Sustainability

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15 pages, 5261 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Light-Emitting Diode Streetlight Driver Circuit Applied to a Direct Current-Input Voltage Source

by Chun-An Cheng, Chien-Hsuan Chang, Hung-Liang Cheng, En-Chih Chang, You-Ruei Lin and Long-Fu Lan

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 10934; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410934 - 12 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1105

Abstract

With the global advocacy of green lighting and the urgent need for energy saving and carbon reduction, more and more street lighting applications have entered the era of being replaced by light-emitting diode (LED) lighting sources. This paper presents a new LED streetlight [...] Read more.

With the global advocacy of green lighting and the urgent need for energy saving and carbon reduction, more and more street lighting applications have entered the era of being replaced by light-emitting diode (LED) lighting sources. This paper presents a new LED streetlight driving circuit applied to a direct current (DC)-input voltage source, which consists of a buck converter combined with a flyback converter to reduce the number of circuit components required and to recover the leakage energy of the transformer to improve energy conversion efficiency. In addition, this study also completed the analysis of the operational principle of the new LED streetlight driving circuit, and developed a prototype LED streetlight driver with DC-input voltage of 48V and output power of 72 W (36 V/2 A). Finally, the measurement results of the prototype circuit show that the output voltage ripple rate was less than 15%, the output current ripple rate was less than 6%, and the circuit efficiency was as high as 91%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy: Technologies and Challenges)

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44 pages, 22405 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Programmable Electronic Load Prototype for the Power Quality Analysis of an Experimental Microgrid

by Cristhian E. Medina-Ortega, Martín A. Patiño-Noguera, Javier Revelo-Fuelagán and John E. Candelo-Becerra

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11258; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811258 - 8 Sep 2022

Viewed by 1891

Abstract

Microgrids have been widely adopted in many countries because they provide more reliable electricity service to those users connected to the power grid. These systems comprise various power sources, energy storage devices, and loads. However, detailed studies require considering linear and nonlinear loads, [...] Read more.

Microgrids have been widely adopted in many countries because they provide more reliable electricity service to those users connected to the power grid. These systems comprise various power sources, energy storage devices, and loads. However, detailed studies require considering linear and nonlinear loads, which are now used in this type of network. In addition, experimental tests require devices that emulate loads, represent different topologies, and construct assemblies for better identification, validation, and theoretical approximations of the power grid. Therefore, this paper presents a programmable electronic load to emulate linear and nonlinear loads of a microgrid, based on the control of a single-phase voltage source converter that considers rectification and power dissipation stages. Furthermore, a control stage allows power consumption variations, controlling the current demanded by the load, according to the reference current waveform programmed through a user interface. A synchronous reference frame phase-locked loop is implemented on a microcontroller. Thus, the programmable electronic load enables studying power quality in microgrids. Finally, the operation of the programmable electronic load is validated through experimental and simulation tests, considering different case studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy: Technologies and Challenges)

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32 pages, 9464 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Functional Isolated Three-Port Bidirectional DC/DC Converter for Photovoltaic Systems

by Yu-En Wu and Rui-Ru Hong

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11169; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811169 - 6 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1767

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel multi-function isolated three-port bidirectional DC–DC converter for a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system. The proposed topology was composed of a unidirectional step-up converter and a bidirectional step-up/step-down converter that only required one set of complementary PWM signals to control [...] Read more.

