Finite Control Set Model Predictive Control (FCS-MPC) is a popular control technique. However, parametric uncertainties and external disturbances degrade the prediction accuracy. In this paper, a modulated model predictive control (M2pC) with fixed switching frequency is proposed to control a permanent magnet synchronous motor. The conventional cost function is replaced by a sliding mode function, which has several advantages, such as robustness to parameter uncertainty, convergence in finite time, and low computational cost. The feasibility of this strategy is evaluated using a second-order sliding mode speed controller. Simulation results are presented to confirm its effectiveness and compared to the classical FCS-MPC. The proposed method exhibits low total harmonic distortion at a low sampling frequency.

To evaluate photovoltaic power converters with real photovoltaic panel require expensive testbed, time, and good climatic conditions. As a result, PV emulator is highly requested in solar energy conversion research, which is expensive equipment. This paper presents the development of an experimental low-cost PV emulator based on a programmable dc power supply, LabVIEW application is used to define the nonlinear model of the PV. The proposed approach is intended to have a simple testbed, inexpensive, and suitable for undergraduate students for courses such as renewable energies, power electronics, and control. The resultant PV emulator guarantees a controllable and safe environment to behave as a PV system.

The dual-active-bridge is a DC/DC converter that is widely used due to its design flexibility. Diverse modulations have been used to extend the soft-switching range, reducing the RMS current or improve the overall performance. In this paper, the analysis of different quasi-discontinuous conduction modulations for the DAB converter is made. The analysis considers the RMS current, the displacement angles calculation, and the softswitching conditions to establish a design guide for the modulations analyzed. Four modulations were considered. Simulation and experimental results are presented.

The dual-active-bridge (DAB) converter has extended its use due to the important features that make it suitable for a wide range of applications. The Solid-State Transformer (SST) in Smart Transformer (ST) application uses the DAB converter as the core of the system. One of the most important features is reactive power management because it allows the system to control the input voltage amplitude. In this paper, an ac/dc converter based on the DAB converter with reactive power management is described. The first stage is comprised of a synchronous rectifier, reducing the system complexity in comparison with its PWM rectifier counterpart. The DAB converter comprises the second stage and it draws or delivers current, allowing a low input current THD and variable power factor. The design procedure is shown as well as simulation results.

The ongoing electrification of the transport sector raises demands for new power electronic solutions. As a consequence, modular converter structures are state of the art for fast charging, since high power and short charging times are required. This work presents a modular multiport DC-DC converter which has the capability to decrease the cost and size of the required charging station. Furthermore, design guidelines for the investigated topology are presented. The analysis is validated with a three port isolated DC-DC converter with separated loads.

The quasi discontinuous conduction mode (QDCM) of the double active bridge (DAB) is addressed in this paper. The DAB converter usually is operated turning on always two semiconductors per bridge, and this leads to a continuous inductor current: However, a similar operation to dc/dc converters can be implemented, for this, less than two switches are turned on, at certain time, in one of the bridges; this leads to the quasi-DCM. With this mode of operation, a natural soft-switching is performed during the whole range of operation, but also low current stress is performed compared to the square modulation, not only at low power range. The modulation is relatively simple compared to other techniques. The proposed technique is described, analyzed, numerically simulated, and experimentally tested.

The power electronics-based Smart Transformer (ST) can increase the hosting capacity of Distributed Generators (DGs) as well as electric vehicle charging stations and potentially reduce the reinforcements in the distribution grid by providing the DC connectivities and optimizing the capability in the secondary substations. Due to the asynchronous behaviour between the power generation in DGs and load consumption, the ST will operate in asymmetrically bidirectional power flow conditions. The power electronics in the ST can be fully used under the forward power flow condition, while only be partially used under the reverse power flow condition. This paper proposes a Bidirectional-Asymmetrical DC/DC converter in ST to reduce the cost of the power semiconductors and to satisfy the ST operating in bidirectional requirement. Under forward operation mode, the power sharing between two paralleled full bridge rectifiers in the secondary side of the proposed converter is studied and then the output impedance reshaping solution is presented to improve the dynamic performance of the output voltage under load disturbances. The simulation results clearly validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed converter.

