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Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "E: Electric Vehicles".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 51410

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Prof. Dr. Mario Marchesoni

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Department of Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Genova, Via all’Opera Pia 11A, 16145 Genova, Italy
Interests: electrical drives for electrical/hybrid road vehicles, for railway traction and for naval propulsion; high dynamic performance AC motor drives (asynchronous, synchronous); fuel cell generating systems and energy storage systems (ultracapacitors, batteries) for transportation systems; medium voltage energy static conversion; digital architectures for AC motor drives control; conversion system structures for power conditioning; power converters: analysis and performance optimization by means of modulation and control strategies; conversion systems for reactive power and harmonic distortion minimization; multilevel converter structures; HVDC power converters
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, greetings from the Special Issue Editor.

I am inviting submissions to a Special Issue of the Energies journal on the subject of “Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems”. Today, there is a growing attention to the increasing use of renewable energy to guarantee sustainable growth all over the world. In the short term, however, even more interesting results can be obtained by increasing energy efficiency. As an example, the European Union has set itself a 20% energy savings target by 2020, which is roughly equivalent to turning off a few hundred power stations. Today, 20% of all final energy consumption in the EU is electrical energy, but this is predicted to grow significantly over the next few decades. Given this scenario, but considering also that electric motors in industrial applications consume 35%–40% of the generated electrical energy worldwide, that power electronics is a key enabling technology allowing the efficient generation, use, and distribution of electrical energy and the implementation of energy saving applications at reasonable costs, also leading to the huge diffusion of electrical motor drives, I kindly request that you contribute to this Special Issue.

Papers are solicited on the following topics, and others, if not directly specified, which cover aspects of energy efficiency.

High efficiency electric machines and electrical drives;
High efficiency power converters: topologies, modulation and control;
Wide band-gap power electronic devices and applications;
Renewable energy systems;
Grids, smart grids and utility applications;
Electrical energy storage systems;
Energy conversion systems for information technology;
Energy efficiency for residential, commercial and industrial applications;
Wireless power transfer;
Systems for electrical propulsion and transportation electrification;
Electric and hybrid vehicles;
Highly-efficient components for energy conversion.

Prof. Dr. Mario Marchesoni
Guest Editor

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

energy efficiency
power electronics
electric machines
electric drives
residential applications
industrial applications
electrical propulsion
energy management
power converter
modulation strategy
control system
wide band-gap power electronic devices
renewable energy systems
smart grids
energy storage

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4500 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Turbocompound Power Unit Modelling for a Supercapacitor-Based Series Hybrid Vehicle Application

by Matteo Repetto, Massimiliano Passalacqua, Luis Vaccaro, Mario Marchesoni and Alessandro Pini Prato

Energies 2020, 13(2), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13020447 - 16 Jan 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2480

Abstract

In this paper, starting from the measurements available for a 2000 cm³ turbocharged diesel engine, an analytical model of the turbocharger is proposed and validated. The model is then used to extrapolate the efficiency of a power unit with a diesel engine combined with a turbocompound system. The obtained efficiency map is used to evaluate the fuel economy of a supercapacitor-based series hybrid vehicle equipped with the turbocompound power unit. The turbocompound model, in accordance with the studies available in the technical literature, shows that the advantages (in terms of efficiency increase) are significant at high loads. For this reason, turbocompound introduction allows a significant efficiency improvement in a series hybrid vehicle, where the engine always works at high-load. The fuel economy of the proposed vehicle is compared with other hybrid and conventional vehicle configurations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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21 pages, 5906 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis and Design of Innovative Magnetic Wedges for High Efficiency Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines

by Lucia Frosini and Marco Pastura

Energies 2020, 13(1), 255; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13010255 - 4 Jan 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3642

Abstract

The global decarbonization targets require increasingly higher levels of efficiency from the designers of electrical machines. In this context, the opportunity to employ magnetic or semi-magnetic wedges in surface-mounted permanent magnet machines with fractional-slot concentrated winding has been evaluated in this paper, with the aim to reduce the power losses, especially in the magnets. Since an analytical calculation is not sufficient for this evaluation, finite element methods with two different software have been employed, by using a model experimentally validated on a real motor. The effects of wedges with different values of permeability and different magnetization characteristics have been evaluated on flux density, back electromotive force, and inductances, in order to choose the more suitable wedge for the considered motor. Furthermore, a new wedge consisting of different portions of materials with different magnetic permeability values is proposed. The effects of both conventional and unconventional magnetic wedges were assessed to optimize the motor performance in all working conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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13 pages, 7021 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Refined Loss Evaluation of a Three-Switch Double Input DC-DC Converter for Hybrid Vehicle Applications

by Mario Marchesoni, Massimiliano Passalacqua and Luis Vaccaro

Energies 2020, 13(1), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13010204 - 1 Jan 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2038