This paper proposes a novel multi-function isolated three-port bidirectional DC–DC converter for a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system. The proposed topology was composed of a unidirectional step-up converter and a bidirectional step-up/step-down converter that only required one set of complementary PWM signals to control any operation mode and used multiple operating stages to improve the practicability of the converter. In addition, the proposed topology had the function of inductance energy leakage recovery to improve the conversion efficiency and used synchronous rectification technology to reduce the conduction losses from passive components. This paper implemented a 500 W converter to verify the feasibility of the proposed converter by theoretical analysis, simulation, and experiment results. The experimental results show the highest efficiency of 95.5% for the PV step-up to the DC bus, 97.8% for the PV step-down to the battery terminal, 94.5% for the battery terminal step-up to the DC bus, and 93.4% for the DC bus step-down to the battery terminal, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy: Technologies and Challenges)

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19 pages, 5259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Implementation of Novel Fault Ride through Circuitry and Control for Grid-Connected PV System

by Donghwi Kim, Umar Fitra Ramadhan, Saif Ul Islam, Seungmin Jung and Minhan Yoon

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9736; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159736 - 8 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2173

Abstract

This paper provides a comparison of a designed method of a fault ride through (FRT) circuit, i.e., switch-type fault current limiter (STFCL) and bridge-type fault current limiter (BFCL), to optimize the electrical parameters of grid-connected solar systems (PVSs) under asymmetric single line-to-ground fault [...] Read more.

This paper provides a comparison of a designed method of a fault ride through (FRT) circuit, i.e., switch-type fault current limiter (STFCL) and bridge-type fault current limiter (BFCL), to optimize the electrical parameters of grid-connected solar systems (PVSs) under asymmetric single line-to-ground fault and symmetric three-phase fault. The main differences between switch- and bridge-type fault current limiters is the electric component devices such as the bridge rectifier, snubber capacitor, energy absorption bypass and current-limiting inductors. In addition, the designed FRT performance with the inverter control are analyzed in-depth, e.g., a well-adjusted proportional integral (PI) and proposed steepest descent (SD) controller are compared in the fault condition. To compare the proposed method with the conventional method, the AC power and voltage on a common coupling point (PCC) and DC link voltage of the PV system are analyzed with a MATLAB/Simulink model of a 100 kW three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic system. The simulation results of the proposed FRT circuit and SD controller verify the stability improvement and vibration-free and fast and robust responses of electrical parameters on both PV grid sides during asymmetric disturbances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy: Technologies and Challenges)

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28 pages, 8482 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Zeta/Flyback Hybrid Converter for Solar Power Applications

by Sheng-Yu Tseng and Jun-Hao Fan

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2924; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052924 - 2 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2650

Abstract

This paper presents a zeta/flyback hybrid converter with a PV array as its power source for an LED street light or digital signage application. When the PV array is used in a LED lighting system, it needs a battery charger and discharger. In [...] Read more.

This paper presents a zeta/flyback hybrid converter with a PV array as its power source for an LED street light or digital signage application. When the PV array is used in a LED lighting system, it needs a battery charger and discharger. In order to increase the areas of application for different PV arrays, a zeta converter has been adopted as the battery charger. In addition, since a flyback converter has a simpler circuit, it is used as the battery discharger. Due to the leakage inductor of the transformer in the flyback converter, an active clamp circuit is used to recover the energy stored in leakage inductance. Zeta and flyback converters use switch integration techniques to form the proposed zeta/flyback hybrid converter. With this approach, the proposed system has less components, a lighter weight, a smaller size, and higher conversion efficiency. Finally, a prototype of the proposed hybrid converter with an output voltage of 12 V and output power of 50 W has been implemented to verify its feasibility. It is suitable for LED lighting system applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy: Technologies and Challenges)

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19 pages, 9698 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Operation of a UXE-Type 11-Level Inverter with Voltage-Balance Modulation Using NLC and ACO-Based SHE

by Mohammad Ali, Mohd Tariq, Chang-Hua Lin, Ripon K. Chakrobortty, Basem Alamri, Ahmad Alahmadi and Michael J. Ryan

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9035; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169035 - 12 Aug 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2487

Abstract

In this article, the UXE-Type inverter is considered for eleven-level operation. This topology exhibits a boosting capability along with reduced switches and one source. An algorithm that utilizes the redundant states to control the voltage-balance of the auxiliary direct current (DC)-link is presented. [...] Read more.

