This work presents a two-stage auxiliary power module (APM) for electric vehicle applications. The proposed architecture comprises a partial power converter (PPC) operating in step-down mode, interfacing with the high-voltage (HV) battery, and a half-bridge converter with an isolated current doubler (HB-CD) operating at a fixed conversion ratio (DCX), which ensures the galvanic isolation required in such applications. By employing the PPC as a pre-regulator, the HB-CD stage operates with reduced voltage across its semiconductors, allowing the use of devices with lower on-state resistance, thereby significantly reducing conduction losses, which are identified as the dominant source of loss in this context. Moreover, the fixed duty cycle operation (D = 0.5) guarantees zero-voltage switching (ZVS) on both the primary and secondary sides of the HB-CD stage, further improving overall efficiency. Simulation results validate the proposed strategy, demonstrating reduced voltage stress, full soft-switching behavior, and improved power conversion efficiency compared to a conventional single-stage architecture.

This paper presents a novel switched-capacitor (SC) series-connected partial power converter (S-PPC) for step-up voltage conversion. The proposed converter performs partial power processing (PPP) using a transformerless topology based on a capacitive coupled converter. As a result, it features low voltage stress on the semiconductors, offering higher efficiency and power density compared to the conventional boost converter. Therefore, this converter can be a suitable option for applications such as photovoltaic (PV) systems or battery-supplied systems. To validate the principle of operation and efficiency, a 3.5 kW prototype was built. It achieved a peak efficiency of approximately 99.0% near rated power, and maintained efficiency above 97.5% at low power (0.5 kW), operating at 200 kHz.

The growing interest in electric mobility has attracted both industry and academia to develop DC fast charging stations (FCS) capable of meeting the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and offering additional functionalities. Multifunctional FCS can play a new role by integrating renewable energy resources, both for distributed generation (such as PV and wind) and for energy storage (such as batteries). However, there are several control challenges associated with these elements to ensure reliable and robust operation, while also being flexible and suitable for future expansion. Therefore, this paper focuses on the AC-DC power module control of an FCS to ensure continuous microgrid operation, even under main grid failure conditions. Additionally, it proposes a feedforward strategy to improve the dynamic response of the internal DC bus. The proposed technique is evaluated in comparison with other approaches, and the results demonstrate a significant improvement in the dynamic response.

This study presents a methodology for determining the efficiency of electric motors and the thermal behavior of inverters, with a focus on the associated losses. An integrated simulation approach was developed, incorporating JMAG motor models, PLECs software for loss calculation, and Simulink for comprehensive system simulation. The methodology was validated through a vehicle’s driving and start-up cycles, producing efficiency maps across various operating conditions, including different switching frequencies and bus voltage levels. The results highlight the broad applicability of this simulation methodology to various types of machines and semiconductor technologies. This approach is particularly effective for accelerating the development of traction inverters, providing valuable insights for optimizing system performance.

This paper proposes a modified five-level active neutral point clamped inverter with output voltage boosting capability. The operating principle is based on switched-capacitor technique, which allows to reduce the dc-link voltage level to half of the conventional topologies. Additionally, the proposed five-level inverter reduces the devices voltage stress and consequently minimizes the total standing voltage of the circuit. The inverter can balance the dc-link and floating capacitors through a proposed modulation scheme without employing complex control methods or additional circuits and sensors. Experimental results are obtained from a 1.2 kW laboratory prototype to demonstrate the system operation.

This paper presents a single-phase voltage distribution static synchronous compensator which integrates a single-phase to three-phase four-wired transformer-less conversion. Beyond that, this structure are capable to interface a distributed alternative energy generation to the mains. The major advantage of this circuit is the combined operation capability, which is realized with a few switching components while preserve an interconnected grounded neutral from mains to three-phase terminals. The power electronic circuit is parallel connected to the single-phase grid and add two additional terminals, which together, form the three-phase four-wired grid. The resulting active power from the converter energy balance are absorbed/delivered from/to the mains while the reactive power are managed to provide its single-phase voltage compensation. The power system scheme as well as the proposed closed-loop control structure are presented in details. Simulation results are illustrated to validate the converter assembly.

This work has as objective to maximize the efficiency of the DC/DC boost converter, used to track the maximum power of a PV system implemented by three panels, connected in series, with a total power of 600 W. The maximization is based on the selection of the magnetic material and of the operating point (Δi @ fs) that results in the best weighted average efficiency. Losses in the capacitors, semiconductors and magnetic devices are considered. Experimental results are presented to validate the simulated results obtained, as well as results of the efficiency of the boost converter. There different points will be presented to prove that operating point selected is the best among them.

This paper proposes a hybrid topology for ac power source (ACPS) application composed of a modular multilevel converter (MMC), operating as main amplifier, and a linear power amplifier (LPA), operating as correction amplifier. The MMC and LPA are associated in series. This way, it is possible to gather the modularity, reliability and higher efficiency provided by the MMC and the high waveform fidelity provided by the LPA. Additionally, it is possible to reproduce a voltage waveform with a high bandwidth and, differently from previous works, with a topology that requires a unique dc source for the main amplifier. The control of the MMC is implemented by controlling the inner current and the submodule capacitor voltages; meanwhile, the control of the LPA is responsible for defining the output voltage. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the suitable performance of the proposed topology in terms of dynamic response, output waveform fidelity and efficiency.

This paper presents the dynamic modeling and digital control of a single-stage isolated current rectifier with power factor correction based on the integration of full-bridge and flyback converters. This converter is designed to operate with adjustable output voltage so that it can operate in two distinct operation modes, depending on the input and output voltages. Therefore, small-signal state-space average models are obtained for the converter operating in step-down and step-up operation modes, and analysis and design of the digital control system are included for different operating points. Experimental results based on a 3-kW prototype are presented to validate the proposed control system under distinct conditions.

This paper presents the electrothermal modeling and control of a light emitting diodes (LEDs) system. The system consists on a Buck-Boost converter operating as the current driver and LEDs distributed along to the heatsink composing the luminaire. The model contemplates electric characteristics of the Buck-Boost converter and thermal characteristics of the luminaire. A control system is developed to regulate the LEDs current and to keep the adequate LEDs operating temperature. At the end, experimental results are presented for validation of the entire proposed system.

This paper proposes a digital control system for a voltage-controlled D-STATCOM applied to single-phase low voltage distribution networks. This system is especially suited for long rural distribution lines with problems to comply with voltage levels standards. The voltage regulator consists of a single-phase voltage-source PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) inverter connected in parallel with the point of common coupling (PCC) through a second-order low-pass filter. The proposed control system is composed of three loops: an active damping loop, a control loop to regulate the PCC voltage and a dc bus voltage control loop. Experimental results are included to demonstrate the performance of the proposed system.