Abstract

In this paper, an accurate efficiency evaluation of an innovative three-switch double input DC–DC converter for hybrid vehicle applications was carried out. The converter was used to interface two storages, (e.g., supercapacitor and battery) to the DC link. A refined model was created in MATLAB/Simulink Plecs environment and it was used to compare the traditional four-switch converter (i.e., two DC–DC converters in parallel connection) with the innovative three-switch converter. Loss and efficiency contour maps were obtained for both converters and a comparison between them was performed. A prototype of the three-switch converter was realized and used to validate the simulation thermal model by comparing both efficiency and current waveforms obtained with simulations and experimental tests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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29 pages, 3551 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Solid-State Transformers in Locomotives Fed through AC Lines: A Review and Future Developments

by Stefano Farnesi, Mario Marchesoni, Massimiliano Passalacqua and Luis Vaccaro

Energies 2019, 12(24), 4711; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12244711 - 10 Dec 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5889

Abstract

One of the most important innovation expectation in railway electrical equipment is the replacement of the on-board transformer with a high power converter. Since the transformer operates at line-frequency (i.e., 50 Hz or 16 2/3 Hz), it represents a critical component from weight point of view and, moreover, it is characterized by quite poor efficiency. High power converters for this application are characterized by a medium frequency inductive coupling and are commonly referred as Power Electronic Transformers (PET), Medium Frequency Topologies or Solid-State Transformers (SST). Many studies were carried out and various prototypes were realized until now, however, the realization of such a system has some difficulties, mainly related to the high input voltage (i.e., 25 kV for 50 Hz lines and 15 kV for 16 2/3 Hz lines) and the limited performance of available power electronic switches. The aim of this study is to present a survey on the main solutions proposed in the technical literature and, analyzing pros and cons of these studies, to introduce new possible circuit topologies for this application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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25 pages, 14997 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Power Loss Decrease Method Based on Finite Set Model Predictive Control for a Motor Emulator with Reduced Switch Count

by Rui Qin, Chunhua Yang, Hongwei Tao, Tao Peng, Chao Yang and Zhiwen Chen

Energies 2019, 12(24), 4647; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12244647 - 6 Dec 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2227

Abstract

This paper presents a power loss decrease method based on finite set model predictive control (FSMPC) with delay compensation for a motor emulator with reduced switch count. Specifically, the topology and mathematical model of the proposed motor emulator with reduced switch count are firstly built. Secondly, in light of given instructions, the normal or fault reference current of the motor emulator is set by a reference current setter. Then delay compensation is applied for the predictive current model to calculate the current residual generated by each switch control signal, and the current tracking performance under actions of two adjacent switch control signals is evaluated for each sector. Finally, a switch power loss objective function is defined, then the two adjacent switch control signals that generate the lowest switch power loss are selected for the next second instant, which minimizes the power loss of the motor emulator with ensuring satisfied current tracking performance. Simulation and experimental results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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16 pages, 744 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analytical and Simulation Fair Comparison of Three Level Si IGBT Based NPC Topologies and Two Level SiC MOSFET Based Topology for High Speed Drives

by Jelena Loncarski, Vito Giuseppe Monopoli, Riccardo Leuzzi, Leposava Ristic and Francesco Cupertino

Energies 2019, 12(23), 4571; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12234571 - 30 Nov 2019

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3449

Abstract

Wide bandgap (WBG) power devices such as silicon carbide (SiC) can viably supply high speed electrical drives, due to their capability to increase efficiency and reduce the size of the power converters. On the other hand, high frequency operation of the SiC devices emphasizes the effect of parasitics, which generates reflected wave transient overvoltage on motor terminals, reducing the life time and the reliability of electric drives. In this paper, a SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) based two level (2L) inverter is systematically studied and compared to the performance of Si insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) based three level (3L) neutral point clamped (NPC) inverter topologies, for high speed AC motor loads, in terms of efficiency, overvoltages, heat sink design, and cost. A fair comparison was introduced for the first time, having the same output voltage capabilities, output current total harmonic distortion (THD), and overvoltages for the three systems. The analysis indicated the convenience of using the SiC MOSFET based 2L inverter for lower output power. In the case of the maximum output power, the heat sink volume was found to be 20% higher for the 2L SiC based inverter when compared to 3L NPC topologies. Simulations were carried out by realistic dynamic models of power switch modules obtained from the manufacturer’s experimental tests and verified both in the LTspice and PLECS simulation packages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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10 pages, 5354 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Online MTPA Trajectory Tracking of IPMSM Based on a Novel Torque Control Strategy

by Jianxia Sun, Cheng Lin, Jilei Xing and Xiongwei Jiang

Energies 2019, 12(17), 3261; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12173261 - 24 Aug 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4033