In this article, the UXE-Type inverter is considered for eleven-level operation. This topology exhibits a boosting capability along with reduced switches and one source. An algorithm that utilizes the redundant states to control the voltage-balance of the auxiliary direct current (DC)-link is presented. The proposed control algorithm is capable of maintaining the voltages of each capacitor at

V_{d c} / 4

resulting in a successful multilevel operation for all values of load. The inverter is also compared with 11-level inverters. The modulation of the inverter is performed by employing nearest level control and ant colony optimization based selective harmonic elimination. The maximum inverter efficiency is 98.1% and its performance is validated on an hardware-in-the-loop platform. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy: Technologies and Challenges)

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18 pages, 5072 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Novel High-Efficiency Three-Port Bidirectional Step-Up/Step-Down DC–DC Converter for Photovoltaic Systems

by Yu-En Wu and Shiu-Liang Hsiao

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7913; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147913 - 15 Jul 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2202

Abstract

This paper presents a novel high-efficiency three-port bidirectional DC–DC converter for photovoltaic (PV) systems. A PV system’s output is stepped up to supply a DC bus or DC load while charging the battery. When the PV output is insufficient, the battery voltage is [...] Read more.

This paper presents a novel high-efficiency three-port bidirectional DC–DC converter for photovoltaic (PV) systems. A PV system’s output is stepped up to supply a DC bus or DC load while charging the battery. When the PV output is insufficient, the battery voltage is stepped up to the DC bus; when the DC bus has excess energy, it is stepped down to charge the battery. Thus, a high-efficiency three-port bidirectional step-up/step-down converter is achieved. A common-core coupled inductor was designed and adopted in the proposed converter. Power switches and diodes in the circuit are shared to achieve bidirectional operation. In step-up mode, the clamp capacitor is used to reduce the voltage spike on the main switches. Moreover, the voltage-doubling capacitor recovers energy from the secondary-side leakage inductance. Furthermore, the input capacitors recover the primary-side leakage inductance energy in step-down mode. Thus, the converter can improve its conversion efficiency. Finally, this paper details the implementation of a 500 W three-port bidirectional converter to verify the feasibility and the practicability of the proposed topology. According to the measurement results, the highest efficiency levels of the PV and the battery in step-up mode were 94.3% and 94.1%, respectively; the highest efficiency in step-down mode was 95.2%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy: Technologies and Challenges)

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13 pages, 4914 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Supercapacitor-Aided Hybrid Energy Storage System to Enhance Battery Life Cycle of Electric Vehicles

by Min-Fu Hsieh, Po-Hsun Chen, Fu-Sheng Pai and Rui-Yang Weng

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7682; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147682 - 9 Jul 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3799

Abstract

This paper presents a C-rate control method for a battery/supercapacitor (SC) hybrid energy storage system (HESS) to enhance the life cycle of the battery in electric vehicles (EVs). The proposed HESS provides satisfactory power for dynamic movements of EVs (e.g., acceleration or braking) [...] Read more.

This paper presents a C-rate control method for a battery/supercapacitor (SC) hybrid energy storage system (HESS) to enhance the life cycle of the battery in electric vehicles (EVs). The proposed HESS provides satisfactory power for dynamic movements of EVs (e.g., acceleration or braking) while keeping the battery current within a secure level to prevent it from degradation. The configurations of conventional HESSs are often complex due to the two energy storages and their current/voltage sensing involved. Therefore, in this paper, a simple current-sensing scheme is utilized and the battery is directly treated as a controlled variable to help the battery output current remain stable for different load conditions. While the proposed circuit requires only one current feedback signal, neither the SC nor load current sensors are needed, and the circuit design is thus significantly simplified. Both simulation and experimental results validated the effectiveness of the proposed HESS operating in conjunction with the motor drive system. The proposed method aims at fully utilizing recycled energy and prolonging battery lifespan. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy: Technologies and Challenges)

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