U Mahapatra Head, Control Instrumentation Division Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

We will discuss:

What is PE? What gives it its power - why is it getting so important? PE devices power & control PE applications

PE is electronics applied for conversion, control and flow of electric power.

It is a powerful fusion of brain & brawn: the brains are microelectronic hardware (-processors/controllers, DSPs, motor controllers ICs, etc); the brawn is power switching devices (IGBTs, MOSFETs, etc). Few tens of watts control hundreds of kilo-watts
PE is growing fast due to advances in semiconductor technologies which give faster more efficient switching and higher density of integration

What is Power Electronics ?

Application of power semiconductor devices for control and conversion of electric power

Input Source
- AC - DC - unregulated

sensors Power Electronics Converters Load

Output
- AC - DC

Reference

Controller

POWER ELECTRONIC CONVERTERS the heart of power a power electronics system

We consume energy mainly as electric energy. PE aims at effective and efficient use of electric power and at improvement of its quality. PE application is widespread and growing fast. It is felt that by 2020 almost every unit of electricity will pass through PE eqpmt at some point in the generation-consumption chain. PE and information electronics are the muscle and brain of technology and human society.

Importance of PE
Energy sources are drying up; CO2 is building up Human society must restrict energy consumption though there is strong pressure towards rapid growth Renewable energy and energy efficiency & conservation are imperative PE is a facilitator in this effort. It is intimately connected with solar, wind, tidal power technologies It is one of the primary means of improving efficiency:

variable speed compressors in AC system: 30% savings electronic ballasts in fluorescent lighting: 20% savings HVDC transmission fuel cell based electric vehicles with brushless motors
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0.1-10 battery-operated equipment 10-100 satellite power systems 1001kW computer power supply, Electric 2 wheelers 1 10 kW Small office load, hot tub 10 100 kW electric car/Bus 1 MW 10 MW rail tarction, SMES (superconducting magnet electric storage ) 10 MW 100 MW Magnetic aircraft launch 100 MW 1 GW Power plant, HVDC power supplies for accelerators, etc HF inverters for high speed drives , accelerators, etc

Power electronic converters provide the necessary adaptation functions to integrate all different powergrid components into a common system..

PE rapid growth due to: Advances in power switches (IGBTs, MOSFETs) and micro electronics (DSP, VLSI, -processor/-controller, ASIC) New control algorithm ideas Hard real-time control software (sec loop execution time) Demand for applications not feasible without new PE technology PE is an interdisciplinary field that has built upon advances in: solid-state technologies - digital/analogue electronics & microelectronics power and energy technologies control systems theory & practice computers, simulation and software packaging & heat transfer technologies
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To convert electrical energy from one form to another, i.e. from the source to load with: highest efficiency, highest availability highest reliability lowest cost, smallest size least weight.

Static applications involves non-rotating or moving mechanical components. Examples:

DC Power supply, Un-interruptible power supply, Power

generation and transmission (HVDC), Electroplating, Welding, Heating, Cooling, Electronic ballast

Drive applications intimately contains moving or rotating components such as motors. Examples:

Electric trains, Electric vehicles, Air-conditioning System,

Pumps, Compressor, Conveyer Belt (Factory automation).

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Typically used in systems requiring efficient control and conversion of electric energy Commercial / Domestic / IT areas SMPS UPS Lighting Heating Home appliances Air Conditioning Industrial Prime-movers for Pumps / Fans / Compressors Cranes, Elevators Textile, Steel industries, Mining Power Supplies in Telecommunication / Aerospace Power transformation , conditioning and Transmission

Contd.. Transportation Hybrid electric vehicles with much higher gas mileage All-electric ships Light rail, fly-by-wire planes Drive-by-wire automobiles

Contd..