Abstract

The maximum-torque-per-ampere (MTPA) scheme is widely used in the interior permanent magnet synchronous machine (IPMSM) drive system to reduce copper losses. However, MTPA trajectory is complicated to solve analytically. In order to realize online MTPA trajectory tracking, this paper proposes a novel torque control strategy. The torque control is designed to be closed form. Considering the machine reluctance torque as the torque feedback, when this is compared with the torque reference, then the excitation torque reference can be obtained. Since the excitation torque is proportional to the q-axis current, the q-axis current reference can be fed by the excitation torque reference through a proportional regulator. Once the q-axis current reference is given, the d-axis current reference can be calculated based on the per-unit model, which aims to simplify the calculation and make the control strategy independent of machine parameters. In this paper, the stability of the control system is demonstrated. Meanwhile, simulation and experiment results show this torque control strategy can realize MTPA trajectory tracking online and have success in transients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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13 pages, 9656 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Miniature DC-DC Boost Converter for Driving Display Panel of Notebook Computer

by Seok-Hyeong Ham and Hyung-Jin Choe

Energies 2019, 12(15), 2924; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12152924 - 30 Jul 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2995

Abstract

This paper proposes a miniature DC-DC boost converter to drive the display panel of a notebook computer. To reduce the size of the circuit, the converter was designed to operate at a switching frequency of 1 MHz. The power conversion efficiency improved using a passive snubber circuit that consisted of one inductor, two capacitors, and two diodes; it reduced the switching losses by lowering the voltage stress of the switch and increased the voltage gain using charge pumping operations. An experimental converter was fabricated at 2.5 cm × 1 cm size using small components, and tested at input voltage 5 V ≤ V_IN ≤ 17.5 V and output current 30 mA ≤ I_O ≤ 150 mA. Compared to existing boost converters, the proposed converter had ~7.8% higher power conversion efficiency over the entire range of V_IN and I_O, only ~50% as much voltage stress of the switch and diodes, and a much lower switch temperature T_SW = 49.5 °C. These results indicate that the proposed converter is a strong candidate for driving the display panel of a notebook computer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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15 pages, 4193 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Supercapacitor Storage Sizing Analysis for a Series Hybrid Vehicle

by Massimiliano Passalacqua, Mauro Carpita, Serge Gavin, Mario Marchesoni, Matteo Repetto, Luis Vaccaro and Sébastien Wasterlain

Energies 2019, 12(9), 1759; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12091759 - 9 May 2019

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3529

Abstract

The increasing interest in Hybrid Electric Vehicles led to the study of new powertrain structures. In particular, it was demonstrated in the technical literature how series architecture can be more efficient, compared to parallel one, if supercapacitors are used as storage system. Since supercapacitors are characterized by high efficiency and high power density, but have low specific energy, storage sizing is a critical point with this technology. In this study, a detailed analysis on the effect of supercapacitor storage sizing on series architecture was carried out. In particular, in series architecture, supercapacitor storage sizing influences both engine number of starts and the energy that can be stored during regenerative braking. The first aspect affects the comfort, whereas the second aspect directly influences powertrain efficiency. Vehicle model and Energy Management System were studied and simulations were carried out for different storage energy, in order to define the optimal sizing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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19 pages, 8265 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Analysis of Non-Isolated DC-DC Converter Topologies with Energy Transfer Media

by Se-Un Shin

Energies 2019, 12(8), 1468; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12081468 - 18 Apr 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4541