Transformerless inverters are being widely used in low power grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) generation systems. Transformer elimination has many advantages; it reduces cost, size, weight and also increases the whole system efficiency. However, once the transformer is removed, there is no galvanic isolation between grid and PV array and, as a consequence, a leakage current may appears due to the photovoltaic panel parasitic capacitance to the ground, resulting in prohibitive electromagnetic interference and security issues. This paper presents a novel current source DC/AC topology in order to reduce this ground leakage current. It is established that the neutral line of the grid is the same as the negative terminal of the PV system, eliminating this way, any possibility of leakage current through this terminal.

In this paper, a soft switching technique for a LED driver based on an Integrated Double Buck-Boost (IDBB) converter is presented. The converter is a two-stage cascaded Buck-Boost topology featuring a single main switch and positive voltage output. The first stage is connected to the grid and it is operated in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM); working this way, a high power factor is naturally achieved. The second stage is used to improve the dynamic performance of the LED current by working in continuous conduction mode (CCM), which allows a low output current ripple in a 69W LED lamp. As an integrated converter, the power losses of the two stages are concentrated in the single transistor, when hard switching is used. The proposed soft switching technique consists on a lossless voltage active snubber and a current passive snubber, which allows the converter switching at zero voltage at the turn off, and at zero current during the turn on. Simulation and experimental results are shown.

Active power filters have been used to eliminate current harmonics generated by nonlinear loads, because such loads decrease the power quality, but with the growing use of renewable energy sources interconnected to the grid is possible integrate the function of the active power Alter to the grid-connected photovoltaic-system, the functions in a single device. Due to the before mentioned the use of photovoltaic (PV) system with the harmonic compensation is proposed in this paper, a sliding mode controller is considered to control the power converter. The system consists of two stages, and it is able to inject active power into the grid while eliminating current harmonics generated by nonlinear loads at the point of common coupling (PCC). The system is designed and simulated, and then the effectiveness of the proposed sliding mode controller and advantages over conventional PV inverters are confirmed.

Transformerless inverters are widely used in grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) generation systems, due to the benefits of achieving high efficiency and low cost. The transformerless photovoltaic inverter may generate a leakage current between the inverter and the grid, through a parasitic capacitance. This leakage current will cause a low efficiency a distortion of the output and should the staff be in danger. Several transformerless inverter topologies have been proposed to reduce this leakage current. This paper proposes a different topology to reduce the leakage current problem, which consists of the stage integration of a full bridge inverter and a DC/DC boost converter. One output terminal of the inverter is connected directly to the ground; the inverter is controlled using the sliding mode control.

This paper presents an electronic ballast topology intended for operation of high intensity discharge lamp (HID). The presented HID lamp ballast integrates a voltage-fed quasi-Z-source inverter with continuous input current (qZSI) as power factor corrector (PFC) with a high/low-frequency square-wave-driven full-bridge inverter for supplying low-frequency square-wave sources to the HID lamp. The features of the proposed ballast are high power factor, continuous input current and it is free of acoustic resonance. This paper analyzes the operational modes, design guidelines and experimental results of the proposed ballast for a 250W HID lamp.

High boost converters have become important in applications for energy generation, like renewable sources; due to its ability to have high gain levels. High efficiency, few components, and low voltage and current stress on switches are features desired in these kinds of converters. In this paper a different dc/dc converter to increase the input voltage is proposed; two pairs of coupled magnetically coils are charged in parallel and discharged in series with the source, this permits to offer a high gain with few components, but also at good efficiency. The steady-state analysis of the topology is shown. But also experimental results and simulation are presented to illustrate the behavior of the system for an output power of 200 W. The system efficiency is around 95% at hard switching.

This paper presents the analysis and study of high dc/dc boost converters; boost converters have become important in applications for energy generation and even more if they have high gain. High efficiency, few components, low voltage and current stress on switches are features desired in these kinds of converters, but also its complexity to be controlled. In this paper three boost converters are analyzed: the traditional one, the tapped boost converter and specially a hybrid one: the analysis is made from the control point of view. The steady-state analysis and the small signal model of the topologies are shown. But also experimental results of one converter are presented to illustrate the behavior of the system for an output power of 50W.