Power Systems

HVDC Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) CUSTOM Power Devices Distributed Generation FRIENDS (Flexible, Reliable and Intelligent Electrical Energy Delivery System)

Hybrid Power Systems Battery Electric Cars New Vehicle Types Alternative Fuels Restructured Cities New Ways of Working

More economic > 100 km and power 200-900 MW 1) Sending and receiving end frequencies are independent. 2) Transmission distance using dc is not affected by cable charging current. 3) Offshore installation is isolated from mainland disturbances 4) Power flow is fully defined and controllable. 5) Cable power losses are low. 6) Power-transmission capability per cable is higher.

POWER ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY

POWER SWITCH TECHNOLOGY PASSIVE COMPONENTS / ELECTROMAGNETICS

USER DOMAIN EXPERTISE

EMI/EMC & PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY

DIGITAL ELECTRONICS

COOLING TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

CONTROL SYSTEMS

 Types of interfaces: dc-dc: dc-dc converter ac-dc: rectifier dc-ac: inverter ac-ac: cycloconverter (used less often) Power electronic converters components: Semiconductor switches: Diodes MOSFETs IGBTs SCRs Energy storage elements Inductors Capacitors Other components: Transformer Control circuit

Power Electronic Systems

Power semiconductor devices

Power switches

isw ON or OFF + vsw =0 isw = 0

Ploss = vsw isw = 0

+ Losses ideally ZERO ! vsw

Power Electronic Systems

Power semiconductor devices

Power switches

Vak + ia
A

Vak

Vak
+ ia

+
A

ia

Power Electronic Systems

Power semiconductor devices

Power switches

iD

+
G

ic

+
G

VDS S

VCE E

Power Electronic Systems

Passive elements + iL Inductor VL -

High frequency transformer

+ V1

+ V2 -

+ iC

VC

Power Diodes Stud type Hockey-puck type

IGBT Module type: Full bridge and three phase IGCT Integrated with its driver
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Fin-type Heat Sink

SCR (hokey-puck-type) on power pak kits

SCR (stud-type) on aircooled kits

Assembly of power converters

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About 50% of electrical energy used for drives

Can be either used for fixed speed or variable speed

75% - constant speed, 25% variable speed (expanding)

Variable speed drives typically used PEC to supply the motors

DC motors (brushed) SRM BLDC

AC motors - IM - PMSM

Earlier in the absence of efficient devices and non availability of technology only AC induction motors were used because of their usage simplicity. But they were highly inefficient especially in variable speed applications and traction applications where motor has to start on load and compressor duty application where motor needs to start/stop frequently. Competing motor to IM was only Brushed motors again due to simplicity in control. But it has its own disadvantages e.g. wear & tear in brushes, electrical noise due to arcing, maintenance requirements etc.
Contd

Earlier because of no support from Power Electronics technology some motors lost the initiatives such as Variable Reluctance (VR) motor. First electric locomotive used VR motors. Now after cheap and reliable PE is available VR motors are redeployed for traction duty and high speed applications. Similarly because of the advancement in Power Electronics and precise controls Brushless motors are deployed preferentially.

Typical Modern Electric Drive Systems Power Electronic Converters

Electric Energy - Unregulated Electric Energy - Regulated Electric Energy

Electric Motor
Mechanical Energy

Utility Power IN

Power Electronic Converters

feedback

Moto r

Load

Reference

Controller

DC Motor with mechanical commutator Current reversal takes place due to commutator segment switching. Brush and commutator wear Rotating armature has poor mechanical integrity and poor thermal cooling

BLDC Motor with electronic commutation. Current reversal is forced by controller on sensing rotor position. Robust PM rotor. Static winding excellent mechanical integrity and excellent thermal cooling

400 200 0 -200 -400 0.4

DC DRIVES
AC-DC

0.405

0.41

0.415

0.42

0.425

0.43

0.435

0.44

+
50Hz 1-phase

2Vm Vo cos
Average voltage over 10ms

10

Vo -

0 0.4

0.405

0.41

0.415

0.42

0.425

0.43

0.435

0.44

500

-500

50Hz 3-phase

+ Vo Vo 3VL - L,m cos

0.4

0.405

0.41

0.415

0.42

0.425

0.43

0.435

0.44

30

20

Average voltage over 3.33 ms

10

0 0.4

0.405

0.41

0.415

0.42

0.425

0.43

0.435

0.44

q vtri
Torque controller

+ Vdc

Tc

kt

DC drives with SM Converters

Converter
Tl (s)