Abstract

As miniaturized mobile devices with various functionalities are highly desired, the current requirement for loading blocks is gradually increasing. Accordingly, the efficiency of the power converter that supports the current to the loading bocks is a critical specification to prolong the battery time. Unfortunately, when using a small inductor for the miniaturization of mobile devices, the efficiency of the power converter is limited due to a large parasitic DC resistance (R_DCR) of the inductor. To achieve high power efficiency, this paper proposes an energy transfer media (ETM) that can make a switched inductor capacitor (SIC) converter easier to design, maintaining the advantages of both a conventional switched capacitor (SC) converter and a switched inductive (SI) converter. This paper shows various examples of SIC converters as buck, boost, and buck-boost topologies by simply cascading the ETM with conventional non-isolated converter topologies without requiring a sophisticated controller. The topologies with the ETM offer a major advantage compared to the conventional topologies by reducing the inductor current, resulting in low conduction loss dissipated at R_DCR. Additionally, the proposed topologies have a secondary benefit of a small output voltage ripple owing to the continuous current delivered to the load. Extensions to a multi-phase converter and single-inductor multiple-output converter are also discussed. Furthermore, a detailed theoretical analysis of the total conduction loss and the inductor current reduction is presented. Finally, the proposed topologies were simulated in PSIM, and the simulation results are discussed and compared with conventional non-isolated converter topologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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13 pages, 3068 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Analytical Analysis of a Novel Brushless Hybrid Excited Adjustable Speed Eddy Current Coupling

by Yibo Li, Heyun Lin, Hai Huang, Hui Yang, Qiancheng Tao and Shuhua Fang

Energies 2019, 12(2), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12020308 - 19 Jan 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3435

Abstract

A novel brushless hybrid excited adjustable speed eddy current coupling is proposed for saving energy in the drive systems of pumps and fans. The topology and operation principle of the coupling are presented. Based on the real flux paths, the fluxes excited by permanent magnet (PM) and field current are analyzed separately. A magnetic circuit equivalent (MEC) model is established to efficiently compute the no-load magnetic field of the coupling. The eddy current and torque are calculated based on the proposed MEC model, Faraday’s law, and Ampere’s law. The resultant magnetic fields, eddy currents, and torques versus slip speeds under different field currents are studied by the MEC-based analytical method and verified by finite element analysis (FEA). The copper loss, core loss, and efficiency were investigated by FEA. The analytically predicted results agree well with the FEA, and the analysis results illustrate that a good speed regulation performance can be achieved by the proposed hybrid excited control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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14 pages, 6017 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Robust Design Optimization with Penalty Function for Electric Oil Pumps with BLDC Motors

by Keun-Young Yoon and Soo-Whang Baek

Energies 2019, 12(1), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12010153 - 2 Jan 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5825

Abstract

In this paper, we propose and evaluate a robust design optimization (RDO) algorithm for the shape of a brushless DC (BLDC) motor used in an electric oil pump (EOP). The components of the EOP system and the control block diagram for driving the BLDC motor are described. Although the conventional deterministic design optimization (DDO) method derives an appropriate combination of design goals and target performance, DDO does not allow free searching of the entire design space because it is confined to preset experimental combinations of parameter levels. To solve this problem, we propose an efficient RDO method that improves the torque characteristics of BLDC motors by considering design variable uncertainties. The dimensions of the stator and the rotor were selected as the design variables for the optimal design and a penalty function was applied to address the disadvantages of the conventional Taguchi method. The optimal design results obtained through the proposed RDO algorithm were confirmed by finite element analysis, and the improvement in torque and output performance was confirmed through experimental dynamometer tests of a BLDC motor fabricated according to the optimization results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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19 pages, 8303 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis, Design, and Implementation of Improved LLC Resonant Transformer for Efficiency Enhancement

by Zhenxing Zhao, Qianming Xu, Yuxing Dai and Hanhang Yin

Energies 2018, 11(12), 3288; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11123288 - 25 Nov 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5513

Abstract

In battery charging applications, the charger changes its output voltage in a wide range during the charging process. This makes the design of LLC converters difficult to be optimized between the efficiency and the gain range. In this paper, an improved resonant transformer is presented for LLC resonant converter charger to improve the gain adjustment and charger efficiency. The resonant inductance and magnetizing inductance are integrated in the designed LLC transformer, and the magnetizing inductance can be adjusted dynamically with the change of output voltage and load, which is realized by a switch-controlled inductor (SCI) parallel to the secondary winding of transformer. The proposed transformer has 22.4% reduction in losses under full load conditions compared to conventional solutions. Moreover, the conduction loss and switching loss of LLC resonant tank are reduced by dynamically adjusting the magnetizing inductance, which improves the comprehensive efficiency of the whole charging process. The proposed transformer design is verified on a 720 W prototype. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Efficiency in Electric Motors, Drives, Power Converters and Related Systems)

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