries ?

Design optimization of a boost power factor correction converter using genetic algorithms

Voltage source inverter