Te (s)
+ -

Torque controller

Vdc Vtri , peak

Va (s)

+ -

Ia (s) 1 R a sL a

kT

Te (s)

1 B sJ

(s )

kE

DC motor

Advances in digital circuit design, microprocessor and DSP technology duly supported by advanced RT kernels and software development tools has enabled usage of very sophisticated model reference vector control schemes for motors and utility controllers. Capabilities of very hard real time response make it possible to implement KHz bandwidth controllers. Nano second code execution time make it possible to elaborately handle device and utility protections within the controller. Various schemes for motor control and drive design:

Single quadrant control Two quadrant control Four quadrant control Flux Vector or Field Oriented Control (FOC) Space Vector Control (SVPWM) Sensorless vector control of IM and BL motors

q and d components are regulated by PI compensators isqref is torque command d component is field component and produces no useful torque so isdref is regulated to 0. d component will be commanded for field weakening above motor base speed Outputs of the PI regulators are the quadrature components of a voltage vector to be applied to the motor Voltage vector Vsqref and Vsdref are in the Rotors frame of reference Need to transform this voltage vector back into three phase quantities in the Stators frame of reference.

PWM modulated sine function

v AB
Vd
0

THD = 92.07%

v AO
0

THD = 92.07%

2V d / 3

iA

THD = 7.73%

fm = 60Hz, fcr = 900Hz

V AB n / V d

Switching frequency fsw = fcr = 900Hz

V AB1 0.49 Vd
0.2

2m f 1

THD = 92.07%
3m f 2
4m f 1

mf
0.1 0 1 5 10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

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Major technology challenges and solutions in power electronics applications:

1.

There is a lack of standardization and interoperability among power electronic components. This increases the cost of manufacturability and reduces volume and reliability.
Power electronic devices must be modular and scalable. This will simplify applications and designs, leading to increased use; higher production volumes will lower costs and improve performance. To improve the performance of power electronics, devices, systems and controls should be coordinated, as well as the supporting R&D in each area. Need to integrate control laws, computer science, communications, and networking technology. Build and use excellent mathematical models of machines and controllers. The strength of the field relies on its close contact with rigorous mathematics.

2.

3.

Control at higher levels of decision making.

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The key application needs surrounding the power electronic industry are to reduce cost and improve reliability, these needs should drive the technology and research agenda.
What are the key development needs surrounding power electronics for PE applications?
Reduce

Key Development Needs

cost Improve reliability

Major Technology Challenges

What major technology challenges are effecting the PE development?

Increased modularity and scalability Increased standardization and interoperability Improve performance, yet design power electronics systematically

Research Initiatives

What research is needed to overcome the technology challenges?

Research Projects

Mathematical modelling

The technology challenges can be overcome by supporting following key research initiatives.
1.
2.

3.

4. 5. 6. 7.

8.

9.

10.

Increase the efficiency of power electronic systems Standardize the interface between power electronics systems and the grid Improve the thermal management characteristics of power electronic systems Minimize the harmonic distortions of power electronic systems Improve the durability of power electronic systems and components Reduce the complexity of power electronic systems Improve the manufacturability of power electronic systems and components Standardize and and improve the interoperability of power electronics components and systems Improve the scalability / modularity of power electronic systems and components Minimize the system package size of power electronics
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To provide the country with capability to become a dominant global player in Power Electronics Technology

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Enhance the indigenous R&D expertise in Power Electronics Resorting to R&D3 ie. Research/ Development/Deployment/Demonstration Networking of premier academic institutes having PE activities Nodal Centre facilitating the translation of academic research to industries Assuring industry support, as well as up-gradation of technical know-how by forming a consortium